Regional Medical Center | Thrive for Life | Spring 2018

make the biggest in our hearts LIFE’S MOST PRECIOUS MOMENTS happen every day at Regional Medical Center (RMC) in Anniston. Each year, nearly 2,000 newborns begin life here. At the Women’s & Children’s Pavilion at RMC Anniston, families have more choices, more natural delivery options and more support throughout the birthing experience. RMC provides comprehensive obstetrical care, from preconception through postpartum. With a team of board-certified physicians and specially trained obstetrics nurses, as well as the latest in labor, delivery and recovery care, parents will find a safe, personal and comfortable environment here for one of life’s greatest milestones. As a Baby-Friendly® hospital, RMC’s collaborative team of caregivers will help you realize your birthing plan—from childbirth classes to the admissions process, labor and delivery, and postpartum and lactation support. We encourage and facilitate your personalized birthing experience, including low-intervention and natural deliveries, water labor, family-centered cesareans with clear draping, and VBAC births when safe for mom and baby. LDR (labor- delivery-recovery) suites are private and spacious. Fathers and others, as the mother desires, are welcome participants in childbirth. “Our patient satisfaction scores are among the highest in the nation,” says Lynn Watson, RN, director of OB Services at RMC Anniston. “Nurse communication ranks really high, affirming our efforts to keep patients at the center of all we do. Whether families desire water labor, a scheduled cesarean section, or the support of a doula, we work very hard to accommodate all of your personal preferences.” Relieving the pain Natural and medical intervention options for pain relief during labor have expanded as well. Moms can now choose nitrous oxide for a low- or no-anesthesia delivery experience. While the most common pain relief for labor has traditionally meant narcotics and anesthetics through an epidural, there is a growing awareness of the benefits of nitrous oxide for labor pain, since it doesn’t affect infant alertness during early bonding and breastfeeding. Women who choose nitrous oxide may still be aware of labor pain, but many find Regional Medical Center 8 The littlest feet footprints Find an OB-Gyn To find an obstetrician on staff at RMC Anniston, visit rmccares.org/our-doctors or call 256-231-8880 . OBSTETRICS