CARIBOU and EASTON, Maine — Jenna and Matthew Lombard of Easton welcomed their daughter Ryleigh Jean on April 6.
Jenna was the first mom to deliver in Cary Medical Center’s newly renovated delivery rooms, part of a larger renovation project in the obstetrics wing.
Jenna and Matthew chose the hospital to deliver their second child because of recommendations from their family and friends and their own experience when their son was born.
“The new delivery room provided a calm atmosphere,” Jenna said. “It was comfortable in there and didn’t feel like you were in a hospital room.”
Matthew added, “It was spacious, even when there were a lot of people in the room for delivery you didn’t feel smothered.”
So far, two new labor and delivery rooms are finished. The new delivery rooms are more spacious, have ADA compliant bathrooms with larger showers, and electronic ceiling lighting. One of the new delivery rooms features a birthing pool as an option for qualifying moms while they are in labor.
Obstetrics Primary Charge Nurse Jennifer Plante stands next to the birthing pool available in one of the newly renovated delivery rooms at Cary Medical Center.
(Courtesy of Cary Medical Center)
“Hydrotherapy, the use of water to soothe pain, is beneficial to laboring moms,” said Jennifer Plante, primary charge nurse in obstetrics.
“It often contributes to less desire for pain medications by reducing maternal perception of pain, encouraging maternal control over her own labor, and providing an excellent non-pharmacologic option for discomfort. The ability for free movement while in labor can also help the birthing process occur faster than if a patient remains in bed during labor,” Plante said.
Other completed areas include a new exam room with attached bathroom, on-call room for providers, lactation room, nursery, and nurse’s station. The nurse’s station and nursery are attached for better workflow and more security for the infants, though Plante said most mothers choose to room in. Hospital administrators anticipate that the full renovation project will be complete by the end of June.
“The pride we have in our department hasn’t changed with the renovation. We offer the same compassionate care and personalized birthing experience we have always offered,” Plante said. “We treat every patient like family, especially during COVID when they could only have one support person with them, we stepped in to become their new friends and family.
“Each staff person is hand-picked to be the best to take care of patients, and everyone goes above and beyond to provide a positive experience. The renovation just means that our facilities match that quality of care,” Plante said.
