After my labor, delivery and recovery, a nurse from the Mother/Baby unit came to transport me to my room. A transport specialist (bellhop) carried my luggage and belongings so that my husband could pay attention to me and his new baby. I arrived on the Mother/baby unit and was impressed by its brightness, cleanliness and quiet environment. There were plants/fresh flowers at the nurse’s station. I was greeted with kindness and respect. The nurses and other professionals were ready for me.. they knew who I was, the sex of my baby, how my labor and delivery experience unfolded and how my recovery proceeded. The nurses even referred to my “birth plan” which really impressed me! They spoke easily about what the next steps in my care would be so that I knew what to expect and then transported me to my room. All of this was accomplished without compromising my privacy. Everyone I saw in the clear, clean hallways greeted me with a smile and spoke softly so as not to disturb others. I felt relaxed and welcomed. I felt like this staff really knew who I was and what my needs were. I noticed that there were welcome signs on the unit in a number of different languages.

My room was spotless and uncluttered. There was a note in the room signed by the staff member who had cleaned my room. How nice! There was juice in the room for me and my husband and also a pitcher of water infused with cucumbers and lemons.

The room was decorated beautifully in soft colors with modern blinds at the windows. On the bed where towels in the shape of baby animals. Even the bathroom had updated fixtures! In the bathroom was a basket of personal care products in case I had forgotten to bring mine from home. They were all natural and free of chemicals that are harmful to health. I had heard that Magee is a “green” hospital and was glad to see that they practice what they preach. There was a beautiful green plant in the room. It made the room more homelike and also would absorb odors and indoor air pollution. My nurse wrote her name on the white board in my room and told me how to reach her at any time. The nurse, my husband and I came up with a plan of care which was written on the whiteboard in the room. She explained that babies are usually in the rooms with their moms to increase bonding and support breastfeeding. I liked that my baby would stay with me. My nurse had extra training in breastfeeding support so that she could help me begin to breastfeed right away. She also told me that if I had any special problems, a lactation consultant would be available to see me. This put my mind at ease. And I would also be invited to a 30 minute breastfeeding support group along with other mothers who had delivered that day. She then explained the special security measures that would keep my baby safe which made me feel confident. She told me that I would be learning many new skills and that she and other staff would be there to teach and support me throughout my stay. That also made me feel more secure and cared for. The nurse pointed out a couch under the window where my spouse could sleep and showed us where we could access linens for our family. She asked my husband to let her know his intentions around sleeping over so she could better care for us.

I was told that I could order off of the room service menu. I was pleased to see so many healthy options noted in the menu including vegan and vegetarian offerings. And it was surprising and wonderful to see noted that many of the herbs and vegetables utilized in the foods came directly from the Magee organic gardens. A special dinner would be provided on one of the days of my stay to congratulate our family on the birth of our baby. We could choose the day. We were informed that we could spend some time walking in the gardens and that our 3 year old daughter might especially enjoy the turtle and fish pond garden. There was a sticker for her when she came to visit me later in the day which said “I am a Big Sister!” That was a nice touch to include her. There was also a little book for her about new babies which was very sweet.

I was told that I would be able to attend group classes on bathing the baby and car seat education and given a schedule of times when they would occur on the unit during my stay.

The nurse asked if I had any questions or if there was anything she could do for me before she left my room. She said she would be back to check on me throughout the day, but that I should not hesitate to call her if I needed to.