Archbold Medical Center| Archives Magazine | Spring 2018

ARCHBOLD.ORG • SPRING 2018 7 Archbold Maternity Center offered was very meaningful to the Hodges, as well. “I feel like Archbold is trying to re-establish that giving birth is a natural function of your body, instead of a medical event. We appreciated that they encouraged bonding time between parents and baby by offering skin-to-skin contact time right after you give birth,” said Charlotte. “We also enjoyed how they encourage that your newborn stay in the room with you instead of going to a nursery. I was there when they bathed baby Anne Marie and made her first footprints. Those are special little memories that will stick with me.” Charlotte also credits her doctor, Archbold OB-GYN Oscar Jackson, MD, for helping ensure that her pregnancies and deliveries went smoothly. “I will never be able to articulate my admira- tion for Dr. Jackson,” Charlotte said. “He is truly a gift to his profession and this community. During all my prenatal visits, and the several times I had false labor with my second child, he never once let on that he was rushed, tired, frustrated or ready to go home. He always made me feel that, for whatever time I was in front of him, my baby and I were his sole focus. “Archbold, to me, is a hospital tailored to its community. They strive to provide that small- town feeling, but with a level of care you would find at a hospital in any major city. We’re so grateful to have chosen Archbold as our hospital, which played such an important role of bringing our babies into this world.” Keys to healthy babies The Archbold Maternity Center’s family-centered care model uses evidence-based best practices that are essential for optimal maternity care. •  Rooming-in. With this concept, mothers and babies are encouraged to stay together in the same room from birth throughout their hospital stay. Studies show when a mother and baby are close to one another from early moments after birth, it results in many medical benefits. •  Skin-to-skin contact after birth. Once a baby is born, the care provider dries the baby off in the delivery room, wraps them in a warm blanket and immediately places the baby on the mother’s chest to snuggle skin-to-skin. The first hours of skin-to-skin contact help mother and baby bond from the start and also result in health benefits for both. •  Access to specially trained nurses, who teach techniques that help parents care for their newborn. •  Education and assistancewith breastfeeding. •  Guidance on safe-sleeping options.