Childbirth is an exciting new beginning for the entire family. On the south side of Atlanta, the local hospitals are mother-friendly and baby-friendly, dedicated to making your baby’s start in life a safe, pleasant and memorable experience.

These six area hospitals encourage expectant mothers to look over their facilities and take advantage of the classes they offer. Visit them, ask questions and find the place that best suits you and your growing family.

Henry Medical Center

Mid to late November is the target for Henry Medical Center to move their comprehensive Women’s Center into the new North Tower. While it will bring many changes, a lot will stay the same. The hospital’s addition will house the same quality healthcare that HMC is known for—caring professionals using the latest medical technology and procedures.

The Center will include 12 labor & delivery suites, 3 post-anesthesia care beds, 36 postpartum/gyn beds, a 10-bed antepartum area and a 6-bed outpatient assessment area. In addition, there will be 32 newborn infant beds, a 14-bed NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), 12-bed intermediate nursery and transitional living space for infants and parents as they prepare for discharge.

“We will encourage Mother Baby Couplet care for our new moms so they can have their babies in the rooms with them as much as possible,” says Karen Keil, director of Maternal-Child Services. “Of course, we respect mothers to make their own decisions and try to give our patients as many options as possible.”

Those options include education—HMC offers Childbirth classes, Sibling classes and breastfeeding education. Starting this month, the hospital is supporting monthly educational programs in conjunction with Babys R Us at their Morrow store.

For more information, visit www.henrymedical.com. To schedule a tour, call the Labor & Delivery Nurses Station at 770-389-2342.

South Fulton Medical Center

At South Fulton Medical Center, the staff understands that the birth of your child is a celebration for the entire family. The Women’s Center staff works with you and your loved ones to provide the utmost in physical care, emotional support and education.

The newly renovated Center has everything you’ll need and more. The private, roomy LDR suites are filled with special touches to make you feel right at home. You’ll appreciate the private bathrooms with showers, sleeper chairs for Dads, phone and cable TV. There are private post-partum rooms for after delivery care, a well-baby nursery and a Level II NICU.

Of course, SFMC provides high-quality care with a full team of experienced professionals that includes trained midwives, perinatologists and neonatologists to assist expectant mothers. Pediatricians and anesthesiologists are available 24 hours each day.

SFMC ensures a good start by offering a full menu of women’s classes to help with transition to motherhood, including Childbirth Preparation, Sibling Class, Breastfeeding Class, Infant CPR and Infant Massage. To learn more or schedule a Women’s Center Tour, call 1-888-TENET-4U; tours are available in English and Spanish. More info is available at www.southfultonmedicalcenter.com.

Women’s Life Center at Southern Regional

The Women’s Life Center at Southern Regional Medical Center recently celebrated its 5th birthday but remains the newest center of its kind in the metro Atlanta area. As you enter, you may think you’re in the lobby of a magnificent hotel with beautiful wood finishes and a baby grand piano. This is just the Center’s delivery waiting area.

While at Southern Regional, both mother and infant are monitored closely by the Center’s outstanding medical team. The Labor and Delivery staff includes highly-skilled Registered Nurses as well as a team of dedicated midwives. All physicians (obstetricians, pediatricians, perinatologists and neonatologists) are board certified or board eligible.

Averaging 5,200 deliveries per year, the Center specializes in normal to high-risk pregnancies and offers a wide range of antenatal testing. It’s the only medical facility south of I-285 with a Level III NICU with 18 Intermediate beds and 12 Intensive Care beds. This year, the hospital’s NICU team was recognized as the “Best Nursing Team in the Southeast.”

The Women’s Life Center has beautifully decorated labor and delivery rooms and takes great pride in its whimsical, carousel-themed Holding Newborn Nursery that’s monitored 24 hours a day. The Center also has a 40-bed Mother/Baby Unit with 14 LDR beds, 8 comfortable post-partum suites and 2 state-of-the art Operating Rooms with around-the-clock anesthesia coverage.

The Women’s Life Center focuses on family-centered care. From educational services that include childbirth education, lactation support, sibling and infant massage classes to car seat safety checks, the medical staff provides support to families long after the discharge of the infant. For more information, visit www.southernregional.org or call 770-991-8200.

Piedmont Fayette Hospital

The stork is on its way to Piedmont Fayette Hospital. In September, the hospital will begin delivering babies in its new maternity center. The center houses three private birthing suites allowing mother to labor, deliver and recover all in one room. In addition to the private delivery suites, there are two surgical rooms for cesarean sections and seven private rooms for postpartum care. All of the suites are just seconds away from more comprehensive medical services.

The Maternity Center at PFH offers a warm, nurturing atmosphere for mom as well as a safe and comfortable experience to share with the entire family. To best meet your needs, please consider the following before visiting the maternity center:

• The Maternity Center at PFH will officially open in September 2006. Until that time, Fayette County residents should continue to seek maternity services at other area hospitals.  
• After the opening of the maternity center, it’s important that patients talk to their physician about the most appropriate place to seek care due to capacity limitations at PFH. If you make plans with your doctor to deliver at PFH, contact him/her before arriving at the maternity center.

Enroll in one of their maternity classes before your big day. To learn more about classes, call 770-719-6305. For more information about PFH’s maternity services, visit www.fayettehospital.org.

Newnan Hospital

The staff at The Center for Women & Children at Newnan Hospital works closely with local physicians to ensure state-of-the-art medical care in a comfortable home-like environment. The Center has ready resources for everything from gynecological surgery and postpartum care to pediatric care.

“We pride ourselves in the amount of hands-on, individualized care that we give to our patients,” says Sheila VonBerge, RN, Director of Women & Children Services at Newnan Hospital. “Our mission is to ensure your stay is as pleasant as possible.”

The Center for Women & Children is fully equipped with LDR (labor, delivery and recovery) rooms; intradepartmental C-section suites; Level 1 and II nurseries and a Lactation Center. It offers rooming-in options and a midwife program as well as a host of testing and screenings for the new baby, before and after birth.

For services & classes info, call 770-253-1912 or visit www.newnanhospital.org.

Spalding Regional Hospital

At the Spalding Regional Hospital’s Women’s Center, you’ll find quality care and a family-centered birth approach.

The staff is professional and sensitive to every family’s needs. To make the birthing experience as positive as possible, they offer rooming-in for moms and babies as well as private labor/delivery/recovery rooms. The entire Center has been renovated to give the Center an attractive, bright, homelike atmosphere.

In addition to wellborn and intermediate care, a 2-bed NICU is available. Twenty-four hour breastfeeding support is available and a full-time perinatal educator provides individual instruction on postpartum and infant care.

A variety of classes are offered for parents and siblings, including Prepared Childbirth, Infant CPR and Safety, Breastfeeding Class, Sibling Class, Babysitting Class, Women’s Center Tour. For more information, visit www.spaldingregionalhosp.com or call 770-467-6136 to schedule a Women’s Center Tour.