Special Delivery

Published in the Fall 2012 Issue of Join Us Magazine.

Springboro couple has an earlier-than-expected baby boy.

When your baby’s due date is July 23 but labor begins seven weeks earlier, the hospital you’ve chosen can make a big difference.

With their busy work schedules, Stephanie Karasek, an inside sales rep, and her husband Jason, a production manager, decided to take the day off on June 5 to tie up “the loose ends.” They planned to work on preparing the nursery for their first child, Logan Carter, who wasn’t expected for seven more weeks.

“Around 6:00 pm I was folding baby clothes and my water broke. I was only 33 weeks along so I was freaking out a bit,” Stephanie recalls. “We called the doctor and headed to Atrium.”

The Karaseks had chosen the Family Birth Center at Atrium Medical Center for the birth of their son. Because the couple had taken birthing classes at Atrium, they were familiar with the campus. “To tell you the truth, I was blown away at how attractive the rooms were, with everything so up-to-date,” says Stephanie. “When we took our tour, we knew that Atrium was where we wanted to welcome Logan.”

Not According to Plan

Due to the unexpected turn of events, the anxious couple first went to Atrium’s Emergency Trauma Center. “Everyone was friendly and calm and that helped me,” says Stephanie. “They escorted us to Atrium’s Family Birth Center and the team there went into action. Again everyone was calm, plus they always kept Jason and me informed.”

“Many patients have a written birth plan. We encourage them to bring it with them so we can work with them to have the birth experience they want,” says Marty Cole, associate nurse manager and educator at the Family Birth Center. “Sometimes the birth plan can be followed or sometimes labor and delivery progress differently. Either way, we communicate to the parents exactly what’s happening.”

Casey Boyce, MD Obstetrician/ Gynecologist

Casey Boyce, MD, Stephanie’s obstetrician/gynecologist, arrived at the center shortly after the Karaseks. Dr. Boyce is no stranger to Atrium’s Family Birth Center; it’s not only where she delivers her patients’ babies, but also where she gave birth to her own two children.

“Jason and I had a good support team with us, including my parents and sisters,” Stephanie recalls. “The large, comfortable rooms at Atrium allowed everyone to be with us as we tried to cope with the unknown.”

Soon Stephanie and Jason learned that early labor wasn’t the only complication.

"Stephanie’s baby was leading with his right shoulder, known as a transverse position,” Dr. Boyce reports. “Almost without exception, any presentation except head-first calls for a C-section.”

A Cesarean section, known as a C-section, is the delivery of a baby through a surgical incision in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. Dr. Boyce says that nationwide approximately 30 percent of babies are now delivered this way. At Atrium’s Family Birth Center, once a determination has been made, the C-section is performed within 30 minutes.

Delivering a Perfect Bundle of Joy

Stephanie was taken to an operating room. “A nurse had me lean on her,” she recalls. “It was so reassuring to have someone hold my hand and let me know everything that was going on.”

“Parents try to be prepared, but facing a C-section can be frightening,” Marty says. “Our team works together to deliver the best medical care and also to reassure mom and dad.”

A healthy baby boy, Logan Carter Karasek, was delivered. “They told me that right as the delivery was happening, he punched his little arm up first,” Stephanie laughs. “He was ready to be born.”

Happily, Logan’s lungs were developed and he could breathe on his own. Stephanie and Jason cared for him in her room. “The nurses seemed to read my mind and answered so many questions about my baby,” Stephanie said.

As Logan continues to thrive at his Springboro home, Stephanie reports that she and Jason find parenthood to be “exhausting — and exhilarating. But nothing in the world compares,” she concludes.

Welcome to Our Labor and Delivery Suites

When labor progresses normally…or when complications arise…moms and their support people appreciate the spacious birthing suites at Atrium’s Family Birth Center. Offering privacy and comfort in a homelike setting, all suites are equipped with necessary medical equipment, neatly tucked out of sight until needed.

Additional amenities and options include:

• Flat screen TV
• Free movies
• Private bathroom with jet tub for hydrotherapy
• Birthing bar
• Birthing ball
• Aromatherapy
• Massage services before and after birth
• Free Wi-Fi access
• MP3 docking station
• CD player
• Open policy for visitors

Free tours are given every month:

• At 1:00 pm on the fourth Sunday
• At 6:00 pm on the third Wednesday