It’s the little things that deliver big smiles
Having a baby is an exciting time in your life – and at the BirthPlace in our Niles and St. Joseph hospitals, we want to make it a healthy time. Our family of obstetric and pediatric physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, midwives, and lactation consultant strive to continuously provide our moms, babies, and families a safe, nationally-recognized, and high-quality experience.
Some of the little things that make the BirthPlace a special space for you a baby:
- Access to pediatric specialists 24/7
- Experienced and loving health care professionals
- Intimate family-centered birthing suites
- Newly renovated rooms
- Online nursery for friends and family who can’t be present
- Daily serenity hours
- Continued support throughout your delivery until you depart home
- Ongoing new parent education
Your baby's safety is at the heart of what we do.
Spectrum Health Lakeland Niles Hospital proudly earned a platinum designation for maternal care from the Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM). Spectrum Health Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph also earned gold level designation, the second highest ranking.
MI AIM works with birthing hospitals to reduce and eliminate preventable maternal mortality and severe morbidity. Hospitals implement structured “safety bundle” plans to improve health outcomes for mothers to combat the leading causes of maternal mortality such as obstetric hemorrhage and severe hypertension. Safety bundle plans help hospitals by defining actionable protocols, education, equipment, and drills to prevent and treat serious maternal events. Learn more.
The Economic Alliance for Michigan (EAM), a nonprofit group comprised of Michigan’s largest employers and unions, has awarded Lakeland Hospitals with the 2022 Maternity Care Excellence Award for demonstrated excellence in maternity care and delivery outcome. The Niles Hospital received this award a third year in a row.
The awards are part of EAM’s Maternity Care Project. Created in 2018, the project goals are to decrease the state’s infant mortality rate, reduce the rate of unnecessary C-sections, and be an educational resource for new and expecting parents residing in Michigan.
Sep 1, 2015 Reporting from Niles, MI
A Gentle Welcome to the World - Torey Schultz
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/medical-services/womens-health-services/pregnancy-care/birthplace/Detail/a-gentle-welcome-to-the-world/?utm_source=A_Gentle_Welcome_to_the_World_&utm_medium=PatientStory_Landing&utm_campaign=InternalPages
Sep 1, 2015
Sep 1, 2015
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
Meet the Schultz family. As a former labor and delivery nurse, Torey, 28, a Sawyer resident, has helped numerous families celebrate one of the most memorable times in their life. But she had yet to experience that moment for herself. That was until s
A Gentle Welcome to the World - Torey Schultz
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
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A Gentle Welcome to the World - Torey Schultz
Sep, 2015
Physicians: Heidi Grabemeyer-Layman, MD
Meet the Schultz family. As a former labor and delivery nurse, Torey, 28, a Sawyer resident, has helped numerous families celebrate one of the most memorable times in their life. But she had yet to experience that moment for herself. That was until she, and her husband Wade, gave birth to their first son, now three-year-old Corban.
“Corban had to be delivered by an emergency caesarian section, so I was under general anesthesia and my husband wasn’t able to be present in the operating room,” said Torey. “Although we knew this was necessary to provide a healthy delivery, we still couldn’t help but feel like we missed out on experiencing our son’s birth.”
When Torey found out she was pregnant with her second child she was determined to make this birthing experience different. Torey knew she would have to undergo another C-section, but after doing some research of her own, the Schultz’s began talking with their care team at South Shore Women’s Health Care about an idea Torey calls a “gentle birthing experience.”
“I began sharing my hopes and dreams of what I wanted our daughter’s birth to look like,” said Torey. “I wanted my C-section to mimic a vaginal birth as much as possible.Dr. Grabemeyer and the rest of my care team could not have been more supportive and willing to provide me with this experience.”
The gentle C-section the Schultz family had in mind, focused on both parents being present and engaged in the birth, as well as initiating skin-to-skin contact and beginning to breastfeed as soon as her daughter was ready. Brenda Schwartz, RN, Manager of the BirthPlace, also suggested the use of clear drapes, a new product being offered that allows parents to see more of their child’s birth.
Selah was born at 8:08 a.m. on July 17 and Torey said she could not have been more pleased with the overall experience.
“Thanks to the staff at the BirthPlace, the birth of my second child was a completely different experience for me, both physically and emotionally,” said Torey. “It was better than what I would have let myself dream it to be.”
Soon after Selah was born, she was placed on Torey’s chest allowing for immediate skin-to-skin contact – a process that Torey believes is important to the bond a mother forms with her child upon entering the world.
“I was so glad that Wade and I were able to experience the birth of our daughter in this way and to be able to form that bond within the first few hours of her birth,” said Torey. “I have Lakeland to thank in a lot of ways for that.”