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Bayfront Baby Place prepares to deliver comfort

Posted Nov 13, 2009 by Beth Gaddis

Updated Dec 4, 2009 at 11:46 AM

Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, 24-hour room service and laptops with Skype.  Nope, you’re not taking a vacation at a hotel.  You’re about to deliver a baby.

The Bayfront Baby Place at the new All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg opens Jan. 9.  I was one of four mommy bloggers who got a sneak peek at the center this week and it has a lot of amenities new parents are sure to love.

For mothers-to-be who are having a rough pregnancy and need to be hospitalized, feel free to bring your favorite nightgowns and food.  The $30 million Bayfront Baby Place doubles the number of antepartum suites from six to 12.  There’s a shared lounge that features a washer and dryer, a refrigerator and a microwave.  As anyone who has had to spend any extended time in the hospital knows, those small comforts can make a world of difference.

The number of labor and delivery rooms stays the same at 13, but at 450 square feet, they are significantly larger than the current ones at nearby Bayfront Medical Center.  There’s a pullout couch for Dad, a closet that holds the baby warmer and scale until they’re needed, and medical lights hidden in the ceiling.  Wi-Fi lets parents update their Facebook status as their labor progresses in the rooms decorated in tranquil aqua and sand colors. 

If Mom needs to have a C-section, there are now four operating rooms instead of just two, and they have nurseries attached to help handle multiple births.  Family members can wait in a special lounge that has kids games and television.

In most hospitals, new moms get a minute to see the baby before the newborn is whisked away to be weighed, measured and washed.  The Baby Place encourages “kangaroo care,” which gives the mom time to hold the baby and try to nurse, if desired.  The Apgar test to evaluate the baby’s physical condition after birth will be performed while on the mom’s chest.  If the baby needs to go to the neonatal intensive care unit, it will be in the same building, just a quick elevator ride away.  Currently, it’s a 10-minute journey through an underground tunnel to get from the maternity ward at Bayfront Medical Center to All Children’s Hospital, and new moms in wheelchairs have to wait until somebody was available to push them.

The number of recovery rooms increases from 30 to 40, and they feature a baby-shaped sink in each room, curved shelves for flowers, photos and personal items, and access to laptops with Skype so new parents can show off their babes with family and friends around the world.  Plus, parents who are starving can order off a limited menu and have food delivered at a time that’s convenient.  That’s a huge bonus for all those moms who deliver at 2 a.m.

The Baby Place takes up 90,000 square feet of space on the third floor of the new All Children’s Hospital, and $10 million was spent on equipment, furniture and materials needed to make the nurses’ stations soundproof. 

Each year, about 3,400 babies are born at Bayfront Medical Center.  As the mommy bloggers joked during the tour, some expectant moms are surely hoping their babes stay put until the new Baby Place opens. 

Editor’s note: Equipment delays pushed back the opening of All Children’s Hospital.  It had been scheduled to open in December.