Boone Family Birthplace
With nearly 100 years of bringing new lives into the world, and with a shared vision that our patients and their families are at the center of all we do, the professional staff of the Boone Family Birthplace welcome you.
Family Friendly Care to Meet Your Needs
The Family Friendly philosophy is one where each individual’s needs are respected and we celebrate family centered births. There are 10 core principles of Family Friendly Care that we follow:
- Labor, birth, postpartum, and newborn care are viewed as normal life events involving dynamic emotional, social, and physical change.
- Prenatal care is personalized according to needs of each woman and her family.
- Comprehensive perinatal education prepares families for active participation through preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.
- The hospital team helps the family make informed choices for their care during pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum, and newborn care and strives to provide them with the experience they desire, including low-intervention births. Expert resources are available to handle unexpected complications and high-risk pregnancies and deliveries.
- The mother's support person is actively involved in the educational process, labor, birth, postpartum, and newborn care.
- When the mother wishes, family and friends are encouraged to be present and provide support as much as possible during the hospital stay, including labor and birth.
- Labor, birth care, postpartum, and newborn care are all provided within the Boone Family Birthplace. Skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding are encouraged as soon as possible after delivery.
- Nursing care focuses on teaching and role modeling while providing safe, quality care for the mother and baby together.
- The same person cares for the mother and baby couplet as a single-family unit, integrating the whole family into the care. Rooming in is encouraged and a nursery is available for those times when the mother chooses to rest while her infant receives attentive care from the nursery staff.
- Parents have access to high-risk newborns in our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at all times and are included in their care to the extent possible based on the newborn's condition.
Every family wants a healthy baby and the security of knowing that the hospital and staff are prepared to deal with the unexpected. But they also know that the foundation of a great birthing experience rests upon the ability of staff to support families as they experience the miracle of birth and new life. The Boone Family Birthplace at Boone Hospital understands your need for both, and we are known throughout the mid-Missouri region for our highly skilled yet caring staff. We encourage you to discuss your birthing expectations with your physician, and to contact our Family Life Education coordinator for more information about how you can begin to plan this very important event.
Even before your baby is born, Boone Hospital's Ultrasound Lab can provide the screenings and images that your doctor needs to make sure your pregnancy is progressing as planned. The lab also offers 4D images that allow you to truly see what your baby looks like.
About Our Suites
Imagine being able to experience the birth of your baby in the intimacy of home-like surroundings, and then relaxing with family and friends in the comfort of your own family room! The Boone Family Birthplace at Boone Hospital has been designed to provide you with the best possible environment in which to become acquainted with your new arrival.
Softly papered walls, a rocking chair, flat panel TV, and WiFi internet access complete the home-like atmosphere. En Suite bathrooms allow you to take advantage of a warm shower as you labor. To ensure comfort and safety, however, we have the latest in birthing beds, monitoring and emergency equipment, all within your own room.
Because the addition of a new baby to any family, no matter how large or small, is a joyous but stressful event, we are committed to nurturance of both the mother and family through continuous learning. This is most effectively achieved when care of the mother and baby is provided by the same nurse. Mother-baby care, as it is sometimes called, is based upon the premise that the learning needs of the mother can best be met by a nurse who is familiar with the unique characteristics of both mother and baby. Similarly, we recognize that each family is unique and will have different expectations and needs. We respect those differences. Both "rooming in" (mother and baby are together in the family suite) and utilization of our "newborn nursery" are available options. We understand that you want choices and we will continually strive to exceed your expectations.
Following your recovery, rest and comfort are the themes you will experience in your own family suite. These spacious rooms have been designed to accommodate the entire family. Dads are encouraged to spend the night, and is provided his own sleeper sofa. Older brothers and sisters are welcome to visit but are not allowed to spend the night. All family suites come with your own private bath and shower.
Before you know it, you will be dressing your little one for the special newborn pictures available through our nursery. Before you return home, we encourage you to take advantage of our closed circuit educational television programming: The Newborn Channel. Program topics include infant care and breast-feeding, and serve to reinforce the teaching available from our nursing staff and through our Family Life Education program.
Call 573.815.6400 for more information.