At Baby Place Individual Birth Experience Customized birth plan Personal birth coordinator avail- able throughout the pregnancy Midwife and doula services Concierge services to fulfill personal requests Birthing Options Mobile fetal monitoring Foam wedges, bean bag rolls Squat bar, kneeler, birthing balls Birthing stool/chair Comfort and Relaxation Aids Jacuzzi tubs with pillow Music therapy Light control Aromatherapy Rice heating pads Blanket warmer Hot/cold packs Massage aids Home-like Atmosphere Personal refrigerator Microwave iPod docking station/CD player Upgraded linens Meal for Dad or partner Large-screen TV; free on-demand movies Online access

Expectant mothers now have a choice: Baby Place, Florida Hospital Altamonte's new hospital-based birth center, provides more delivery options within the safety of a hospital setting. Baby Place is the only maternity unit to offer a birthing center within a hospital, letting women customize the birth experience, and giving them more power and involvement in the birthing process.

Florida Hospital Altamonte incorporated the birthing center experience to give mothers the opportunity to choose a birth plan that meets their individual needs, yet still have immediate access to advanced medical care. The hospital's new birth coordinator, an RN, will work with each mother, helping them create the personalized birth experience that is best for mom and baby. The birth coordinator will answer questions on prenatal to postnatal care, and delivery and pain relief options, so that the mother knows what to expect and can choose what is best for her and her baby.

In addition to traditional options, Florida Hospital Altamonte specializes in alternative birthing methods for low-risk births, including the use of birthing balls and squatting bars, and offers midwives and doula services. Mothers can choose aroma­therapy, music, and other relaxation aids during labor and delivery. The hospital also offers new mobile fetal monitoring, enabling moms to walk around freely or labor in a Jacuzzi tub while continuing to monitor the baby's heartbeat. And once the baby is born, mothers can choose whether the baby stays with them rather than in the infant nursery.

The staff at Baby Place strongly believes in family-centered care and encourages family involvement in the birth experience. "We give moms the opportunity to partner with our doctors and midwives to design the birth just the way they want it," says Jon Sweet, MD, Florida Hospital Altamonte obstetrician and gynecologist. "More and more women desire a home birth, but Florida Hospital can offer the comfort of the 'home setting' with the safety of advanced hospital care. We pride ourselves on an environment of knowledgeable, one-on-one care that emphasizes each mother's chosen experience."

Baby Place has been recently remodeled, with home-like décor and amenities including wood floors, lighting con­trol, extra seating for family, upgraded linens and toiletries, large- screen TV, with free movies on demand, online service and more. Tours are available by calling or visiting Baby Place online.

Baby Place, Florida Hospital Altamonte
601 E. Altamonte Dr., Altamonte Springs; 407.303.5395; FloridaHospitalBirthCenter.com.

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