Photo courtesy Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

Whenever a baby is born at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, a lullaby plays over the intercom throughout the hospital, even in the outlying office buildings.

It’s an “aaaaaaaawwwww” moment that happens about 150 times a month.

The hospital’s Toppel Family Place is known for its mother-baby model of care, which supports keeping the two together as much as possible, under the care of a single nurse.

“We know that early bonding is really important,” said Karen Edlington, the hospital’s director of women’s & children’s services.

Even if a baby needs to spend some time in the neonatal intensive-care unit, hospital staff encourage the mother’s “kangaroo care” – holding the baby close – and breast-feeding.

The hospital offers a daily breastfeeding support group and 90 percent of patients do start breastfeeding. (A twice-a-week support group is free and open to the public, no matter where you gave birth). And the hospital calls new mothers to follow up after they have gone home.

“Early support is really important,” Edlington said.

Birth plans

Edlington said more women are looking to experience natural childbirth and a host of alternative birthing plans. Some women are choosing hynobirths, or to go through labor in a tub of water (many working through Amazing Births and Beyond).

Boca Regional also works with six midwives who practice with local obstetricians.

“We’ll support whatever kind of birth experience you want,” Edlington said. “It’s a privilege to be part of somebody’s birth.”

She is happy to conduct private tours or meet with parents-to-be to discuss birth plans.

An obstetrics-only anesthesiologist is available 24 hours a day. Two operating rooms are reserved for obstetrics.

NICU

Boca Regional is certified as a Level 2 NICU, with an in-house neonatologist and nurses that are all trained to Level 3.

If babies need surgery, are born before 28 weeks gestation, or weigh less than 1,000 grams, they are likely to be transferred to specialists at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood or Miami Children’s Hospital.

Amenities

All rooms are private and decorated with homey touches – wooden headboards, armoires, nicely upholstered sofas and gliders. Some may share a bathroom if many of the rooms are occupied.

The hospital has wi-fi (and people are Skyping, Tweeting and Facebooking their births).

There’s a Daddy shower room.

Maternity patients can order food from a special menu.

There are no hard-and-fast visitation rules.

Classes

Besides breastfeeding support and child-birth classes, the hospital offers classes on infant CPR for the whole family; a class for siblings-to-be; prenatal yoga; baby signing and more.

Get descriptions of classes and more details on the hospital’s website.

To learn more

Maternity tours are 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays. Call 561-955-3276 to register. The hospital is at 800 Meadows Rd. in east Boca.

Visit the hospital’s website.

• Read about West Boca Medical Center’s maternity services in a previous post.

- CHARLENE PACENTI

For moms-to-be trying to decide where to give birth, medical expertise and support is the first consideration. After that, it’s usually about comfort.

West Boca Medical Center’s Birthcare Pavilion, which delivers about 200 babies a month, strives to offer both.

Thirty-six obstetricians and midwives deliver at West Boca, and an anesthesiologist is there 24/7. The hospital’s maternity care has been rated among the top 5 percent in the nation for the past five years by HealthGrades.com.

In case the baby arrives with complications, West Boca has the highest-level neonatal intensive care unit in the area, with a staff of 50 to watch over as many as 34 beds, including micro-preemies weighing less than 2 pounds. The NICU was expanded just two years ago. HealthGrades rates the hospital as “better than expected” in the newborn survival category.

Louise Toby-Harris, director of labor & delivery, has experienced the hospital’s success with preemies firsthand. Three years ago, her daughter gave birth to a baby girl at only 25 weeks into the pregnancy. The baby stayed in the NICU for four months.

Now, she’s a smart, energetic little girl, Toby-Harris said.

West Boca’s well-baby nursery can hold 24 infants at once, but the newborns are often rooming in with their moms for most of their stay.

The labor and delivery rooms – all private, with private bathrooms – are decorated to look more like a home bedroom than a hospital room, with dark wood armoires, wood floors and nicely tiled bathrooms. Framed pictures on the wall slide up to reveal the medical equipment for when the big moment arrives.

“We try to make it as homey as possible,” said Doreen O’Boyle-Neary, clinical manager of labor & delivery.

For those delivering via C-section, West Boca has two dedicated operating rooms in the maternity unit.

For postpartum recovery, the hospital offers two private suites and two “Princess Suites.” The luxury Princess suites cost an extra $150 a night (not covered by insurance). They can be reserved in advance for scheduled births; otherwise, it’s first come,  first served. All other postpartum rooms are semi-private.

A lactation consultant is also available to assist with breast feeding.

On their last night in the hospital, the mother and partner are treated to a gourmet dinner.

BOCA BIRTH TRENDS

West Boca maternity staff say they are seeing more moms-to-be come in with research under their belt, many using midwives and also trying alternatives to pain medication, like the birthing ball.

“It’s their body and we let them do what they have to do,” Toby-Harris said.

NICU RATINGS

Level 2 – Babies need a little observation, or maybe a course of antibiotics. They usually stay in the NICU less than 10 days.

Level 3 – Babies who need more medical intervention. (West Boca has the only Level 3 NICU in Boca and northwest Broward).

OTHER DETAILS

Siblings can visit, but they may not stay overnight.

You can order food (like stir-fry, ziti and creme brulee) from the hospital’s restaurant-style menu.

To schedule a tour, call 866-904-9262.

Watch a video tour of the Birthcare Pavilion on YouTube.

CLASSES

West Boca offers several classes to get ready for your new arrival, and to care for the baby afterward. Check the schedulefor classes on childbirth, breastfeeding, new baby care, prenatal yoga and more at the hospital’s website.  Select “Maternity” from the “Search by Topic” menu.

- CHARLENE PACENTI

For a baby with a serious vision or hearing problem, early intervention can help equip him for a better life.

Even newborns can be taught alternate ways to communicate, how to learn through other senses, get oriented to their surroundings and learn how to get around.

The Parent Infant Program of the Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind offers this support and training for families of babies with vision impairments in the Boca Raton area – in their homes for free.

Parent advisors work with the whole family to help meet the child’s needs. They can even provide pre-Braille and basic sign language skills.

“The earlier that it is detected, the earlier we can train the family on skills and techniques for helping the child have a better life,” said Kim Carr, the school’s coordinator for the region that includes Boca Raton.

For a child with a progressive vision loss, he can start learning pre-Braille skills early and be better prepared to cope when his vision gets worse, Carr said.

“Early intervention is key because it sets the foundation,” she said.

The school, based in St. Augustine, serves about 40 families from Indian River south to Boca.

To qualify for the services, a child must have a vision or hearing loss of a certain level  in both eyes or ears. (In Palm Beach County, help for hearing loss is provided by the school system).

Children are usually referred by a doctor or another program – many babies with vision loss also have other disabilities.  But families can also contact the school directly: call 904-827-2232 or email Carr: carrk@fsdb.k12.fl.us.

There are some little signs to look out for if you suspect your baby or young child has a problem:

• Not tracking movements with his eyes
• Not startled at loud or sudden sounds
• Doesn’t blink if you put your hand in his face
• Doesn’t turn his head to see something

Many of the kids who receive help at a young age for vision and hearing loss go on to mainstream programs in the public school system, Carr said.

The FSDB program helps newborns up to age 6 for vision problems. The public schools offer programs for kids with hearing and speech problems even before they enter kindergarten. (Read more about evaluations and services through Child Find).