SWEET BEGINNINGS

Gluten-free and sugarfree versions of the Zero Birthday Cake are also available.

WHEN IT COMES TO SUPPORTIVE CARE FOR NEW MOMS, A ZERO BIRTHDAY CAKE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICING.

It’s round, pink and blue, buttercream and delicious—and it marks one of life’s most significant events. “We TEAM APPROACH That support begins even before the baby is born, with childbirth started the Zero Birthday Cake program preparation classes and a tour of the because we wanted to celebrate the birth maternity unit. When it’s time to of a child with our mothers and families,” deliver, a mother at NBI will have says LaShawn Jemison, MSN, MBA, a private labor room with a private RN, Director of Patient Care, Perinatal bathroom. Services, at Newark Beth Israel Medical The newly renovated postpartum Center (NBI). unit has 34 private, spacious rooms.

The cake is presented on the day of a Infants room in with their mothers patient’s discharge from the postpartum unless they require special care in the unit at NBI. Some moms dig right in. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Others take it home to freeze so they can “As soon as the new mother comes have it on the child’s first birthday. All to the postpartum unit, she is welcomed are touched by the gesture, which shows by the unit secretary, and the staff that their delivery at NBI was anything comes to meet her and her partner,” but routine for the staff. Jemison explains. “They meet the

“The birth of a baby is such a special whole team—the healthcare providers, time,” Jemison says. “We want every the dietary aide, the environmental patient to know that we as healthcare services worker—so they feel secure and providers are here to support them.” comfortable.”

SPEAK UP FOR SAFETY

Maternal care providers at NBI practice the “Stop. Look. Listen!” program to ensure safety and a positive experience for all mothers. “That means we stop what we’re doing when a patient tells us she thinks something might be wrong,” says LaShawn Jemison, MSN, MBA, RN. “We listen to the patient because she knows her body best. And we look by conducting an examination to see if a problem is developing.” Too often, pregnant women and new mothers develop medical issues that could have been avoided if the woman’s concerns hadn’t been dismissed as typical complaints of pregnancy. “Always be persistent. Be your best advocate,” Jemison advises women. “If things are not the way you think they should be, you need to speak up for your own safety— and see the issue through until it’s resolved to your satisfaction.”

New mothers usually stay in the postpartum unit for 48 to 72 hours. “There’s a lot of work to be done during that time to be sure the new mom is ready to go home with her infant,” Jemison says. That includes support and education for everything from dressing an infant appropriately for the weather to breastfeeding to safe sleep practices.

Mothers are screened for depression and anxiety—not uncommon reactions to pregnancy and childbirth, especially during a pandemic—and provided with resources that can help. A social worker is available to provide referrals if the new mother will need financial, housing or other assistance. One or two days after discharge, a staff member will call the family to find out how they’re doing and see if they need further assistance.

“We’ve been doing this for a long time,” says Jemison, “and we do all we can to support our families’ success.”

To learn more about the award-winning maternity care at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, call 973.926.7108 or visit www.rwjbh.org/maternity. To make an appointment with an obstetrician, call 973.926.4176.