At University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, a comprehensive team of specialists helps to bring baby into the world

By Laura Briedis

Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes teamwork to deliver a baby into the world.

At University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, a campus of UH Regional Hospitals, the medical team is comprised of board-certified obstetricians, pediatricians, neonatologists, anesthesiologists, nurses and midwives, as well as certified childbirth instructors, lactation specialists and social workers.

Here, high-tech is coupled with high-touch as the staff helps nurture the mother-child bond from the moment the baby is born.

Moms labor, deliver and recover in the same private room, so they feel more comfortable in a home-like setting. Though there is all the advanced equipment needed for birthing, it is juxtaposed with homey touches like wooden headboards, wall sconces and room for overnight accommodations for a spouse or support person. There also is an operating room and a nursery on the same floor for added care.

“Our labor and delivery services at UH Geauga are growing. Last year we delivered 1,218 babies,” says Dominic Sanniti, DO, a pediatric hospitalist who serves as the chair of the Department of Medicine, UH Regional Hospitals Geauga Campus. He knows firsthand the joys of childbirth as he has two children, the youngest having been born at UH Geauga Medical Center.

“Our entire staff works together very closely with the patient’s OB-GYN doctor to provide the best care,” says Dr. Sanniti, a local resident who graduated from Kenston High School and Kent State University, and returned to Geauga County to practice in his hometown after medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and a family medicine residency at Floyd Medical Center in Georgia. “There is nothing better than being part of the community and helping people.”

New Lactation Clinic
At The Center for Women’s Health at UH Geauga Medical Center, there is an emphasis on mother-baby bonding, breastfeeding and other proven maternity care practices that are beneficial to mother and baby.

This month, a new outpatient lactation clinic opened offering a continuum of care.

“Our lactation consultants provide ongoing guidance and support for moms, assess pain and discomfort, help with any latch issues, and monitor baby weight, all while increasing confidence in breastfeeding as it definitely is a labor of love,” says Ashley Giel, CPNP-AC, pediatrics/neonatology at UH Geauga Medical Center, a proud mother of two-year-old twin girls.

The advantages of breastfeeding have been well documented over the years, and according to Dr. Sanniti, it helps strengthen the bond between mom and baby, as well as helps decrease infections in babies. There are even recent studies that show that breastfeeding can also decrease the risk of developing diabetes later in life.

“It is easy for moms to breastfeed while in the hospital with all the support they get, but once they leave the hospital usually in 24 or 48 hours, breastfeeding drops off because it becomes harder,” Dr. Sanniti says. “Now with the new lactation clinic, moms will be getting added support after they go home.”

Open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the clinic offers detailed consultations and ongoing support. It also has a specialized scale that shows how much breast milk moms are producing.

“What makes our community hospital so special is that residents can get exceptional care close to home,” Ashley says. “We also are familiar with cultural sensitivities and unique genetic issues that affect the large Amish population nearby and can offer them more natural birth options.”

“Even though we are a community hospital, we are part of large network,” Dr. Sanniti adds. “Patients have access to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, and we can transfer them immediately to a neonatal critical care team in a Level IV NICU downtown if needed.”

University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center is located at 13207 Ravenna Road in Chardon. For more information, call 440-793-8105 or visit UHHhospitals.org/Geauga.