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Parents want childbirth choices
— so hospitals offer amenities.

Ruthan Brodsky I Contributing Writer

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Natural childbirth has varying definitions.
To some, it means traditional childbirth with
no medications or epidural to numb pain.
The concept is for the mother to keep control
of her body. To others, it connotes any vagi-
nal birth, with or without drugs. According
to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 61 percent of women having a
vaginal birth have epidurals.
Here's a look at three hospitals with child-
birth centers and some local couples who
have used them.

Karmanos Center for Natural
Birth at Beaumont Hospital
Julia Weinberg and husband, Josh, of
Southfield planned a natural childbirth for
their third child, Benno Alexander, born
Nov. 25, 2014.
"Our research indicated that a natural
delivery was generally healthier for mother
and baby;' Julia said. "We learned about the
Karmanos Center for Natural Birth during a
Shabbat dinner with Steven Lefkowitz, a resi-
dent in OB-GYN at Beaumont Hospital. He
told us about the spa-like environment and
the nursing staff trained for natural labor
techniques. After receiving the green light
from my doctor, Hamid Banooni, my plan
was to deliver there.
"The beauty of natural birth is that you're
more in control of your body rather than
being hooked up to machines or forced to
lie down the entire labor and delivery:' Julia
said. "You can move around to manage your
pain.
"I did end up asking for an epidural for
this pregnancy when the pain became very
intense she said. "My previous two deliver-
ies were fast and natural. By the time I asked
for relief for this delivery, it was too late; the
baby was already coming. This was my third
natural childbirth, just as I wanted:"
Josh, who slept on a pullout cot in Julia's
room for a few days, said, "I was pleased Julia
couldn't take an epidural. I think it's better
not to be woozy during and after delivery,
and I feel better that all three children were

natural childbirths. Delivering a baby is not
easy and every mother must do what works
for her and her baby. In the end, all that mat-
ters is a healthy mom and baby"
The Weinbergs are active members at
Young Israel of Southfield.
Nikki Budaj and Jim Chatfield of West
Bloomfield also planned for their baby's
natural birth at Karmanos.
"My pregnancy was picture perfect;' Nikki
said. "The baby grew according to schedule.
We attended classes on childbirth and par-
enting. I didn't gain too much weight, and
there were no complications.
"Active labor was another story;' said the
first-time mother. "I was in pain. My back
and legs hurt, and I was vomiting from the
pain. I tried walking, going into the tub,
rocking my hips, but nothing worked. It was
too much for me. At 3 a.m., I entered the
hospital and had an epidural.
"At one point, the baby's heartbeat didn't
show on the monitor and I was given an
injection to stop all contractions. The heart-
beat showed up again, but the baby never
descended into the pelvic cavity and he
wasn't facing the right way. He was stuck'
Her husband, Jim, said, "My role during
her labor was to let her know I was there to
support her and to act as the communica-
tion connection to the family. Even with all
this happening, Dr. Hamid Banooni waited
another hour or so, hoping the baby could
be delivered vaginally. When it was obvious
that wasn't going to happen, the decision was
made to have a C-section. I held Nikki's hand
during the procedure, which we both found
to be a peaceful time knowing no one was in
danger:'
Grayson Edward Chatfield weighed in at 8
pounds 8 ounces on March 19.
"I tried for natural childbirth, but you
can't dictate what's going to happen during
labor and the baby's birth:' Nikki said. "No
matter how wonderful my pregnancy, not
everything happens as planned. Even so,
we were fortunate because modern medical
techniques were available for my safety and
the safety of the baby:'
Dr. Jay Fisher, an OB-GYN at Beaumont

Nikki Budaj and her husband, Jim Chatfield, with their infant son, Grayson Edward

Chatfield, at his first Shabbat dinner

A Karmanos birthing suite at Beaumont

Dr. Jay Fisher

Hospital, said, "Our pri-
mary goal is to focus on
the health of the mother
and baby. The nursing
staff is highly trained in
a variety of techniques to
help the mother during
labor. We don't want a
patient feeling she's failed

if she planned to deliver naturally and wasn't
able to reach her goal. Everyone is successful
even when things don't work out as planned:'
The Danialle & Peter Karmanos Jr. Birth
Center at Beaumont opened Nov. 2, 2014,
and was created with a $6 million gift in cel-
ebration of the Karmanos' four sons, all born
naturally. In addition to other amenities,
the center also features an indoor walking

Taking Charge on page 10

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August 6 • 2015

