MedStar Welcomes First Babies of 2016
Avaya “Ava” Briscoe was one of five babies born at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital on New Year’s Day. Pictured with Ava are big brother, Kieon, and mother, Carla Ford of Waldorf.
New Year’s Day was a busy holiday at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital’s Women’s Health and Family Birthing Center. Five new babies came into the world at the center on that day, ushering in 2016 with growing families.
“We had a full house in the birthing center as we entered the New Year,” said WH&FBC director Kathy Whitecotten. “We are so excited to help these families begin their new year with such a special experience.”
Carla Ford was one of the first mother’s to give birth New Year’s Day. Avaya “Ava” Briscoe was born at 1:27 p.m. and weighed 6 pounds, 7.7 ounces. Ford went into labor on New Year’s Day and was only in labor for four hours.
“She came pretty quickly,” Ford said.
A resident of Waldorf and a St. Mary’s County native, Ford delivered her first child, older brother Kieon, now 8, at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital and wanted to deliver her second child in St. Mary’s County as well.
“I just loved my doctors – they just made my experience so great,” she said. “Everything was perfect.”
WH&FBC features five birthing rooms designed with the mother-to-be’s comfort in mind. The center’s 12 private postpartum suites were specifically created to accommodate families during this special time.
The hospital has seen a steady rise in births during the last four years. From 2012 to 2015, the birth rate has risen 15.65 percent from 1,093 births in 2012 to 1,264 births in 2015.
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital offers a variety of educational opportunities for expectant parents. Coordinated through Health Connections, the hospital’s community outreach program, classes cover topics such as breastfeeding, childbirth, baby care, and infant CPR. In addition, tours of the Women’s Health & Family Birthing Center are available the second and fourth Sundays of each month. Parents must register for classes and tours; some fees apply.
Visit MedStarStMarys.org for maternity services at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital. For more information about classes, call Health Connections at 301-475-6019.
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital is a full-service community hospital, delivering state-of-the-art emergency, acute inpatient and outpatient care in Leonardtown, Maryland. Nestled in a waterside community, MedStar St. Mary’s provides advanced technology with a dedication to excellence in all services provided.
The not-for-profit hospital has been named among the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals™ and is an eight-time recipient of the prestigious Delmarva Medicare Excellence Award. In addition, MSMH received the Maryland Performance Excellence award at the Platinum level in 2014 – the highest in the state. The staff is committed to providing quality and compassionate medical care for all patients by coupling innovation with its outstanding team of medical staff members, associates, and volunteers.
For more information and one-click access to a full list of resources available at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, visit their Leader Page.
