Bluewater Health is celebrating the opening of eight new birthing rooms, including one specifically designed for indigenous families.
There was a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon on the hospital's third floor.
Joanne Culley, who is from Aamjiwnaang's Healthy Babies Healthy Children program, says the First Nations birthing room has a lot of extra amenities, including extra space for large families.
"We have a moss bag which is a reminder of bringing your children up right," says Culley. "We also have some breastfeeding pictures, and one in particular has elders in the picture. We also have the opportunity to do cedar baths on the babies if they have their first bath at the hospital. And, we have liquid smudge because we aren't allowed to use smoke smudge due to the fire alarm systems. It allows the parents to have access to the four medicines."
Culley says early feedback from mothers has been positive.
Bluewater Health President and CEO Mike Lapaine says the rooms improve the birthing experience.
"Prior to this, patients would frequently have to be moved from the birthing room to another room," says Lapaine. "That was disruptive and lessened the experience. So, we think by adding these additional rooms we can accommodate all of our mothers and families in one room."
With the new rooms, mothers will be able to stay in one room with their birth partner for labour, birth and recovery of the newborn and be the first to hold the infant.