Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 17 www.FredericksburgParent.NET 3 For the Mary Washington Healthcare team, communication and connection are at the heart of helping women to feel comfortable. New Parent Support Maternal Mental Health Podcast www.FredericksburgParent.NET 3 Ka e Pifer, Nurse Manager of Labor, Delivery, Postpartum, and Recovery Unit at Stafford Hospital, emphasized the importance of being proac ve when it comes to assis ng pa ents. "We try and work really hard to make sure we are communica ng well and an cipa ng their needs because that alleviates their anxiety," she said. At Mary Washington Healthcare, every pa ent has a story, and it ma ers. Through the "My Story" ini- a ve, pa ents and families can share what's important to them, helping the team connect on a personal level and provide care rooted in understanding, dignity, and compassion. Walker explained, "It encourages them to share a couple of things about themselves and their family so we can work on building that rela onship because we want every family to know that they ma er." A pa ent's My Story is communicated with the en re healthcare team, from labor and delivery to postpartum to NICU and pediatrics, and when possible, the team may even match nurses with pa ents where there's common ground or interests. Dr. Kuhn reiterated the importance of communica on, not just between the hospital staff and family but across the healthcare team, whether it's with My Story or during a staff handoff. He said, "We make sure that we're on the same page in terms of what the plan is for the pa ent and what is going on with the pa ent. If something changes, we make sure that everyone involved in their care is updated immediately." And Lamprinakos noted that pa ents are ac ve par cipants in the handoff process. "If we're ever changing hands from nurse to nurse or physician to physician, we do it in the room with the pa ent so that they can say goodbye to the person leaving and hello to the person coming on. And as we're going over the history and birth plan and the wants and needs of the family, they can interrupt and tell us if we le something out or if they've changed their mind or if there's something else that they want," she said. For the Mary Washington Healthcare team, communication and connection are at the heart of helping women to feel comfortable. Weed added that even simple tools, like in-room communica on boards, ensure that mothers and their families stay informed. On the mind of every expec ng mother, and even more important than comfort and communica on is, of course, safety. "The teams regularly par cipate in simula on and emergency drills so that our responses are immediate and coordinated, making sure that people are able to maintain a calm and controlled environment," said Dr. Kuhn. Weed highlighted the collabora ve nature of emergency prepared- ness, adding, "We also train in conjunc on with other parts of the hospital, like the blood bank and interven onal radiology. Last fall, we did a postpartum hemorrhage call-to-ac on day, where we pro- vided educa on and training to everyone in the hospital who might touch a postpartum pa ent." New Parent Support It takes a village to ensure safe care. The Mary Washington Healthcare staff are experienced, with the majority of team members bringing more than 15 years of experience to their pa ents. Also important is balancing medical exper se with each mother's individual birth plan. Dr. Kuhn approaches birth plans with both respect and realism. "My goal is to provide expert guidance and ensure safety. I always like to listen carefully to a mother's preferences and their goals." He noted that, o en mes, a mother's birth plan includes prac ces, such as delayed cord clamping and skin- to-skin contact, that are already a part of the hospital's standards. Dr. Kuhn also prepares families for the unexpected, so that if complica ons do arise and the team needs to deviate from the mother's birth plan, she knows what to expect and is included in that conversa on. In addi on to listening to a pa ent's individual preferences and needs during labor and delivery, the Mary Washington Healthcare team focuses on ensuring that each mother and her suppor ng family members leave the hospital feeling confident. "We focus on the whole picture postpartum," said Walker. "We assess their home life, learn what resources and support they have at home, and ensure that all pa ents go home with the ps, tricks, and educa- onal resources they need." This educa on extends to recovery, pain management, breas eeding support, and mental health and well-being, and support doesn't end at discharge. Take-home resources, follow-up calls from nurses, and a new digital discharge project, which will offer digital resources for parents to use a er returning home, are some of the ways that the Mary Washington Healthcare team stays connected with families. "We don't want them to feel like they just le the hospital and that's it," Walker said. "We're s ll here." For this team, the work that they do is deeply personal. Dr. Kuhn reflected, "It's a privilege to be part of such a meaningful moment in everyone's lives. It never stops being special." Ul mately, when a family looks back on their birth years later, the staff at Mary Washington Healthcare hope that they will remember the care and compassion that the team had for them, that they felt safe and welcome, and that they knew they were in good hands. Maternal Mental Health Podcast

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