When Jan Massey took a tour of the new Family BirthPlace at St. Francis Medical Center Wednesday afternoon, she said she could see a problem developing.

It wasn't that the facility was incomplete or too small. It's just too nice.

"Now everyone's going to want to get pregnant," said Massey, of Benton, Mo.,

Like Massey, several people jumped at the opportunity to tour the facility during the Community Open House from 2 - 8 p.m. Wednesday. It plans to start operations on Monday.

The unit is the first of its kind to be completed in the region and will offer five Labor Delivery Recovery Postpartum rooms, or LDRPs, where mothers will be able to remain during their entire stay in the hospital.

Southeast Hospital began renovations of its obstetrics unit in December. It will be similar to St. Francis' unit when it is completed in the summer of 2002.

Handling high-risk infants

St. Francis obstetrics will offer a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and two full-time neonatologists, which allows the hospital to handle higher risk infant illnesses.

"We're really excited about the opportunity to be here," said Dr. Lynne Willett, one of the two neonatologists who will also serve as the hospital's medical director of neonatal services.

Willett and Dr. Karlyle Christian-Ritter will assist pediatricians in caring for infants with infections, birth defects, breathing difficulties, growth retardation and premature births. They will also provide pre- and post-operative care for infants needing surgical intervention.

Two neonatal nurse practitioners will also be available 24 hours a day in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Along with the neonatologists and nurse practitioners, Willett said there will also be at least 10 full-time and several part-time experienced nurses working around the clock to provide expectant and new mothers with assistance.

Each of the LDRP rooms have a private whirlpool and shower, specially designed beds that convert for labor and delivery, rocking chairs, televisions with VCRs and furniture that converts into beds so that fathers who stay the night have a place to sleep.

The rooms are also equipped with all of the necessary medical equipment to allow the babies to stay in the room with the parents 24-hours a day if the parent desires.

Jane Stuart, director of the Family BirthPlace, said that although she is not sure what exactly the first baby born in the unit is going to receive, she does know that the first 125 babies born at St. Francis will get a lot.

"The first 125 babies will receive a book, 'The Twelve Gifts of Birth,' with a special inscription on it," Stuart said. "The first 25 or 50 babies will receive a handmade quilt, and every baby will receive a package of goodies."

Gifts for baby, father

That package will contain formula, a shirt for the baby that says "Where Babies Come From," a scrub shirt for the father that says "Coach," a digital thermometer and several other items.

Prior to the Family BirthPlace, St. Francis delivered babies from 1925 to 1966. At that time the obstetrics unit closed because neither the beds there nor at Southeast Hospital were always filled.

Southeast Hospital has delivered uninterrupted obstetrics service since 1928, averaging 1,600 births per year, said Madonna Sanders, director of patient care services. The renovation of Southeast Hospital's obstetrics unit is expected to be complete by June 1, and will include 15 LDRP rooms, four triage units and two nurseries. Sanders said the cost of the renovation at Southeast Hospital is around $4 million.

hkronmueller@semissourian.com

335-6611 ext. 128