New Birth Center at WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital Delivers First Babies
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The first two babies were delivered this week in the newly opened obstetrical unit at WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital.
Since the October opening of the WVU Medicine Children's Women's and Newborn Center at Reynolds Memorial Hospital, the labor and delivery team has been preparing for its first birth, which was scheduled for Tuesday. However, the team received a surprise on Sunday morning, when an ambulance brought Rebekah Wolfe to the Reynolds Memorial emergency department.
At 26 weeks pregnant, Wolfe was suffering from a serious complication called a placental abruption. Placental abruption happens when the placenta partially or completely separates from the inner wall of the uterus before delivery, which can decrease or block the baby's supply of oxygen and nutrients and cause heavy bleeding in the mother.
An emergency C-section was performed and saved both the mother's and the baby's lives. The baby girl, Kieryn, arrived at 10:12 a.m. Sunday and weighed just 1.76 pounds.
A team of health care providers, including a pediatrician, nurses, a respiratory therapist and a pharmacist, worked to stabilize Kieryn. The WVU Medicine Children's Pediatric Transport Team was called to take her to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at WVU Medicine Children's in Morgantown.
At 5 days old, hospital officials said, Kieryn was continuing to improve. Rebekah Wolfe was released from Reynolds on Wednesday and was able to travel to Morgantown to be with her baby.
What originally was scheduled to be the first delivery at WVU Medicine Reynolds resulted in the birth of a baby girl named Reagan, who weighed 7 pounds and 7 ounces and was 20 inches long.
She was born at 5:46 p.m. Tuesday. Reagan is the daughter of Vera Ruhlmann and Zachary Stoneking.
Before joining WVU Medicine, Reynolds Memorial Hospital had to close its labor and delivery unit.
The new Women's and Newborn Center at Reynolds gives women and children in the Northern Panhandle access to the same quality care available at WVU Medicine Children's in Morgantown.
The unit is located on the second floor of the hospital and includes new equipment, three labor and delivery rooms, five postpartum rooms and a nursery. Dr. Nicole Carlson, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, leads the unit.