After almost three decades, the Netcare Kingsway Hospital’s new maternity unit has undergone a major revamp and is ready to open to the public.
Since the first delivery at the hospital on 10 July 1987, the unit has remained unchanged.
The 12-bed unit, with each ward en-suite, has now been revamped and will open next week for the first influx of patients.
A four-bed neo natal ICU ward been incorporated into the maternity unit.
Kingsway is the only private hospital to allow full and free boarding for birthing parents. “This means moms can stay in the hospital for as long as her child remains in hospital, so as to prevent any mother and child separation,” said maternity ward unit manager, Sr Lilly Crown, who has been instrumental in many of the unit’s progressive changes. “The mother will have a bed alongside the baby’s cot. This is the only unit that accommodates such co-habitation.
These changes are all in line with Kingsway’s policy of providing a baby-friendly unit, which is to encourage skin-to-skin interaction between the mother and her baby, said Sr Lilly, who was a private mid-wife before working in hospitals.
Harsh phototherapy overhead lights in the baby’s sleeping room have been replaced with a bili blanket that is fitted with a soothing blue light for phototherapy at a cost of R88,000 each, to prevent the baby from being separated from its mother, which encourages kangaroo-nursing or close contact practises.
“Babies will now be allowed to be with their mother during visiting hours, something that was not permitted before. We started making these changes two years ago. Our staff members are excited about the baby-friendly changes and we think our dream to be a baby-friendly hospital will soon be fulfilled.”
This is a unit that makes every effort to encourage mothers to exclusively breast-feed.
The hospital also encourages natural birth. “At public hospitals the ratio of a caesarian sections compared to natural births is 30/70, at most private hospitals it is 90/10 and at Kingsway, we proudly have a 60/40 ratio,” said Sr Lilly.
The labour ward can be closed off from the main unit. One to two patients can be accommodated in the pre-labour ward, alongside the labour ward which boasts a shower as warm water running over the expectant mom’s lower back has proven to be therapeutic before giving birth.
“We encourage mothers to bring their own birthing plans. The new changes have made the maternity unit very friendly for a hospital, which we hope the mothers will find laid-back, comfortable and encourage them to feel like it is more like a ‘home away from home’.”
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