While our facilities provide all of the diagnostic and treatment services a woman might need – from routine mammograms to surgery – each one has created unique offerings and amenities to enhance your care:

The Women's Health Unit at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center

The Family-Centered Maternity Care Birthing Spa at Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital

Classes and Support Groups

The Women's Health Unit at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center

The Women's Health Unit is known for its family-centered approach to caring for mothers and their newborns. But if you find yourself hospitalized for a condition common to women, you can also expect us to provide the same level of specialized care and attention.

Family-Centered Care

Here's a snapshot of what you can expect when you trust us to care for you and your newborn on our Women's Health Unit:

• You and your labor coach will be allowed to deliver your baby in a fully-equipped, private birthing suite and remain in that same room throughout the recovery and post-partum period.
• After you deliver your baby, your care is closely monitored by our nursing staff.
• Your baby will be allowed to stay in your room as long as you desire. This allows our nursing staff to help you learn the skills you will use when you take your baby home. It also enables you to better understand your baby's needs before you leave the hospital.
• Need extra rest? Your baby will stay in our nursery, which is always staffed by a registered nurse. We also have a Level II nursery (one of only 25 in Kentucky) that offers more specialized care for newborns with health problems.
• To keep your baby safe, our unit is secured. Our staff has had special training in safety and we are equipped with the "HUGS" System, an electronic monitoring system that safeguards our babies against the threat of abduction.

For a personal tour of our Women's Health Unit, please call (859) 239-2562 or (859) 239-2550.

The Family-Centered Maternity Care Birthing Spa at Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital

This family-centered maternity care unit has an outstanding combination of:

• Experienced staff – Your team includes internationally certified childbirth educators and internationally board certified lactation consultants working with family practice and obstetrics physicians to deliver your baby.  Our staff also includes a nurse midwife to provide you with safe, sensitive and personal attention during labor.

• Comfort - You arrive, go through labor, deliver your baby, and begin caring for your newborn all in the same room. These large private birthing suites include Jacuzzi tubs in your private bathroom, massage chairs, sleeper chairs and large showers with multiple shower heads. Each room provides direct access to a manicured courtyard featuring a rose garden and a beautiful rock water fountain.

• Openness - You are encouraged to invite additional family members and supportive friends to attend during labor and delivery.

• Cultural sensitivity – Some cultures have specific wishes for a delivery atmosphere, which we will examine with you.

• Birthing options - We offer a wide range of birthing plans from epidurals and medicated labors to "natural" births.

• After care - Our nursing staff will closely monitor you and your baby after delivery. Your baby, as well as your significant other, can stay with you as long as you desire. Then our staff will begin to teach you the skills you need to care for your newborn. We want you to be comfortable in your new role as a mother, so we offer a variety of educational materials and demonstrations.

• Nourishment options - We encourage breastfeeding as the best nourishment for your newborn, but realize other means may be more appropriate for you. We are here to assist you in learning what is best for your family.

For a personal tour of our Maternity Birthing Spa, please call (606) 365-4600.

Kangaroo Care

We have adopted a new teaching method, called Kangaroo Care, to improve the health of newborns born at our hospital. Kangaroo Care promotes skin-to-skin contact with the mother and baby in the hoursimmediately after birth and throughout the hospital stay. This skin-to-skin contact promotes breastfeeding and bonding as well as a better transition of your baby to his new environment. The basic concept involves placing a newborn chest down on the mother's bare chest, which generates warmth and provides access to breastfeeding.

As part of our Kangaroo Care program, we also observe designated quiet times each day to allow parents to bond with their baby without interruptions from both visitors and hospital staff.

 

Free Classes and Support Group for Expectant Families

We want every woman and her family to be comfortable and knowledgeable with the new baby coming into their lives, so we offer a variety of classes for both parents as well as the baby's siblings. All classes and the support group are free of charge.

We also recognize the important role breastfeeding plays in the health and development of a child, and we encourage all of our new mothers to consider breastfeeding their babies. We have certified lactation consultants who provide care and guidance both during and after a mother's hospital stay.

Classes

Preparing for Childbirth: This class is designed for mothers who are at least 25 weeks pregnant. We'll discuss the progress of your pregnancy, what to expect at the hospital, and birthing options available to you. You'll also learn breathing and relaxation exercises. Please bring two pillows and one blanket to the third class. Your coach is welcome to attend with you.  At Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital, a tour of the Birthing Spa is included. Registration is required.

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center class schedule: Meets the second, third and fourth Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November from 6:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. in the Breckinridge Classroom, located on the second floor at the Gilcher Building adjacent to Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center (behind the City Parking Garage). Free parking is available at 5:00 p.m. For more information, please call (859)239-2530. Click here to register online.

Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital class schedule: Meets the first, second and third Monday night of January, March, May, July, September and November from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Lincoln County Public Library. In the event a class falls on a holiday, please note the class may be rescheduled or cancelled. For more information or to register for classes, please call (606)365-4767.

Preparing to Breastfeed: Explores the anatomy of breastfeeding, recommendations for successful breastfeeding, breastfeeding when you return to work, and how to recognize problems that require medical attention. Please bring a baby-sized doll or stuffed animal and two pillows to class.

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center class schedule: Meets the fourth Tuesday of every other month from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Women's Health Conference Room at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center. For more information, please call (859)239-2530. 

Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital class schedule: Meets the third Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Lincoln Room at Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital.

Siblings classes: This class helps to prepare brothers and sisters for the new member of their family.

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center class schedule: Meets the second Thursday of February, April, June, August, October and December from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the conference room on our Women's Health Unit. For more information, please call (859)239-2530. Click here to register online.

Support Group

Breastfeeding Support Group meets on the first Thursday of each month from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Women's Health Conference Room at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center. No registration is necessary.

Other Services for Women

Our commitment to women's health is evidenced not only by our Women's Health Unit but also with all of the services we provide to women:

• Mammography
• Laser and laparoscopic surgery
• Stereotactic breast biopsy
• Wellness programs
• Bone densitometry
• Menopause education
• ThinPrep Pap test
• Cardiac care
• Sentinel node biopsy
• Non-surgical management of incontinence
• Behavioral health services
• Non-surgical alternative to hysterectomy for abnormal uterine bleeding
• Cancer care
• Infertility treatment

For more information about any of our women's services, email us or call (859)239-INFO.