Women can labour, deliver and recover in the post-partum period with their babies, thanks to 10 new single room birthing suites that open to patients this month.
The BC Women's Cedar Birthing Suites 10-bed expansion increases the number of single birthing rooms at BC Women's to 27. More expectant mothers and families can now benefit from Single Room Maternity Care (SRMC), a birthing model of care for women with low-risk pregnancies, allowing them to remain in one home-like room for their entire hospital stay. This allows for continuity of care by a collaborative team during labour, birth, and postpartum. Keeping mothers and babies together contributes to successful breastfeeding, a nurturing environment to support attachment, and shorter hospital stays.
The 10-bed birthing suites expansion is funded by the Government of BC through the third and final phase of the $676-million BC Children's and BC Women's Redevelopment Project, a joint initiative of the Province of British Columbia and the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).This project also included construction of the Teck Acute Care Centre, BC Women's Urgent Care Centre, and the relocation and redesign of the Families in Recovery (FIR) Square Combined Care Unit.
Women delivering at BC Women's Cedar Birthing Suites will experience the following benefits:
- Beds for partners to sleep on in all 27 of the SRMC suites
- Larger showers and tubs in new suites with private bathrooms in all new/existing suites
- A relaxing, environment in each room with the peace of mind that medical care is nearby
Donors to the BC Women's Health Foundation helped enhance the patient experience by providing funding support for amenities like the new family lounge, private bathrooms, beds for support persons to sleep on, and decor to create a modern, comfortable, "home-like" feel in the rooms.
The Cedar Birthing Suites expansion also ensures that high-risk labour and delivery rooms are available to women who need them.
- On September 9, 2020, 10 new single room birthing suites opened at BC Women’s, bringing the total to 27, increasing capacity by 37%
- BC Women’s is one of the country’s busiest maternity centres, delivering approximately 7,300 babies last year.
- Approximately 30 per cent of expectant women deliver in single room maternity care suites at BC Women’s per year. It is expected 40 per cent of total deliveries at BC Women’s will occur in the single room maternity care suites going forward.
