Page 12 - Indulge September 2017

Moms

share their birth stories

No two pregnancies or birth experiences “I was so glad to be in Dr. van Gaalen’s care,” says
are the same and research has shown Janelle. “He truly wanted what was best for my baby and
that mothers have a much more positive me. He took time with me and answered my questions —
experience when there’s continuity of care I never felt rushed when I saw him.”
throughout their pregnancies.
The staff helped Janelle throughout her pregnancy by
It’s that search for continuity of care — and a providing her with many helpful tools and resources in
human touch — that led two Lehigh Valley women preparation for her baby’s birth, even arranging a meeting
to choose St. Luke’s University Health Network. with Dr. Jodi L. Schucker, a specialist from St. Luke’s
Maternal Fetal Medicine. She checked in with Janelle often,
JANELLE and administered frequent and advanced tests to monitor a
fibroid which could have potentially become problematic.
Early on in her pregnancy, Janelle Watson, 23,
of Whitehall, decided that she wanted a midwife “It’s so important to be a good listener for patients, to
for her prenatal care and ultimately, a natural home really understand their expectations,” says van Gaalen.
birth. But, after a couple months, it was discovered “Communicating and truly listening along the way is key —
that pregnancy had exacerbated a previously it can be hard during a short visit, but it’s so valuable for
diagnosed heart condition that could possibly lead to the best possible delivery for the mom and the baby.”
complications in late pregnancy and delivery, so she
decided to switch to an obstetrician and deliver in a
hospital setting. After becoming frustrated with only a
few visits with an area doctor, Janelle decided to see
the physicians associated with St. Luke’s Hospital.

“Having a baby for the first time is such an
amazing experience and you don’t want to share
that with just any practitioner. When choosing
a doctor, you have to analyze what your needs
are and what matters most for you and your
baby and find a practice that can meet your
expectations,” says Janelle.

St. Luke’s had been Janelle’s hospital throughout her
youth. Her father and all her aunts and uncles were born at
St. Luke’s and nearly every woman in her family has given
birth there.

“At the obstetrician I was seeing earlier in my pregnancy,
I just felt like a number; the practice, the staff and the
doctors all seemed very business-like and cold. They didn’t
get to know me or sit and talk to me,” says Janelle. “But
going to St. Luke’s felt safe and welcoming, like going back
to my roots, coming home.”

Janelle decided to become a patient at St. Luke’s Obstetrics
and Gynecology Associates. Adriaan J. van Gaalen, MD,
one of the practice’s six doctors, along with the entire staff,
immediately made Janelle feel comfortable and cared for; she
knew she had found what she had been missing.

12 | indulge • September 2017