"They treated me like gold"

“We know the care at Geisinger is top-notch,” she says. “But everyone also took their time with us to answer every question we asked. They made it clear that no question was too simple, and I knew we were getting the best information we could get.”

Confidence in her and her unborn child’s caregivers grew with every visit.

Questions, and more answers

Pregnancy can be overwhelming physically and emotionally, especially in the seventh, eight or ninth months. Simply knowing what to ask can become a challenge, Amy says. 

“During those later months, you just need someone to help you understand when to do this or that,” she says. “The staff of my doctor’s office did that for me. I know they see thousands of new moms and babies, but they made me feel like I was their only patient.”

For example, her caregivers made sure Amy and Shane had registered for Geisinger’s six-week Prepared Childbirth Class. The couple welcomed the timely information but was surprised to learn that it answered questions they had not yet considered, such as how to know when a baby is full after nursing and how to install a car seat, for example.

Comfort and safety

Like most expectant mothers, Amy enjoyed a healthy pregnancy. However, from her job that takes her throughout the medical center, and from Shane’s position with Geisinger’s LifeFlight emergency helicopter transport program, they also understand how fragile life can be. 

“I know the reputation of the staff here,” she says. “That’s why we chose Geisinger. I knew I was in good hands with both prenatal care and with delivery.”

They also found comfort in having the specialists of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit just down the hall from Geisinger’s Birth Center, just in case. 

6 pounds, 14 ounces

On a crisp January afternoon in 2009, Amy and Shane switched suddenly from planning for their daughter’s arrival to caring for her. Carlie Jane was born. Her family welcomed her at The Childbirth Center at Geisinger in Danville, at 4:41 p.m., on Jan. 5. She was 20 inches long and weighed six pounds, 14 ounces.

“It was an awesome experience,” Amy says. “The staff of The Childbirth Center was great, and the staff throughout the hospital was fantastic in everything they did to care for us.”

Learning begins again

Several times each day after Carlie’s birth, staff visited one-on-one to teach the new parents more about how to care for their newest family member.

“One of my biggest concerns was knowing how much to feed her,” Amy recalls. 

Does a newborn need two or four ounces, and should she get it two or four hours apart? The details can be confusing, but the staff of The Childbirth Center makes it their job to give every new parent the skills and information they need to take their baby home.

“They gave us a lot of confidence with everything,” she says.

From confidence to friendship

As Amy discusses all the preparations for welcoming Carlie into their lives, she also recalls the respect for and even friendships she formed with the Geisinger staff that cared for her and her family.

“I can’t speak highly enough of them,” she says. “To this day, when I talk about my stay at Geisinger, I’ll often refer to our room as ‘our hotel room’—not just because of the room itself, but more because the staff treated us so well. They treated me like gold.”

For more information, visit Geisinger's Health Events Calendar.