LOCAL MOM ASHLEY BRATEK COMPARES OUR OLD AND NEW WOMEN’S HEALTH AND BIRTHING UNITS.
Ashley Bratek’s two children were born 20 months apart. Zoe, age 1, was born in January 2018, while Joey was born this past September. In that amount of time, we renovated our birthing and family unit, and by the time Joey was born, Ashley noticed the improvements.
“You don’t think about how the rooms can affect your mood, but when you’re coming out of giving birth, it’s wonderful to come into the new space,” Ashley says. “The old unit was darker, smaller and a little dated. The new rooms are much more homey and uplifting.”
Ashley says that the new postpartum and recovery rooms are more accommodating, brighter and more open, with updated decor and furniture. The larger room sizes were a benefit Ashley and her husband noticed when friends and family came to visit.
“In the old units, there was limited seating,” Ashley says. “At one point, after Joey was born, we had three grandparents, his aunt and his uncle, and two cousins in the room. We had 10 people, and everyone had plenty of space.”
The one thing that did not change, Ashley says, was the exceptional care she received when both her babies were born.
“We knew we were going to get great care at Washington Health System, and that didn’t change after the renovations,” Ashley says. “My family received the same compassionate care with Joey that we did with Zoe, but when I compare the old and new facilities, it’s a world of difference.”
Ashley says that she hadn’t thought about the atmosphere of the rooms being a big deal before, but seeing the difference was a game changer.
“The rooms are right on par with larger hospitals, but we chose WHS because of the personal touch in the care we received,” Ashley says.