Birth Center delivers 'a joyful day'

Annie Crumbaker’s daughter Emmy is five months old. Crumbaker smiles when she talks about her, and you can hear the pride in her voice when she describes her: “She’s such a happy baby,” said the proud mom. (Baby Emmy is pictured above in the arms of her dad, Kyle.)

Crumbaker was not all smiles the day Emmy was born. Although she anticipated an uncomplicated birth like those of her other three children, Crumbaker’s labor did not progress as expected, and she ended up needing a C-section to deliver Emmy. After Emmy was safely delivered, Crumbaker had too much bleeding and required an injection to stop it. On the whole, the day sounds like it was rough, but when she looks back, Crumbaker says she remembers a positive experience.

“The difficulties of the day could have meant we had a negative experience, but it was still a joyful day, and we welcomed a healthy girl,” she said.

Crumbaker, who is a physician assistant with the Community HealthCare System Westmoreland Clinic, said delivering her baby at Onaga Community Hospital was still a better experience than the uncomplicated deliveries she had elsewhere. Everyone was attentive, professional, and personable, and the facility was both comfortable and state-of-the-art.

The care of Katie Kufahl, Birth Center manager and labor and delivery nurse, stood out.

“Katie spent significant one-on-one time in the room with us for hours as we were trying to figure things out. She did everything she could to make me comfortable. After delivery, Katie noticed the bleeding issue promptly and addressed it,” Crumbaker said.

Crumbaker also appreciated frequent checks by Drs. Allen and Zidek and the time and professionalism of the surgery team.

“I had three physicians in the operating room! I don’t think you could be in better hands than that,” she said.

Crumbaker noted that many people in the area don’t realize how nice the surroundings are at Onaga Community Hospital. In her practice, she encourages patients to go to Onaga, and like Crumbaker herself, she said they “are always impressed.”

“It never crossed my mind that we don’t have the best of everything. I can honestly say that we have a state-of-the-art facility,” she said.

Crumbaker appreciated the warmth and expertise of the Birth Center team, including breastfeeding support. Although she had prior experience breastfeeding her other babies, this was her first experience with C-section anesthesia, so the extra encouragement and support helped her get Emmy off to the best possible start.

As for baby Emmy, Crumbaker says she “is doing great.” And she now gets to see one of the doctors who delivered her when it’s time for her well child checks.

“I take Emmy in, and Dr. Zidek knows everything about the pregnancy and the delivery, because she was there for it,” Crumbaker said.

Crumbaker wishes she could have had all her babies in Onaga.

“Had I known how wonderful it was, it wouldn’t have been an option to go elsewhere,” she said.

Learn more about the CHCS Birth Center and Family Medicine.