Stratford General Hospital cuts the cord on first-of-its-kind-in-Canada delivery room

Stratford General Hospital cut the cord Wednesday morning on a new-to-Canada style of delivery room aimed at creating an environment that reduces as much stress as possible for mothers and their partners during labor and childbirth.

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Pioneered in several hospitals across Denmark and China, Wavecare’s sensory delivery room uses calming lights, sounds and imagery to foster stress-reducing ambience during labour, while also offering customizable programs for childbirth.

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“This is about creating a calming environment using very neutral, calming wall color, window coverings, (and) there’s a 65-inch digital display that plays nature scenes, and with those scenes there’s specific lighting and sound attached to that,” said Audra Boersen, the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance’s manager of the maternal child and scheduling office. “So there’s surround sound, there’s different lighting in the room. We have nine different themes we can actually change throughout the course of someone’s labor and delivery process to change the energy and support what that patient and partner needs.”

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The sensory delivery room is open to any mother in labor and their partner, with those experiencing anxiety related to labor and childbirth expected to benefit most.

“It just creates a really calming, welcoming environment,” Boersen said. “If we have a patient who is going to be admitted into the sensory room, the room is already ready to go for the mom to come in. They walk into that welcoming environment with calming lighting, we’ve got some soothing sounds going and a real arrival tone to the room. It’s like walking into a home-like setting instead of a more clinical-labor and delivery setting. And then being able to change the themes based on the patient’s needs, it really helps to alleviate anxiety, it really helps patients to focus, and it really supports pain management.”

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According to the results of a qualitative study performed in 2014 at Denmark’s North Zealand Hospital posted on Wavecare’s website, 96 per cent of women admitted to the sensory delivery room reported a positive impact on their feelings of security and wellbeing, 93 per cent reported a very positive impact on the birth experience and 73.5 per cent reported a very positive impact on their experience of pain.

The sensory delivery room also uses variations of rhythmic sound and lighting to help women breathe in rhythm, thereby stabilizing contractions through the different stages of labor and childbirth. And while the sensory delivery room creates a calming atmosphere for mothers, their partners and even medical staff, it is fully equipped with all of the same equipment any other delivery room has and can be quickly adapted for any medical circumstance.

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“In total there are nine different themes, and patients and their partners are encouraged to change themes as they desire,” said Dr. Cheryl Hillyer, the medical program director of the hospital’s maternal child unit. “For example, the breathing program is beneficial for pain relief and focus and can also be used for relaxation between contractions. The welcome program creates a ‘nest’ ambience, supporting the skin-to-skin contact with the child and the lighting is dimmed reddish, positively affecting the newborn’s rooting and sucking reflex and attachment to the parent. The breastfeed program creates a relaxing environment to instill a sense of security and calm to promote successful breastfeeding.”

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“I was nervous about my labor experience and didn’t know what to expect,” added Leah Cocker, a first-time mom who gave birth to her son in the sensory delivery room at Stratford General Hospital last month. “When we learned the (sensory delivery room) was available, I was thrilled as I was hoping this would help put my mind at ease. From the moment we arrived in the room, I felt a sense of calm. I was induced and as we waited for labor to start, we were taken to the (sensory delivery room) and we met our nurse. The digital screen was on and was displaying colored lights along with calming music. It made the room feel so cozy and home-like. This set the tone for how the rest of our experience went.”

While the sensory delivery room is currently only available in one of the Stratford hospital’s delivery rooms, Boersen hopes it will ultimately be expanded to other delivery rooms in the local hospital and to delivery rooms across the country.

“We are always open for feedback,” Boersen said, “and I think as the word gets out that this type of sensory room is available for laboring women, I think people will want to hop on board and offer that service. I hope we are able to add more sensory rooms down the road in our own maternal child unit. It’s just such a wonderful, calming environment for our patients.”

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