It’s the little things that deliver big smiles
Having a baby is an exciting time in your life – and at the BirthPlace in our Niles and St. Joseph hospitals, we want to make it a healthy time. Our family of obstetric and pediatric physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, midwives, and lactation consultant strive to continuously provide our moms, babies, and families a safe, nationally-recognized, and high-quality experience.
Some of the little things that make the BirthPlace a special space for you a baby:
- Access to pediatric specialists 24/7
- Experienced and loving health care professionals
- Intimate family-centered birthing suites
- Newly renovated rooms
- Online nursery for friends and family who can’t be present
- Daily serenity hours
- Continued support throughout your delivery until you depart home
- Ongoing new parent education
Your baby's safety is at the heart of what we do.
Spectrum Health Lakeland Niles Hospital proudly earned a platinum designation for maternal care from the Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM). Spectrum Health Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph also earned gold level designation, the second highest ranking.
MI AIM works with birthing hospitals to reduce and eliminate preventable maternal mortality and severe morbidity. Hospitals implement structured “safety bundle” plans to improve health outcomes for mothers to combat the leading causes of maternal mortality such as obstetric hemorrhage and severe hypertension. Safety bundle plans help hospitals by defining actionable protocols, education, equipment, and drills to prevent and treat serious maternal events. Learn more.
The Economic Alliance for Michigan (EAM), a nonprofit group comprised of Michigan’s largest employers and unions, has awarded Lakeland Hospitals with the 2022 Maternity Care Excellence Award for demonstrated excellence in maternity care and delivery outcome. The Niles Hospital received this award a third year in a row.
The awards are part of EAM’s Maternity Care Project. Created in 2018, the project goals are to decrease the state’s infant mortality rate, reduce the rate of unnecessary C-sections, and be an educational resource for new and expecting parents residing in Michigan.
Mar 15, 2019 Reporting from Niles, MI
1 in 80,000 Odds - Nafitiri Mills
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/medical-services/womens-health-services/pregnancy-care/birthplace/Detail/1-in-80-000-odds/?utm_source=1_in_80,000_Odds&utm_medium=PatientStory_Landing&utm_campaign=InternalPages
Mar 15, 2019
Mar 15, 2019
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
Nafitiri Mills was battling severe stomach pain that ended with a trip to the emergency department. She and her boyfriend, Michael Osler, who live in Benton Harbor, went to Lakeland Medical Center to figure out what was going on. They never expected
1 in 80,000 Odds - Nafitiri Mills
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
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1 in 80,000 Odds - Nafitiri Mills
Mar, 2019
Physicians: Benjamin Wood, DO
Nafitiri Mills was battling severe stomach pain that ended with a trip to the emergency department. She and her boyfriend, Michael Osler, who live in Benton Harbor, went to Lakeland Medical Center to figure out what was going on. They never expected the cause of the stomach pain to be what it was and were left speechless with the news.
The young couple was pregnant, with twins.
Nafitiri and Michael were shocked and overwhelmed by the news at first but once they had the chance to digest the idea of becoming parents to twins, they were ultimately excited. Nafitiri, age 18, and Michael, age 20, have been together for four years and were excited to embark on the journey to becoming parents together.
Obstetrician, Benjamin Wood, DO, and the InterCare team provided prenatal care to Nafitiri and helped ensure she and the babies were healthy and the couple was prepared for what to expect during labor and delivery. Throughout the following months the babies were developing normally, and it wasn’t until six weeks before the due date that the Mills were told they would need to deliver the babies through cesarean section.
Nafitiri and Michael made their way to the hospital on delivery day and Nafitiri admits her nerves were starting to get to her. The cesarean section would be her first major surgery and as she got closer to the operating room her fears worsened. Michael was by her side before, during, and after the procedure with his primary focus to keep her as calm as possible.
Michael shared, “I played word games with her to try and keep her mind on something other than the surgery.”
Twins Ma’Khai and Malachi were born two minutes apart on February 4, 2019. Ma’khai came first and as she was getting ready to deliver Malachi, something that most physicians don’t get a chance to experience happened.
Instead of breaking the sac and expediting delivery, the baby to essentially deliver himself en caul meaning still entirely in the amniotic sac. Everyone was stunned to witness what most babies look like when they are inside the womb. An en caul delivery during a c-section is something that happens in only one out of every 80,000 births.”
Michael was informed so he could witness it and got the delivery on camera. He recorded the entire occurrence on his cell phone.
With both babies in his arms, Michael shared, “I remember their first cry and when I saw them, thinking to myself how much they look like me.”
“All I could keep thinking is, I made these, and how they look so much like their father,” said Nafitiri.
Nafitiri and Michael both shared how impressed they were with their birth expertise and the genuine care each member of their care team showed.
“The way they care for the babies is so genuine, and the seriousness they showed in my recovery from the cesarean section was comforting,” said Nafitiri.
Looking ahead, the happy couple is excited to watch their sons grow, hear their voices for the first time, and watch as they develop their own unique personalities.