Mom of two happy she switched to Cadillac Hospital Family Birth Center
Tabitha Romig figured she would give birth to her second child, a son born Dec. 17, 2019, in Big Rapids, Mich. After all, the 34-year-old resident of Leroy, Mich. had given birth to her daughter in Big Rapids seven years earlier.
“My mom and sister also had their kids in Big Rapids, and I thought my experience was good there,” Tabitha said.
Ultimately, however, Tabitha and her husband David decided they would have their baby at Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital – a decision initially based on convenience. Both the hospital and the Cadillac OB/GYN clinic are closer to where the couple lives and works. “It just worked out better to go to Cadillac,” Tabitha said.
A Reassuring Appointment
Still, Tabitha acknowledged she felt apprehensive about going somewhere unfamiliar. Would the care be as good? Would she and her baby receive the attention they needed?
“Every appointment, I was like, OK, if I don’t like this appointment, we’re going to Big Rapids. It was very early when we found out I was pregnant, and we thought, we’ll just switch if we need to. But every appointment was good – I felt calmer after the appointments,” she said. “It got to the point of, I liked everything so far, so we just stayed.”
When she was about 10 - 11 weeks along, she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. It was then when Tabitha said she realized just how wonderful her care was at the Cadillac OB/GYN clinic.
“Dr. [Kyle] Franckowiak, he sat with me and my husband for an hour. He laughed with us, I cried - I was scared. But it was a really reassuring appointment,” she said.
Tabitha said she also was impressed with the clinic itself and the health care team that cared for her as her pregnancy progressed.
“It’s really nice in there,” she said of the clinic, located at 7985 Mackinaw Trail in Cadillac. “I loved everyone there. Everyone seemed really nice. I was there a lot – almost once a week when I got to 28 weeks. And then I also was at the hospital for my non-stress test twice a week and ultrasounds every four weeks, because of the gestational diabetes.”
Welcome, Charles W. Romig III!
Having gestational diabetes led to a planned induction for Tabitha at 39 weeks. On the evening of Monday, Dec. 16, she arrived at Cadillac Hospital Family Birth Center.
“I went in that night and I was 3 centimeters dilated. They started me on Pitocin at 9 o’clock and at midnight, nurses came running in because the baby’s heart rate dropped to 60 from 120,” Tabitha remembers.
Her baby’s heart rate stabilized, but labor wasn’t progressing. Her health care team decided a cesarean section would be the best route – a decision that Tabitha is thankful for given that her son’s umbilical cord was found to be wrapped around his neck twice as well as around one of his arms.
“I was really scared and I kept praying that they would decide to do a C-section – let’s just get him out. I am glad they did,” she said.
Charles W. Romig III was born at exactly 8 a.m. Dec. 17.
“It took him awhile to be checked, and I was crying. I was scared. It’s very emotional. The doctor and the nurses were there, rubbing my arm, and the anesthesiologist talked me through every step. It calmed me down. I was still a wreck, but it was really nice and reassuring,” she said.
Attention to the Details
A bad reaction to post-surgery medication left Tabitha feeling sick, but her health care team again was there for her, she said.
“It was the little things that made a difference,” she said. “I couldn’t sit up without feeling sick, and I was trying to get Charles to latch on. One of the nurses and my husband helped so he could nurse.”
“Every morning, the labor and delivery manager would come to our room and ask if we needed anything, if we had any concerns, and if the nurses were doing a good job,” Tabitha added. “That was really unexpected and appreciated.”
The Romig family also appreciated Cadillac Family Birth Center’s “Queen’s Meal,” a gourmet meal that is served to new moms and their support person.
Later, Tabitha felt incredibly supported by the nurses who helped her shower and took care of Charles while she got up and walked around. Nurses also showed Tabitha and her husband how to bathe their new little boy.
Having their 7-year-old daughter, Promise Romig, at the hospital also was special.
“They let her be there, which was great because I had never spent a night away from her. It was nice being able to have her there all day without an issue,” Tabitha said. “They made her feel included.”
A Special (Extra) Touch
After returning home, a couple of days after Charles’ birth, the family received a surprise in the mail.
“We got a card from all of the nurses, a thank you for letting them care for us. That made me cry. That was amazing,” she said. “It was hand-written and signed by all of the nurses.”
Also included in the card: something their night nurse, a woman named Heather, created. She laminated a card featuring Charles’ tiny footprints.
“It was a little gift to us. How sweet is that?” Tabitha said. “She was amazing.”
Cadillac Hospitals' Family Birth Center
The safe arrival of your baby means everything to you. At Cadillac Hospital’s Family Birth Center, where our compassionate health care team serves as leaders in maternal quality and safety, it’s also our greatest priority. Learn more about Cadillac Hospital Family Birth Center, as well as the Cadillac OB/GYN clinic here.
