Welcoming Baby Otto

When you ask Karla Wilson what the best part about having her baby at Butler Memorial Hospital was, her answer is just what you’d expect: That would be meeting Otto—all 7 pounds, 3 ounces of him—for the first time. “You can’t really beat that!” Karla says. From her first stages of labor to Otto’s ultimate arrival, Karla describes having a smooth birth experience. “The whole experience was the best we could have asked for,” Karla says. Labor begins! Karla woke up the morning of July 8 prepared to go to work as a physician assistant. But that morning she began to experience labor signs. At 37 weeks into her pregnancy, Otto was just a bit ahead of schedule. “As soon as I hit the main entrance door to Butler Memorial Hospital, they were attentive,” Karla says. That was around 8 a.m. Just after 4 p.m. that day, Otto arrived, sporting blue eyes and a bit of blondish hair.

Karla lives in Clarion, which is where she received her prenatal care with OB-GYNs Anie Perard, MD, and Bryan Doverspike, DO. When deciding where to deliver, the decision was an easy one: Butler Memorial Hospital. The fact that Karla works as a medical provider gives her a perspective that not every patient has. “I trust them enough to not only be their employee, but also to receive care there,” she says. “I think that says a lot.” Karla’s midwife, Devon Swanson, CNM, MS, “was excellent,” Karla notes. You have the option of having a midwife or an OB-GYN physician deliver your baby at Butler. The labor and delivery nurses also provided plenty of support. “Labor and delivery nurses, no matter where you deliver, are phenomenal,” Karla says. “They’re very knowledgeable and right there when needed.” Otto is Karla’s fourth child, and breastfeeding went smoothly for her. “And they were very wonderful and watchful with Otto,” Karla says. Karla was also able to have the type of labor pain management she wanted, thanks to 24/7 on-site anesthesiology care. Something else Karla appreciated was that she was able to get up and walk around during her labor, since Butler’s maternity services include portable fetal heart rate monitors.

Otto stayed in the birthing suite with Karla and her husband, Sam, since rooming in with the baby promotes bonding. The only time Otto went to the nursery was when the tired parents got some much-needed sleep. Karla’s other children were born before the pandemic. So the experience this time was a little different. Karla wore a mask during her delivery of Otto. And mothers now can be accompanied by only one person during labor and delivery. “We really didn’t mind,” Karla says. “We didn’t feel like we were missing out. We stayed in the hospital for one and a half days. We were taking the baby home to a bigger family, so that quiet was nice.”