East Cooper Medical Center Babies

Mid-morning on New Year’s Day 2011, Karen Stasio realized life was about to change in a huge way. Labor had begun – sooner than expected.

“I was due Jan. 12, so it was a little earlier than we planned,” Stasio remembered. “It was my first pregnancy so I didn’t know what to expect.”

Contractions became stronger. She and her husband, Douglas, headed to East Cooper Medical Center.

Progress was slow, but, after pushing for nine hours, Ava Madison Stasio finally arrived. She appeared at 10:23 p.m., weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces. Seeing the healthy baby for the first time was thrilling.

“She was perfect,” Stasio beamed.

Ava also was East Cooper Medical Center’s New Year’s baby, and Stasio recalled that even her doctor was excited.

Stasio had high regard for the hospital staff, many of whom she knew before Ava was born because she attended birthing and breastfeeding classes.

“Everybody at the hospital was wonderful,” said Stasio. “Overall, it was probably one of the most unforgettable moments of our lives. All the pain, the yucky parts of labor and pregnancy are forgotten, because all the good things have taken over. The joy just takes over.”

Looking back at Jan. 1, she expected more fanfare after delivering a baby on New Year’s Day. She believes Mount Pleasant Magazine’s first baby stork basket will be a big deal for the town’s first baby of 2012.

“I think that’s awesome,” said Stasio. A few weeks after Ava’s arrival, Kristi and Chris Patrick welcomed a child at East Cooper – for the third time. Khloe Georgeanna Patrick ar rived on Jan. 24, 2011, at 7:47 a.m., weighing in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces. Like big brother Seth Christopher, 5, and big sister Kalli Victoria, 4, Khloe was born via Caesarean section.

Mom remembered that her new little one was an instant blessing.

“She was actually awesome,” Patrick said. “She was quiet and good and sweet.”

“It was a great experience. They made me feel comfortable,” Patrick said of the staff. ”The doctors are very nice and kept me calm.”

She added that the staff stepped up when trouble arose. Before her pregnancy with Seth, Davis suffered an ectopic pregnancy, a potentially fatal scenario. She began bleeding internally and passed out.

“I came to and they had basically saved my life,” she said.

Then when she was carrying Seth, something went wrong, ironically, during a birthing class.

“I actually went into pre term later with him,” Patrick explained.

Doctors and nurses rushed to her aid, hooked up monitors and prescribed bed rest.

Khloe was the first Patrick child born at East Cooper’s new facility, which opened in April 2010. Patrick said she enjoyed the newness discharged from the hospital. of the facility and thought The hospital partners with staffing was superb.

“I have full faith in their staff and their abilities,” she said.

She is excited to see who the first Mount Pleasant baby of 2012 will be.

“I think that’s awesome. I think you might have some ladies doing some walks on New Year’s Eve trying to bring on labor,” she commented.

East Cooper Medical Center prides itself on being what it calls “the baby hospital.” Lisa Pinion, director of women’s services, maintains that outstanding physicians and nurses, along with a culture of hospitality, have created a name for the hospital’s maternity services.

“The team at East Cooper Medical Center is honored by its reputation and has made a serious commitment to offering maternity services that exceed expectations,” said Pinion.

The hospital features a Level II neonatal nursery – providing lifesaving care for late-preterm infants or those with medical complications – that operates with the understanding that these babies need a special place and unique care to help them grow, heal and feel loved. The Rest Easy program enables mom and dad to stay close to their infant – even after mom has been discharged from the hospital.

The hospital partners with the Medical University of South Carolina to staff itself with board-certified MUSC-affiliated neonatologists. East Cooper maintains that it provides the highest level of neonatal care in Mount Pleasant.

In addition, East Cooper Medical Center offers lactation consultants, pharmacists and specialized dietitians to help with the nutritional needs of babies and their mothers.

But will it claim the distinction of welcoming Mount Pleasant’s New Year’s baby?

“Yes, I think we will win, given the number of babies born each year at East Cooper – about 1,600 annually – and the number of physicians who deliver here,” said Kari Davis, director of marketing and physician relations. “My bet is on East Cooper Medical Center.”