The place was abuzz with hundreds of Sunnybrook staff, Toronto EMS workers and even Sick Kids staff. Everyone was wearing color-coded T-shirts for easy identification, and there was an energy usually reserved to the theatre district on a Friday night. But Sunnybrook was about to enact its finest performance yet, moving dozens of high-risk mothers, and delicate preemies, 9 kilometers up to their new home at 2075 Bayview Avenue. Years of planning, preparation and prayer had finally collided: it was moving day!

It’s no small feat moving the most delicate patients down the hall, let alone to an entirely new building uptown. But all the prep work paid off in droves. With military precision, high-risk mothers, women in labour, and glass incubators cocooning the tiniest citizens of our city rolled out of the dark halls of 76 Grenville, and into the bright and beautiful space they deserve at Sunnybrook. The new Women & Babies Program was now officially open for business, and their business is providing unparalleled care.

I followed the procession of patients, movers and health care staff from start to the finish, camera in hand (and heart on sleeve). There’s nothing quite like seeing a 200 pound physician cradling a 2 pound preemie, or meeting the grandparents of the first baby born in the new space (it was a boy, just in case you were curious!). With hands draped around contracting bellies, and new parents keeping in stride with incubators in motion, each patient was brought up to their space one by one. The parade of patients soon dissolved into 120,000 square feet of space. It was truly amazing to see.

Now that it’s all done, I’d equate the move to childbirth itself. Anticipation turns to pain and then to joy when it’s all over. As with parenting, now the real work begins for the new unit. Luckily, the fancy new digs make that easy to do.

Learn more about Sunnybrook’s Women & Babies Program

The post Incredible move: new home for Women & Babies Program appeared first on Your Health Matters.

It’s funny how extreme pain makes you remember things. The first time I went into labour, I’ll never forget the glaring lights and sterile environment of the hospital. As I wandered in circles around the labour and delivery corridors trying to speed the process along, the bland paint color was hardly the inspiration I needed to bring new life into the world. Where were the seafoam and buttercream accents that adorned every designer nursery I had committed to memory? Where was the warming fireplace? Where could my husband get some sleep? Turns out, those ideas were slowly growing here at Sunnybrook. And on September 12, 2010, they’ll be delivered just for you.

The new Women & Babies Program will welcome about 4,250 new little babies into the world every year, many being some of the sickest preemies in Ontario. While function normally trumps style in the hospital setting, the new unit manages to fuse both worlds beautifully. Good designers always recommend filling a space with things you love that actually work with your lifestyle. The 2 new floors here at Sunnybrook, which span 120,000 square feet, were created after consulting with staff and family members. Let’s just say the ‘need’ list and the ‘wish’ list are getting along splendidly. From twinkly lights to help soothe preemies, to an NICU that will change the standard of care, no detail was overlooked.

Knock on wood, both of my labours went well (if not slowly). The babies wowed, even if the décor did not. Luckily, new mothers at Sunnybrook can now enjoy the best of both worlds. Welcome to the future of having babies!

For a virtual tour of the new Women & Babies Program at Sunnybrook, click here

The post From conception to delivery: new Women & Babies Program is here appeared first on Your Health Matters.

I’ve been through labour, twice. I’ve also lived through a few construction projects at home. In a strange way, the two share a common thread of anticipation, pain and overwhelming satisfaction when all is said and done.

These two worlds are becoming one on top of the main wing of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. A massive multi-year, and multi-million dollar project will all come to fruition on September 12, 2010, when the brand new Women & Babies Program will officially open its doors at Sunnybrook’s Bayview campus. The square footage alone is awesome (120,000 sq.ft). Someone described it to me this way: taking the size of a community hospital, and plunking it onto our Hospital’s main building. The architectural angle is only one side of this impressive venture. But the heart of this story lies with the more than 4,000 families, who will welcome their new babies in one of the most advanced and patient-friendly labour and delivery units in the country. In fact, families were consulted during the design process, and their needs and wishes are echoed in every detail.

To appreciate the new space, you really have to walk through the old one. For years, Sunnybrook has been a tenant at 76 Grenville Street in downtown Toronto. The old space is a maze of tiny rooms, dim lighting and drab décor. One birthing room is aptly nicknamed “the closet”, because it’s so small, fathers are often forced to step outside during the birthing process to accommodate Hospital staff. That will soon be replaced with a new labour and delivery room with its own nickname: the Presidential suite. The design of this extra-large modern room is mimicked in 20 such others, which are flooded with light from an expanse of windows, and housed with amenities to meet all the needs of patients and staff.

The neonatal intensive care unit is another massive improvement in form and function. Right now, families dealing with the emotional realities of having a preemie are crammed into one small room. There is barely enough square footage to stand, let alone have some private bonding time. In the new neonatal ICU, every family will have their own room, with space for parents to visit and sleep. Families will even have their own separate hallway to enter their baby’s room, so they can feel comfortable coming and going.

And the Women & Babies Program will offer so much more: units for high-risk pregnancies, dedicated surgery suites, family lounge areas with fireplaces and colorful play areas for inpatients to enjoy, a high-risk ambulatory clinic and follow-up clinics. Picture all that in a large, bright space adorned with spa-like colors. It almost makes me want to have another baby! (Ok, not quite…)

Unlike both my pregnancies and home renovation projects, construction on the Women & Babies Program is on time and on budget. So the countdown is on to September 12 when Sunnybrook’s newest addition, could help you welcome yours.

Check out my video for a sneak peek at the current construction, and what the finished project will look like!

The post Oh Baby, look what’s coming to Sunnybrook… appeared first on Your Health Matters.