Apr 11, 2023 Reporting from Niles, MI
A full-circle birth journey - Geena Seats-Pearson
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/how-we-compare/our-patients/Detail/a-full-circle-birth-journey/?utm_source=A_full-circle_birth_journey&utm_medium=PatientStory_Landing&utm_campaign=InternalPages
Apr 11, 2023
Apr 11, 2023
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
In a whirlwind couple of years, Geena Seats-Pearson got engaged, moved to another state and learned she was pregnant. Having just moved to Northern Indiana, she was hesitant to start her health care there. She quickly realized she was unhappy with th
A full-circle birth journey - Geena Seats-Pearson
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/ResourcePackages/SpectrumHealth/assets/img/sh_white_logo.png
A full-circle birth journey - Geena Seats-Pearson
Apr, 2023
Physicians:
In a whirlwind couple of years, Geena Seats-Pearson got engaged, moved to another state and learned she was pregnant. Having just moved to Northern Indiana, she was hesitant to start her health care there. She quickly realized she was unhappy with the prenatal services she was receiving and looked to BellaNova Women’s Health in Southwest Michigan for help.
“It was worth the drive for me; I appreciated getting to know each of the providers at BellaNova,” said Geena. “I felt like my time was never rushed. No matter how many questions I came with, they were focused on getting the answers that would help me feel comfortable.”
Nearing 40 weeks, Geena arrived at the BirthPlace in Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital with her fiancé, Miles, and her mother. Geena was not dilated enough, so she was given Pitocin, a drug to help induce dilation and labor. However, her baby’s heart rate started slowing.
Benjamin Wood, DO, obstetrician and gynecologist at Corewell Health, counseled Geena on her options. He explained that they could administer more Pitocin to try to induce labor more quickly or could perform a cesarean section. Because her son’s heart rate was a concern, she did not want to take any chances, so she chose a c-section.
“I was shaking as they took me into the operating room and moved me onto the table, but one of the nurses quickly calmed me,” continued Geena. “She asked me what genre of music would I want to my son to first hear when he entered the world.”
Geena chose jazz. Both her son and fiancé are named after the musician Miles Davis Jr.
Geena’s fiancé held her hand while she was on the surgical table. Once she heard her baby crying, she asked for him to be put on her chest.
“It was an amazing feeling to get that time with my baby, to be the first person he felt,” said Geena. “He looked just like his dad."
“The moment MJ was born almost felt like a dream,” Geena shared. “My husband and I had been together for so long, and now we had this beautiful little family. It was perfect.”
Geena attributes her happy delivery to the attention and kindness of her care team.
“Everyone listened to me when I needed to be heard,” said Geena. “They made me feel safe and most importantly, they made me feel that my baby was safe. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience."
“I was born in the same hospital where I had my son. It was nice to share that full-circle journey,” added Geena. “Over the course of 27 years, Corewell Health in Southwest Michigan has been there for us.”