ROSEDALE, Md. — For expectant mothers, joy can be mixed with anxiety and worry. Especially for women in high-risk pregnancies like Dawn Brooks Anderson.
“You just gotta be, keep calm, and roll with the punches, really,” she says.
The first-time mom is expecting twin girls. And she has preeclampsia, a serious complication that can jeopardize the health of both mom and babies.
So, at 27 weeks, she’s been admitted here, at MedStar Franklin Square Hospital’s Women’s Pavilion.
“It’s for the health of me and the babies,” she says. “And I just visited the NICU, so I’m not worried about them being there after we deliver, either.”
Her doctor, Jeffrey Spencer, is one of a team of medical staff here specially trained in maternal-fetal medicine to handle high-risk pregnancies like Dawn’s.
“In this community, we see a lot,” Spencer says, “and the problem with high blood pressure and preeclampsia is that it can get worse very, very rapidly.”
It’s women like Dawn who are the reason why the Women’s Pavilion is growing. A groundbreaking was held recently on an 8,000-foot expansion.
More than 2,000 babies are delivered at MedStar Franklin Square Hospital every year, and they’re seeing even more high-risk pregnancies coming in. That’s why this expansion is so crucial.
“We need a little bit more space in terms of the ultrasound rooms and NST (non-stress test) rooms for intrapartum testing,” he says.
As for Dawn, Dr. Spencer says she’ll be right here until her babies get to 34 weeks, the earliest they want to deliver them.
“It’s very calm, ‘cause this is very new for me,” she says. “So being able to talk to everyone, or someone comes in and they’re like already on page with everything. I don’t have to explain anything. They already knowing what the next step is. It makes me feel confident that I’m where I need to be at.”
The expansion will double the number of testing rooms for pregnant women and create a separate entrance for women in labor and other emergencies.
Work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
