Sure, a complimentary fruit basket is nice. But wouldn’t you rather have a soothing massage as you are recovering from the rigors of giving birth?
That’s just one of the amenities offered by a growing number of hospitals who are courting upscale mothers-to-be with pampering services and surroundings.
At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, for example, just-opened hotel-like birthing suites feature silk sheets, stereos, CD players and VCRs, as well as laptop computers, faxes and modem hookups for fast-track new moms.
Gleaming hardwood floors, plush robes and gourmet candlelight dinners further the feeling of luxury in the suites where celebrities — such as talk-show host Leeza Gibbons, who delivered son Nathan Daniel Meadows in October — have booked birthing accommodations.
“Women want to be pampered when they give birth, they don’t want to be treated like they are sick,” says Elisabeth Hallman, director of Women’s Health Care at Cedars-Sinai.”We believe that the pampering gets women back on their feet faster and helps them better adjust to new motherhood.”
The cost for the ambiance and amenities at Cedars-Sinai: $650 on top of daily room and maternity care costs that vary according to insurance coverage and services provided. (The hospital bills the package as “the perfect shower gift for the new mom” and sells gift certificates. Call 310-855-5000.)
Deluxe amenities are gaining ground at other hospitals across the country, including Northwestern Memorial’s Prentice Women’s Hospital and Maternity Center in Chicago. There, “underwater” births in soothing warm-water tubs (considered a less traumatic alternative to bed-bound births) are offered. Panoramic windows with Lake Michigan views, gourmet dinners and original artwork on the walls are other perks available for varying costs.
“We try to offer whatever moms seem to want to make their births comfortable and natural,” says Marilyn Soglin, a Prentice spokeswoman.
“Moms rent our tub and there’s room enough in there for mom, midwife and sometimes even the dad. It looks like they are all at a pool party.”
