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Lucky Number Three
The consistent, comforting, and comprehensive care offered on Ocean Medical Center’s
Maternal Child Services Unit might just be why this mayor and his wife chose to spend
the three most important days of their lives there.
Whether it’s your first
pregnancy or your
third, waiting for the
arrival of your child can
be very emotional. From
the moment you conceive
to the day you give birth,
you are overjoyed,
overwhelmed, anxious,
and worried about
everything, all at the
same time.
For 34-year-old
Robin Vogel of Point
Pleasant Beach, not
knowing what to expect
during childbirth is what
made her most nervous the
first time around. "You can
read and talk to people all you want,
but it’s not the same," says Robin.
"I was pleasantly surprised that it
wasn’t anything like what they portray
on TV sometimes," she continues.
"I was calm. No one around me was
panicked, not even when my daughter’s
heartbeat went down during delivery."
Robin and her husband, Tom, the
current mayor of Point Pleasant Beach,
have three children — Julia, 4½; Kate,
2½; and Quinn, not yet 1 — all of
whom were born at Ocean Medical
Center in Brick. "I cannot say enough
good things about Ocean Medical
Center," Robin gushes. "I labored
long with all three of my children,
and the staff at the hospital was so
encouraging, supportive, and helpful."
Working in Partnership
Ocean Medical Center’s Maternal Child
Services Unit prides itself on offering
a caring and supportive environment
where mothers can labor, deliver, and
recover all in one room. "Having a
child, however many children you have, is a wonderful experience,"
comments Karen Dademo, R.N.,
nurse manager of the unit. "We
are very lucky that we have a
consistent staff that has been here
for many years, so it is quite
common that a patient can have
the same delivery and aftercare
nurse for more than one birth."
That’s exactly what happened in
Robin’s case, with 16-year unit
nurse Joena Marshall, R.N., on
duty all three times Robin came
in to deliver. "I even have pictures
of her in my photo album!" Robin
says with a laugh.
Robin also chose to use the
same physician group for each
birth, Brielle OB-GYN. "For the
actual delivery of each of my
children, I had a different doctor
in the group: Drs. Alan Welt,
Deborah Saez-Lacy, and Michael
Keelan. And what is great about
the way they work is that you see
them all during your pregnancy,
so you are familiar with each doctor.…You don’t know
who will be on call when
you are ready."
When Complications Occur
Although Robin’s three
pregnancies proceeded
mostly without incident,
she did have a bit of a
scare when, at 37 weeks,
it was discovered that her
second child, Kate, was
not positioned head down,
the way most babies
deliver, but rather upside
down, in what’s known
as "breech" position.
Although this can be
upsetting, Dr. Welt explains, it is a
fairly common occurrence "that often
results in a C-section. But we try to
avoid operative deliveries whenever
possible. Rotating the baby under
ultrasound guidance is often successful
and is done in the safe and controlled
environment provided by Ocean’s
Maternity Suite."
For Robin, all went well, and she
went home and waited for Kate’s
arrival with her husband, who has
also been impressed by how well
things have gone for his family at his
local hospital. "As an elected official,"
says Mayor Vogel, "I hear about all the
good things that Ocean Medical Center
is bringing to our community — quality
care, new technologies and programs.
But as a dad, my family and I are true
testaments to the excellent care you
can receive in your own community."
 – Robin Krippa
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