The funny thing about moms and dads who are expecting, especially for the first time,
is that they don't know what to expect.
So we've invited women who have just delivered a baby at Swedish to talk with moms about
to deliver a baby at Swedish.
They're meeting at the perfect place for families going through the wonder of becoming parents,
the new Lytle Center for Pregnancy & Newborns at Swedish/First Hill.
The Lytle Center is two things.
Number one, it's a clinic where moms and babies are going to come soon after childbirth to
make sure they're doing okay.
And second of all, it's a resource center, an educational center, a retail center, so
that we can address the needs parents are going to have before childbirth and afterwards.
We have the Charles and Lisa Simoni Living Room here.
I'm very proud of this space because it's a place where people can come and talk and
rest and fell comfortable.
It doesn't feel like a hospital at all and that's what I like best about it.
So many of the questions that expectant moms and dads have can be answered at the Lytle
Center.
For those of you that are breastfeeding or have breastfed, did you have any troubles
with that or did it come naturally?
For me it came pretty naturally.
The first two weeks were a little tough.
I'd say it's been a process and right away, right after she was born, she latched on and
I was like "Yay, hooray!" and I thought the pain was just part of what was to be.
And then with the help of lactation consultants and the hospital we were told no it shouldn't
be hurting that hard.
We had a consultation here at the Lytle Center yesterday and it was an amazing, amazing consultation
and completely just overnight changed the way that we are breastfeeding now and we both
got good night's sleep last night.
Julia is very well fed now and it just really made a huge difference.
To support all of our moms who are breastfeeding, and especially for those moms who are having
problems, we have breastfeeding experts that you can see here in the Lytle Center, whether
you deliver at Swedish or you deliver someplace else.
We'r'e also really proud of our retail area.
It's a beautiful space.
It offers lovely gifts but it also offers all those things that moms really need to
have.
And as a grandmother I was sent all over the city trying to buy these things and I'm so
happy now that we have one-stop shopping for the really important things you need for pregnancy
and also for some of the frills.
So this question is a little bit more personal, I was just wondering if any of you have experienced
postpartum depression or know anybody that has and how you dealt with that?
I definitely had something but it took, like I was saying all those people asking you "How
are you doing?" and you put on that happy face like I'm so happy about my baby but I
was ...a little crazy.
I didn't know what end was up at that moment.
So one of the things that's great here about the Lytle Center is they have help for you
and all the information you need to help you get through that and help steer you in the
right direction.
Postpartum depression is not something that people want to talk about.
Your's supposed to have a baby.
You're supposed to be happy.
Research shows that if you don't treat postpartum depression it has huge ramifications for not
only the mom, but the entire family and really the baby.
And so we are very excited about this extensive program we are developing for offering services
to the whole community.
We're gonna help moms with this problem.
One of my favorite parts about this whole place is the playground.
There is no place on this whole campus where you can let a little kid run around.
We have a beautiful playground here.
We have an outdoor area where adults can sit, have a cup of coffee, be comfortable, be outside
which again is very important when you're stuck inside a hospital all the time, and
have a little bit of fresh air.
One of the things that's really fun in the Lytle Center is we have a baby changing station.
Now that might not sound very fun, but as soon as a baby comes on that and is getting
its diaper changed everyone in the Lytle Center starts oohing and googling over this baby.
We have that right here.
Anybody can walk in, change their baby, weigh their baby and believe me they're gonna have
a big audience when they do.
The Lytle Center isn't just for families having their babies at First Hill.
It's for all the families in the Swedish system but it's also for any family in the area who
would like to have our services.
I have heard that you don't ever really know how much you can love a person until you've
had a baby.
Is that what your experience has been?
There's nothing you wouldn't do.
It is really like being so far gone in love.
There's just nothing you wouldn't do for the cause.
I think when they say you've never felt love like that before, it's a different kind of
love.
You would do anything and give her anything.
Yeah, it's so overwhelming.
I can't answer that.
You just would do anything for your kid.
The reason I really really am proud of having the Lytle Center here is because it offers
a little extra to parents.
This is a hospital and yet at this place we can offer the extras that a hospital doesn't
necessarily have.
I'm very very proud that we can offer this softer side, the lovely side and that we can
combine it with our complex medical care.
We think we have things to offer you and we'd love to see you here.