New Jersey Mothers Are Getting Empowered: First Freestanding Birth Center Opens on the Jersey Shore

Jersey Shore's first birth center opens and is dedicated to giving NJ moms the safe, natural and comfortable birthing experience they deserve.

LAKEWOOD, NJ, UNITED STATES, June 16, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Central New Jersey can now boast its first freestanding birth center. TRU Birth Center - the first female-owned and physician-owned birth center in the state - is dedicated to the natural birthing experience. Under the medical direction of Clara Surowitz, MD, FACOG, TRU provides the region with a local facility where mothers can finally take advantage of low intervention deliveries. While there are nearly 400 birth centers nation-wide, TRU is one of the first in the nation to provide a unique combination of cutting edge medicine with a European model of midwifery care.

Dr. Clara Surowitz is a veteran OB-GYN who has become popular in New Jersey for her maternal care and cesarean prevention. Her C-Section rate is just 3%, around 90% lower than the average physician in the state. While working for sixteen years in traditional hospitals, she realized the need for a woman-owned birth center. “TRU stands for Trust, Respect, and Understanding. Much of the discomfort that we accept as a normal part of labor is unnecessary. TRU is designed to give back to mothers the privacy, freedom, and respect that they deserve. It was also designed to allow for a healthier approach to birthing, one which is low intervention and allows for better outcomes for both mother and baby.”

The birth center was designed by Anna Maria Mannarino, a national and state award-winning designer for her work in commercial, hospitality, and residential design. Her company, Mannarino Designs, is based in Holmdel and has been featured and recognized in books and numerous publications. When one walks into TRU, there is an immediate sense of comfort and luxury. That feeling is intentional. “Safety for both mom and baby are the highest priorities but mom’s sense of wellbeing is also paramount to the process. By designing a space that allows for mothers to deliver in a spa-like atmosphere, the birthing process is allowed to progress productively without the pressure that is found in a hospital setting.”

Each room in the birthing center is beautifully decorated. There is a fireplace, comfy couches, and a perfectly warmed birthing tub. "We didn't design a beautiful facility for the sake of having a beautiful facility,” Dr Surowitz notes. “I look at it as if I took out my prescription pad and wrote a script for the most calming environment possible. That calm environment maximizes the likelihood of the best outcome for mom and baby. That's our goal and that's why we went to great lengths to design it this way."

Crystal Murphy, CNM leads the midwifery care and she is proud to bring this unique fusion to the United States. “Although midwifery has a long standing history in the birthing process, TRU’s blend of modern medicine with the positive hands-on care associated with midwives is truly unique. It allows for mothers to get the best of both worlds: excellent medicine from a renowned medical doctor with the personal and attentive care of a team of expert Certified Nurse Midwives. The experienced team has delivered more than 16,000 babies in their collective careers. Together we strive to care for the mother’s health, personal well-being, and positive state of mind.”

Dr. Surowitz is optimistic about the future of TRU and of birth centers in general. “I think most mothers don’t even realize they have an alternative. As a mother myself, I didn’t realize quite how restrictive the standard hospital birth can be until I experienced my own in a dedicated birth center. The difference was just amazing. You have freedom of movement, control of the experience, and in general you’re surrounded by a team of supportive professionals who believe in a woman’s capability to achieve physiological birth. Add the medical benefits of a significantly lower cesarean rate and increased infant health and there really is no contest. For those mothers who medically qualify, I would definitely recommend finding out about TRU.

Most insurances are accepted so there is no added cost for patients. Better yet it provides a significant overall cost savings to the health care system and will be a real driver in achieving optimal, equitable outcomes. Birth centers concentrate on maternal health and wellness; they also create a shared decision-making process for moms and practitioners. These are only some of the reasons why there has been a nation-wide proliferation of birth centers in recent years, more than doubling nationally in the last fifteen years. TRU Birth Center is playing a role in transforming the landscape of maternal health and birthing options in NJ, and answering an important need for mothers and families.

Shari Lowell
Tru OB/GYN & Birth Center, LLC
+1 732-994-4242
info@trubirthcenter.com
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