DALTON, Ga. (June 25, 2026) – When it came to delivering her first baby, Emma Cate Heiden knew she wanted care she could count on.
The Chickamauga, Ga., resident and former postpartum nurse gave birth to her first baby at Hamilton Medical Center’s (HMC) Turner Maternal and Infant Care Center in early May.
Because she worked at both HMC and previously at another hospital, Heiden said it mattered deeply to her where she delivered her baby — even though it meant traveling farther from home.
“It is a very safe hospital, and the providers do really care,” Heiden said. “I’ve seen them behind the scenes as a nurse and in the hospital as a patient, and I know that they all have the patients’ wellbeing at the forefront of their care.”
Going in, Heiden was anxious about the possibility of medical problems for either her or her baby. After a successful induction, Heiden delivered her baby, Baker, the same day, but he had to be placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for respiratory distress.
Heiden had high praise for the NICU staff who cared for him, and for Rick Loftis Jr., MD, who saw her through infertility, multiple losses, conception and delivery. Baker was in the NICU for two days and is now strong and healthy.
The Turner Maternal and Infant Care Center combines state-of-the-art medical technology with the comforts of home and the latest in birthing options. Each month, nearly 200 mothers-to-be choose the Center for their baby’s birth. The staff of highly skilled nurses and infant care specialists provide babies with exceptional, individualized care.
For newborns who have special medical needs (critically ill or premature) at birth, HMC’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care team provides expert neonatal services in a supportive and family-centered environment. A specialized team of nurses, respiratory therapists, neonatal nurse practitioners and board-certified neonatologists are ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to care for babies, whatever the need might be. Single-family rooms allow parents to stay with their newborn.
“Everyone was just wonderful,” Heiden said. “My labor and delivery nurse, Katrina, was really good at coaching for pushing. She stuck it out the whole time and did a really good job. My friends on postpartum made sure I was taken care of like family throughout my whole stay.”