Pregnant Woman Stops for Status Check, Delivers Healthy Baby Boy at Local Geisinger Clinic
By LaKeshia Knarr
LOCK HAVEN – It had happened three times prior, so when Lock Haven resident Heather Bartley started feeling the sensation of contractions on December 11, 2017, she wasn’t quite sure if it was really “the big day.”
Heather had taken two separate trips to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville prior, believing she was in labor, only to find out she was experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions (preparatory contractions that can begin taking place weeks to months before labor or child birth). She’d also driven to a hospital in Williamsport on another occasion with the same findings.
So when the contractions began on December 11, although it felt a little different, Heather wasn’t sure if this was another false alarm. She’d also learned that she could stop at the Geisinger Clinic at 955 Bellefonte Ave. for a status evaluation before making the hour-long drive to Danville.
“The contractions were really irregular… different from the Braxton Hicks,” Heather told therecord-online.com recently. She was hopeful there would still be enough time to get to Danville, where she was registered to deliver her baby, whose father – Matthew – was still working.
“I was going to drive myself,” she recalled, but her discomfort persuaded her to call a friend, Cindy Bardo, who drove her to the local Geisinger Clinic. By the time they arrived, Heather was having difficulty walking.
The on-duty doctors and staff set in motion. Emergency services were called while the doctors and nurses observed Heather and kept her calm. As she was being put on the stretcher for the ambulance, however, her water broke. It became clear she was going to be delivering at the clinic.
“The PA said, ‘the baby’s head’s right here,’” Heather said. “Everything happened so fast after that.”
In fact, it all happened so fast that Matthew was unable to arrive in time, she said, estimating from clinic doorway to delivery took less than 10 minutes.
Nolan James Dieffenbacher was born at 2:11 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds and was 18 ¼ inches.
Dr. Akeem Adigun was the OB/GYN on duty when Heather went into labor at the clinic. He believes this is the first instance of a delivery at the clinic.
“The location was unexpected, but I usually take call at Geisinger Danville at least once or twice a week. We’re prepared for this,” he said. “No delivery is seamless. The hardest thing for any OB/GYN is predicting how soon it’s going to happen.”
Dr. Dana Smith, pediatrician, then tended to newborn Nolan.
Reflecting on the events that unfolded that day, she recalled a colleague interrupting a patient visit to let her know she was needed because a baby was being delivered in the back.
“I then ran to my office to get my newborn stethoscope, ran to the nurses to find a blue bulb suction and ran to the back of the office. Within 2 minutes then baby was delivered and we were caring for him and making sure he was okay,” she said.
Nolan and Heather were then transported to Lock Haven Hospital, where Nolan was able to meet his dad – and later his big brother – for the first time.
The family of four is settling in nicely. Heather says Nolan enjoys the swing, is a very happy baby and smiles a lot. Haiden Michael, Nolan’s 9-year-old sibling, says it feels “really, really awesome” to be a big brother.
“I can’t even explain it,” Heather said. “It’s just the best experience I could ever feel, being a mother of two.”
Looking back, Heather credits the Geisinger Clinic staff with helping her get through the events that unfolded that day.
“They did a great job. They helped me stay calm and get through it without any medications,” she said. “Geisinger actually made it a really fun experience. The nurses were just trying to keep me calm and get through contractions. It wasn’t a long experience, but it was a fun one.”
