Baby Born at Floyd Medical Center's NICU Doing Well
ROME, GA, May 6, 2022 – Mother's Day will never feel the same for Jessica Marcellini.
The Cedartown mom gave birth to her first child, Michael Anthony Marcellini Jr. on Feb. 23. Little Michael came early and tipped the scales at only 3 pounds, 4 ounces at 31 weeks, but the staff at Floyd Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provided the care he needed, she said.
Ms. Marcellini said her son now weighs 10 pounds and is doing well. “It really blows my mind," she said. “It seems like every day he changes a little bit. I can't believe how big he is now."
She expressed gratitude for the treatment Michael received in the NICU.
“We received such excellent care there," she said. “The staff, everyone, they become like family. Some of them are now my Facebook friends. They really spend so much time explaining things and making sure you understand. We learned so many things and it's not like they just send you home with no help."
She said the care she felt from the NICU staff was endearing. “In some ways we were kind of sad to go. Yes, we were very glad to be going home, but I really knew that I was going to miss them."
Floyd Medical Center has the only Level III NICU in northwest Georgia, providing babies with specialized care, including breathing support, food and nutrition, and temperature support and regulation.
NICU's discharge planning coordinator works with families to make sure the transition to home goes smoothly, gradually preparing them.
Generally, babies in the NICU can go home when they:
- Maintain their body temperature in a bassinet
- Breathe on their own
- Nurse or feed from a bottle
- Consistently gain weight
- Are in stable medical condition
Ms. Marcellini said she is also grateful for the AngelEye Health cameras installed at the babies' bedsides in the NICU. The cameras allow moms and dads to peek in on their little ones remotely.
“That was really comforting to know we could look in on him even when we couldn't be there," she said. “It was also good for grandparents who were waiting to see the new baby."
She said the way she feels about her little one is somewhat surprising, even thought she loved him even before he was born.
“I heard people talk about that connection, how special a mother's love is for her child. I thought I understood it, but there is nothing like that feeling once you give birth."
About Atrium Health Floyd
Since 1942, Floyd, now Atrium Health Floyd, has worked to provide affordable, accessible care in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Today, Atrium Health Floyd is a leading medical provider and economic force. As part of the largest, integrated, nonprofit health system in the Southeast, it is also able to tap into some of the nation's leading medical experts and specialists with Atrium Health, allowing it to provide the best care close to home – including advanced innovations in virtual medicine and care. At the hub of these services is Floyd Medical Center, a 304-bed full-service, acute care hospital and regional referral center. Atrium Health Floyd employs more than 3,400 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at three hospitals: Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia; Floyd Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, Alabama; Floyd Polk Medical Center in Cedartown, Georgia, as well as Floyd Behavioral Health Center, a freestanding 53-bed behavioral health facility, also in Rome; and a primary care and urgent care network with locations throughout the service area of northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama.