Sneak peek: UK opens expanded Mother Baby unit focused on ‘family-centered care’
The new Mother Baby Unit at the University of Kentucky’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital opened Thursday, with new and updated rooms that aim to focus on recovery and family support.
Located on the ninth floor in the hospital’s Pavilion A, the new unit includes additional postpartum rooms for families to use after giving birth. The floor also includes a newborn nursery and infant procedure room, so that any newborn needing additional care or treatment does not need to leave the unit and can remain close to family.
“We are so thrilled to have this, because our mission is all about providing high-quality care that is family-centered, and this design and this new unit really promotes that for our patients,” said Dr. Candice Snyder, medical director of antepartum and postpartum services. “Our goals are really about giving patients the ability to rest and bond with their families, and this unit has been intentionally designed to do that.”
The space includes 20 private rooms — three more rooms than the previous unit — with showers and sleeping space for people staying with the patient. With a focus on family-centered care, the unit also features a family nourishment station, where patients and families can access water, coffee and refreshments during their stay.
“Our rooms are more spacious than they were before, which provides families comfort,” Snyder said. “And then we also have dedicated sleeping areas for our support persons, so we can promote that family unit.”
The unit includes workspace for lactation consultants, social workers and other patient support staff. It will also have set quiet hours each day, so mothers and babies can rest while overhead lights are dimmed.
The average postpartum stay at UK is two days, the hospital said.
“Healing after childbirth takes time, and the right environment can make all the difference,” said Dr. Emily DeFranco, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the UK College of Medicine. “Every detail of this unit was intentionally designed to offer patients a calm, restorative space that supports the healing process — from physical recovery to emotional wellbeing and family bonding.”
UK updating Birthing Center with additional rooms, high-risk care
The Mother Baby Unit is the first part to open in a multiphase renovation of UK’s Birthing Center. Construction will begin on the Birthing Center this month, adding additional labor and delivery rooms and expanding rooms for monitoring high-risk pregnancies, the hospital previously announced.
When completed, the renovated Birthing Center will include four new labor and delivery rooms, 10 antepartum rooms with advanced technology for monitoring high-risk pregnancies, an expanded obstetrics emergency unit and an expanded waiting area.
There will be 16 total labor and delivery rooms, 10 antepartum rooms and six beds in the emergency unit once construction is complete. Renovations are expected to be completed in 2029, the hospital said.
While construction is ongoing, patients will still enter the Labor and Delivery unit through the lobby of Golisano Children’s at UK (formerly Kentucky Children’s Hospital). Patients can follow updates to the renovation progress on the Birthing Center’s website.
This story was originally published March 26, 2026 at 11:16 AM.