On the evening of Feb. 3, 2013, the Twin Cities couple Brianna and Vanan Murugesan got very little sleep, as they prepared to welcome their third baby – a girl. The delivery also marked Abbott Northwestern’s last birth within the hospital, as baby Annika arrived shortly before the hospital shut the doors to its labor and delivery unit and transferred its expertise to the new Mother Baby Center, a joint venture with Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.
Annika arrived at 6:47 a.m. on Feb. 4, literally within minutes of the mother and infant patient transfers commencing from Abbott Northwestern to the neighboring Center through a connecting quarter-mile, underground tunnel. At 7 pounds, 5 ounces, Annika was healthy and full-term and will make a nice addition to the Murugesan family, which includes big brother Arjuna (age 4.5) and big sister Asha (age 2.5).
“It was almost an ideal scenario for us,” said Brianna. “We had our first two children at Abbott Northwestern and knew we were being cared for in a place where our providers were in familiar surroundings – and then we were able to recover in this beautiful new facility [The Mother Baby Center] and enjoy all of its amenities. The huge spectrum of expertise that is housed within The Mother Baby Center is an incredible asset for our community.”
Patient story: Parents Brianna and Vanan Murugesan welcome newborn daughter Annika from TKO Productions on Vimeo.