CentraState - Healthy Directions

www.centrastate.com Fall 2014 River. "Within the first 10 weeks of Blake's life, he had been on seven flights and visited five Major League ballparks," Jackie points out. Adjusting to this back-and-forth life with an infant was challenging for Jackie at first, but both she and Blake have learned to adapt. "I thought it was a little difficult in the beginning because I brought way too much stuff," she recalls. "I packed two of everything at first. Now, it's just a diaper bag. He's a wonderful sleeper—he sleeps through takeoff, landing, everything. When we first flew, I made little goodie bags for the other passengers. I figured if I at least gave them that they couldn't be mad that he was screaming his head off, but he was very good." Of course, Jackie and Blake aren't the only traveling mother-baby duo on the team—wives and kids in the stands is a tradition as old as the game itself. "This year was really special on our team as eight of us had babies, all boys," Jackie says. "Sometimes they come to the home games, and some raise their baby full- time in Cincinnati. Everyone supports each other, and the babies play together." For more information about CentraState's maternity services, visit www.centrastate.com/maternity or call 866-CENTRA7 (866-236-8727). To see a video of Jackie discussing her pregnancy journey, visit www.centrastate.com/maternitystories. HD For information about CentraState's Fall Baby Fair, turn to page 8. 7 With the aid of Healthy Woman, Jackie had a relatively stress-free pregnancy, aside from experiencing symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), which is an ongoing pain due to misalignment of the pelvis in pregnancy. "The doctors at Healthy Woman were accommodating to any pain," she says. "They always checked it out and made sure everything was OK with my baby. Besides that, everything was perfectly fine." With Todd's obviously busy schedule, he wasn't able to accompany Jackie to many of her prenatal office visits, but through the power of technology, Jackie was able to include him in video chat so he could feel like he was part of the appointments, even though he was hundreds of miles away. "Healthy Woman was so accommodating so he could be part of it," Jackie says. When it came time for Blake's big debut, Jackie was comforted that she would have him at CentraState—and it wasn't her first time in CentraState's maternity unit. "I was born there, along with some of my family," she says. "It's definitely my hospital of choice. The nurses are wonderful, and they really make you feel comfortable." Because of her SPD and Blake's size, Jackie was scheduled to have a Cesarean section, which can be a fretful time for any expectant mother, but the operation went very well. "Within a few minutes, he was out," Jackie says, recalling how the staffs of Healthy Woman and CentraState talked to her calmly and explained what was going on and what she should expect to feel. "They brought the baby right to me when he came out, which was great," she says. "Everyone was so calm, it really helped the mood in the room, making it inviting and comforting." Even though Blake was born during the spring training season, Todd was fortunately able to come home for the birth. "It was very hard to fly him home from Arizona," Jackie explains. "He got off the plane that morning and drove to the hospital. He only got to see Blake for two and a half days, then he had to go back for spring training. He was a trooper and slept in a chair in the hospital. It was really important to him and he wanted to watch his son's birth." BIG LEAGUE PARENTHOOD The life of a professional sports family makes raising a child a unique experience, trying to balance having the family together as often as possible on the road while also maintaining a life at home. In the Frazier family's case, Jackie and Blake attend Todd's home games in Cincinnati, where they stay in an apartment furnished with all the basics Blake needs for their visit. For Todd's away games and off days, Jackie and Blake head back home to Tom's Blake Frazier is a happy, healthy and well-traveled baby with his mom, Jackie, who gave birth to him at CentraState.

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