Keewa's birth story: Customized experience exceeds new mom's expectations

During one of her first prenatal visits, Keewa Nurullah asked her obstetrician, Maryam Siddiqui, MD, about high C-section rates among African-American women.

“Dr. Siddiqui assured me this is not the case at the University of Chicago Medicine,” the first-time mother said. “She had a good understanding of different beliefs and ways of doing labor and delivery. And she answered all my questions.”

Together, they came up with a plan based on what Keewa wanted for her birth experience. When she came for her final prenatal appointment, Keewa’s fluids were low, so she was admitted to the hospital.

“I was in a very nice labor room,” she said. “Although Dr. Siddiqui was not on call that night, she came in right away the next morning to brief me on how I was doing.”

“Keewa was at risk for a C-section at that point,” Dr. Siddiqui said, “but we were able to deliver her baby vaginally and without an episiotomy, according to her wishes.”

On February 16, 2016, Keewa and her husband, Douglas Freitag, welcomed their infant son, Faraz. The new mom and dad had skin-to-skin contact with Faraz soon after he was born.

“I just laid him right on me and that’s where we slept,” Douglas said. “He was just this teeny, tiny, wrinkly, little guy.”

Keewa said she would definitely recommend UChicago Medicine to her South Side friends.

She added, “It was really convenient to have my baby just down the street from where we live, and I felt I received the same level of excellent care as I would have at any top women’s hospital.”

The birth experience met, and even exceeded, Keewa’s expectations. "That’s our goal for every woman who delivers her baby at UChicago Medicine," Dr. Siddiqui said.