FORT BENNING, Ga., (May 6, 2015) -- Giving birth is an experience that mothers often remember for the rest of their lives. At Martin Army Community Hospital, the birthing process is intended to be as safe, comfortable and as personalized as possible for mother and baby.

With the opening of the new hospital last November, MACH's labor and delivery as well as postpartum rooms were dramatically improved with top-of-the-line medical equipment, modern furnishings and more than double the square footage.

Private bathrooms, reclining chairs, pull-out sofas and artwork are featured in every labor and delivery room.

According to Dr. Joshua Will, chief of the Department of Women's Health and Newborn Care, the recent upgrades paired with ongoing excellence in customer service have made all the difference in creating a positive birthing experience for Soldiers and Family members.

"Our patient satisfaction numbers have risen dramatically to where they are among the top in the Army," he said, citing recent inpatient Tricare Inpatient Satisfaction Surveys. "The newest quarter numbers are well above the Army standard."

In addition to being measured based on Army inpatient and outpatient satisfaction surveys, the hospital also gauges its success based on national metrics.

With 70 to 100 babies delivered per month, the hospital's primary C-section rate is 12.6 percent over the last year compared with the national average - about 23 percent, Will said. About 22 percent of MACH patients have C-section; the national average is 34 percent.

"This data is very important because we know that it's much safer to have a vaginal delivery," he said. "Natural birth has been shown in multiple studies to have the best outcome for mom and baby."

Although there are some cases where a C-section is medically necessary, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends natural birth whenever possible, Will said. With a C-section - a major abdominal surgery - there is always an increased risk of birth injury, excess bleeding, severe pain, infection, increased recovery time and other negative outcomes for the mother and child.

Despite the current popularity of C-sections, Will emphasized that medical professionals recommend natural birth as the safest, most natural choice. He recently completed a one-year fellowship at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle focusing on high risk obstetrics.

"There are specific medical indications for a C-section," Will said. "It's important to have that discussion with your physician and it is a decision with everybody involved, but we generally tend to follow the guidelines that ACOG has set forth."

Will said the hospital follows evidence-based care to the nth degree.

"Everything that we do is based on what is most likely to have the best outcome for moms and babies," he said.

"If something is going wrong with the birth and we don't think we're going to be able to get the baby out vaginally, of course we'll do a C-section. Mothers always have a voice in the experience they want, as long as it is safe."

Some women have concerns about needing an episiotomy, a surgical incision to enlarge the opening for the baby, with a natural birth. The procedure is not necessary in most cases, Will said. MACH's rate for episiotomy is less than 1 percent, compared to the national rate of more than 8 percent.

"MACH is leading the way in maternal health care and natural birth," Will said. "Nationally, MACH is among the best."

Expectant mothers with a previous C-section might think they are ineligible for natural birth, but Will said the risk of uterine rupture is very low, less than 1 to 2 percent. Twenty-four percent of MACH patients with a previous C-section choose natural birth and have a vaginal delivery, whereas the national average is 13 percent, he said.

"When you have numbers that are as low as ours are for C-section and episiotomy, a lot of times people say well your numbers are low, but are your outcomes bad because you're pushing the envelope?" Will said. "In reality, our outcomes are excellent, so the data shows up that we're not taking risks or forcing our numbers to be that low through poor decision making. We don't push the envelope on safety just to get a vaginal delivery."

Adverse outcomes are extremely rare for babies born at MACH and the rate is much lower than the national average, Will said.

MACH's success with the birthing process is the result of a multispecialty conglomeration of obstetricians, pediatricians, Family Medicine physicians, midwives and nursing staff providing continuity in obstetrics and gynecology, taking care of the woman through pregnancy and delivery and exceptional care of both patients afterward.

We really do lead the way in providing the best maternity care in the Army and nationally. I've worked in several civilian facilities that don't hold a candle to what we have," Will said. "We want the birth to be the best experience for the Family because they will remember those moments for the rest of their lives."

For more information, visit www.acog.org/patients.