Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, Md  –   “There is NO way I’m doing this without an epidural,” exclaimed soon-to-be new mom Janae Lettley, from her birthing bed in the Mother and Infant Care Center (MICC) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (Walter Reed) in Bethesda, Maryland.

Lettley and new dad-to-be Taurian Jones, a Navy E3 Constructionman, were eager with anticipation for the planned induced birth of their first child – a boy who would be named Ky’ier. Nearby in their private, fully furnished birthing room, where Jones stretched out on a pullout sofa, nurse Yodahe Jaleta monitored Lettley’s vitals.

“No point in trying to be a hero,” Jaleta said. “Take the shot.”

Lettley is among a recently growing number of military mothers choosing to give birth at Walter Reed. After experiencing more than a 60-percent drop in births throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical center’s MICC has finally recovered. In August 2024, the birthing unit delivered 101 babies, returning to their pre-pandemic delivery rate.

The news was more than welcomed by the unit’s medical director, U.S. Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Alexander Ulfers.

“We’re back in business,” Ulfers said. “We struggled with nursing shortages during the pandemic but over the past year or so, we’ve been able to hire new staff. More nurses mean we can handle more deliveries.”

“Before COVID, we were averaging 100 to 150 deliveries a month, so dropping down to 40 or 50 was quite a change for us,” Ulfers continued.
“We know that we practice excellent obstetrics and gynecology care, so we expect to be back up to 150 babies a month before long.”

Ulfers and the MICC team have another reason to be optimistic. In March of 2025, they expect to move into a brand-new, state-of-the-art labor and delivery center and 25-bed Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in a new building on the Walter Reed campus.

“We’re very excited,” Ulfers said. “Our new unit will feature eight larger, state-of-the-art delivery rooms, 15 postpartum rooms, better lighting, two surgery suites, and pediatric services. I think a lot more military moms will want to give birth at Walter Reed when they hear about our new facilities.”

The private rooms will also feature a specialty nurse dedicated to each mom and baby, as well as a new anti-infant abduction system.
In fact, it is Walter Reed’s policy to keep mothers and their babies in the same room, night and day, just like home.

And Lettley was loving it. A check two days later found her cradling newborn son Ky’ier who entered the world at a healthy seven pounds, ten ounces, and 20 inches long. Parents and baby are doing great.