Birthing Bed Improves Comfort, Privacy, and Dignity for Patients
Published Monday, March 9, 2026
Megan MacDonald, Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, pictured with the brand-new birthing bed.
Going to the Emergency Department can be a particularly difficult experience for pregnant people in pain and distress, worried about their baby. That's why it's so important to have a specialized bed in the Emergency Department. These beds are designed to help position and support patients, and keep them as comfortable as possible during exams.
However, that specialized bed was nearing end of life.
“The old bed started to malfunction,” said Megan MacDonald, an RN in the Emergency Department at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “It was getting to the point where we wouldn't be able to use it anymore.”
Thanks to your donations to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation on Giving Tuesday last December and through the Christmas Wish List, the Emergency Department has a brand new birthing bed to make pelvic exams more comfortable for expectant mothers while preserving privacy and dignity. Best of all, the new bed is better in several different ways…
This specialized bed also helps make pelvic exams easier. Patients come to the Emergency Department with gynaecological concerns every single day. Problems during pregnancy are most common, but non-pregnancy concerns can include unexplained bleeding, discharge, and rashes.
“We do a lot of pelvic exams in the Emerge,” MacDonald said. “The birthing bed is much more comfortable than using stirrups. The bed helps support and position the patient during the examination while preserving privacy and dignity.”
The previous one was bulky and required an electrical outlet to support the functions – these components eventually started to break down. The new birthing bed is manual, which means staff use pedal pumps to position the bed instead. Unlike the previous stretcher, the new birthing bed can be used like a regular stretcher to move the patient to other parts of the Hospital if needed.
“It also has side rails, which can be an important safety feature for anyone in distress during an exam,” MacDonald said. “They tuck directly underneath, which makes it easier to move through doorways and tight spaces if we need to move the bed.”
Thank you to all who gave last Giving Tuesday and through the Christmas Wish List! The new birthing bed in the Emergency Department is just one example of how donors like you help improve patient care every day.
Read more stories about how you've helped:
healthsciencesfoundation.ca/news
Article By: Graham Strong