Western Maine Health
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Family Birth Center at Stephens Memorial Hospital

Having a baby is one of the most important and miraculous events in your life. The birth of a child is a precious moment for the mother and a joyous event shared by the entire family. Our childbirth team is here to guide and support moms and family members through every stage of childbirth, from pregnancy through delivery and into parenthood.

We understand that comfort is as important as our state-of-the-art facilities and offer a top-notch team that includes board-certified doctors and a caring and compassionate nursing staff. At our birth center, you will experience labor, delivery, recovery and post-birth care all in the privacy of your own room, which has a private bathroom, CD players, cable television, and room service. The careful attention our staff pays to your personal needs, and those of your family, provide the support and safety you expect and deserve during your stay here.

The very best care for you and your baby, close to home

We pride ourselves on having the finest staff and the very latest birthing technologies. Because we are part of MaineHealth, patient consultations and transfers to Maine Medical Center and The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital are fast and easy when needed. 

Gold Safe Sleep Champion

The Family Birth Center at Stephens Memorial Hospital is recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as a Gold Safe Sleep Champion for our commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep.

Western Maine OB/GYN

Learn more about our providers at Western Maine OB/GYN.

Childbirth and Parenting Resources

Education and knowledge are a powerful part of preparing for your new baby. Whether you are getting ready for your first delivery or already have children, we are here to help ensure babies and their families get off to the very best start. The Family Birthplace at Stephens Memorial Hospital, offers a variety of pregnancy and parenting classes for our patients and families.

The Family Birthplace at Stephens Memorial Hospital offers Preparing for Birth Class for expecting parents.

Join a group of expectant parents as they have fun learning about the labor and delivery experience at Stephens Memorial Hospital’s Preparing for Birth Class.  Expectant moms will explore how to relax and allow themselves to flow with their labor through breathing and relaxation techniques. Their coach will learn how they can assist mom through the process of labor and share in the joy of birth. Information on making a birth plan, comfort measures, stages of labor, and cesarean delivery are all explored.  A question and answer session is always part of the class.

For more information on upcoming classes please call 207-744-6151 or register online for an upcoming Preparing for Birth Class.

 

The Family Birthplace at Stephens Memorial Hospital offers Breastfeeding education and support for new mothers. Learn skills for successful breastfeeding. This class will help make you aware of the support services available to breastfeeding mothers.

Classes are held monthly and there is no fee for this class. For more information on upcoming classes please call 207-744-6151 or register online for an upcoming breastfeeding class.

Helpful links:

The Family Birthplace at Stephens Memorial Hospital offers Infant CPR classes. These classes are helpful to both new and experienced parents. Learn the skills to do CPR and choking rescue on an infant up to the age of one year. This is a hands-on experience with manikins where you'll have an opportunity to practices these skills. Come have fun and learn a valuable life-long tool.

Classes are held monthly. For more information on upcoming classes please call 207-744-6151 or register online for an upcoming infant CPR class.

 

The Family Birthplace at Stephens Memorial Hospital offers Safe Sitter Classes throughout the year.

Safe Sitter® is a national organization founded in 1980 by Indianapolis pediatrician, Dr. Patricia A Keener, after a colleague’s 18-month old choked to death while under an adult sitters care. The program is a medically accurate, hands-on instructional program designed for young adolescents that teaches boys and girls how to handle emergencies when caring for children.

Stephens Memorial Hospital has Safe Sitter Certified instructors that offer classes during school vacations. Safe Sitters learn: Infant & child CPR, choking procedure, safety for the sitter, how to call for emergency help, babysitting business skills, basic child care skills, and how to entertain children and keep them safe. The classes are geared for students 11 -13 years old. 

For more information on upcoming Safe Sitter Classes please call 207-744-6151 or register online for an upcoming Safe Sitter class.

Car seats, when installed and used correctly are extremely effective in saving children's lives. Proper use of a car seat reduces the risk of death by as much as 71% for infants. However, car seats are complicated to install and use and there are many models to choose from. It has been found that nine out of ten car seats are not installed or used correctly, and that only 5% of children who should use a booster seat actually do.

Stephens Memorial Hospital is a Child Passenger Safety Seat Inspection and Distribution Site. We offer Child Safety Seat Inspection Events throughout the year and by appointment. At the events, Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians are available to provide free hands-on seat inspections. Parents, caregivers and grandparents are encouraged to attend to ensure their child’s safety seats are properly installed, compatible with their vehicle, haven’t been subject to a recall, and are the appropriate seat for the child. As a Distribution Site, we offer free car seats to those who qualify, by appointment only.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call 207-744-6151.

The Family Birthplace at Stephens Memorial Hospital is recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as a Gold Safe Sleep Champion for our commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep. The cause of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is unknown, however there are things you can do to prevent it.

  • Have regular prenatal care during your pregnancy.
  • Avoid first and second hand smoke. Babies whose mothers smoke are 3 times as likely to die of SIDS, while those babies who are exposed to second hand smoke are twice as likely.
  • Breastfeed when possible.
  • Practice Safe Sleep Habits:
    • Keep baby on their back for both nighttime and naps.
    • Provide supervised tummy-time to promote neck strengthening.
    • Remove all bumpers, blankets, toys, stuffed animals from cribs and bassinets.
    • Use a firm infant approved mattress in the crib or bassinet.
    • Sleep your baby in a “sleep-sack” rather than wrapped in a blanket.
    • Keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult in a T-shirt, a hot room allows the baby to go into a much deeper sleep from which they may not wake.
    • Use of a pacifier once Breastfeeding is well established, 3-4 weeks is acceptable.
    • Avoid the use of a home monitor rather than checking on your baby regularly.

For more information Safe Sleep please contact us at 207-743-5933 ext. 6951.

For more information on SIDS visit SafeSleepAcademy.org.