Maternity Services 
 
 
 
 

From the joy of pregnancy to the smile of my baby. At the Birthplace at St. Mary's Medical Center, our goals are a healthy mom and a health baby. And after 71 years of experience, we know how to deliver.

Every year, more than 4,000 children are born at our hospital. Behind every birth is a caring, skillful staff whose primary goal is to provide a healthy, happy childbirth experience and a smooth transition back home for mothers and their newborn babies.

Maternity Services  Quality, individual care in a home-like setting is the focus of our maternity area. At St. Mary’s Medical Center, patients and their families work with our skilled team of professionals to choose their plan for labor, delivery and post-partum care. We invite you to come and tour our facility to learn more about how our style of caring for our patients and their families has given us the opportunity to deliver more babies than any other Palm Beach County hospital. 

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)   Our 45-bed NICU is one of just 13 state-designated Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Centers in Florida. An in-house neonatologist and anesthesiologist are on staff, 24/7 to meet the needs of our smallest patients. In addition to advanced medical proficiency and advanced technology, the NICU team offers a family-centered approach to neonatal care. The staff meets the parents’ needs for contact with their baby as much as possible. The mother can come to the NICU to touch her baby as soon as possible and to hold its hand even if the infant is too small to hold. Having a Level lll NICU should matter to every Mom-to-be. Studies indicate significantly higher survival rates for very low birthweight babies born in hospitals offering Level III Neonatal Intensive Care, the highest level of care designated by the state. Will you have a low birthweight baby? Probably not. But it’s comforting to know that if your baby requires specialized treatment, The Birthplace at St. Mary’s Medical Center is close to you.

The Birthplace at St. Mary's Medical Center  The concept of family-centered care is reflected throughout labor and delivery. The warm décor of the dark wood in the newly renovated delivery suites conveys a home-like feeling for our patients.

Registered nurses support the family through the birth process. For some mothers, that may mean complex medical intervention, but for many others it may mean simple comfort measure such as a leisurely shower or bath. Labor and delivery nurses are there to guide and assist the mother during the process.  

At St. Mary's Medical Center the health and safety of you and your infant is extremly important to our staff. The entire maternal area is equipped with an updated, advanced infant security system, and all of the units are just steps away from one another.

 

Education is an important part of the labor and delivery experience. St. Mary's Medical Center offers an array of perinatal education classes before and after delivery. Our classes include: 

Call 561.882.9100 to speak with someone about any of our perinatal educational classes.

 

Breastfeeding Services   St. Mary's Medical Center has board-certified lactation consultants who provide assistance to mothers who choose to breastfeed their infants. To use any of the services listed below, please call the Lactation Department at 561.882.4814. We’re here to help you and your baby.  

Prenatal Consultations  Free consultations are available for women who have concerns such as previous problems with breastfeeding or a history of breast surgery.  

Breastfeeding Counseling  For situations in which telephone consultation is not enough, office visits with lactation consultants are available by appointment, 561.882.9100. 

Maternity Tours   We encourage our patients to tour of our maternity area to help prepare for the upcoming birth of their baby.  Expectant parents may schedule a maternity tour during any stage of pregnancy. The best time to tour is during the seventh month of pregnancy in case the baby arrives early.  We offer several choices of dates and times each month. The tour lasts approximately 1 hour, and children are welcome to accompany their parents.  For dates and times or to schedule your maternity tour, call 561.882.9100.

 
 

 

Planning Ahead  The months leading up to your baby’s birth will go very quickly. There’s a lot you can do ahead of time to prepare for your stay at St. Mary's Medical Center.

Pre-Register for your hospital stay   To save time upon your arrival to the hospital when you are in labor, we encourage you to complete pre-registration by your seventh month of pregnancy. Click here to

  • What pain management options you wish to use during labor.
  • Which pediatrician you’d like for your baby to see.
  • Whether you want to breast or bottle feed.
  • Whether you want your baby boy to be circumcised.
  • What method of birth control, if any, you want to use after pregnancy

Pre-register for the delivery of your baby.

Other things to think about before the big day 

  • What pain management options you wish to use during labor.
  • Which pediatrician you’d like for your baby to see.
  • Whether you want to breast or bottle feed.
  • Whether you want your baby boy to be circumcised.
  • What method of birth control, if any, you want to use after pregnancy