Maternity Care and Birth Centers

What maternity care at MercyOne includes

At MercyOne, we're here for you throughout every stage of your pregnancy. From your first prenatal appointments that monitor your health and your baby's development to labor, delivery and postpartum recovery, your care team will support you every step of the way. You'll also have access to a wide range of specialists to ensure you and your baby receive the personalized care you need.

Your care team may include obstetricians, family medicine providers, certified nurse midwives, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, hospitalists, nurses trained specifically in labor, delivery and postpartum recovery, lactation consultants and neonatal specialists. Which providers you see depends on your health history, your pregnancy and the area where you receive care.

Call your provider promptly if you are experiencing heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, a severe or persistent headache, vision changes, a fever or a noticeable decrease in your baby's movement. For a medical emergency, call 911.

Services and specialties

Available services may vary by birth center. Confirm specific offerings with the location where you plan to deliver.

• Birth Center tours to familiarize yourself with the facility and team
• Childbirth education classes covering a wide variety of topics, such breastfeeding and pumping support, prenatal care and new mom support groups
• Volunteer birth doulas may be available upon request
• Certified nurse midwifery for personalized care
• Maternal-fetal medicine for higher-risk pregnancies
• High- and low-risk deliveries, including twins and triplets
• Cesarean delivery (c-section), trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) and vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC)
• Epidural and nitrous oxide for pain control during labor
• Wireless electronic fetal monitoring to allow for more movement during labor and triage rooms
• Neonatal intensive care, neonatology and neonatal hospice services
• Maternal and neonatal transport teams
• Lactation consultation, milk depots and dispensaries, and donor milk
• Pediatricians and newborn care
• Support groups and women's health referrals to support healing after pregnancy

Whether this is your first pregnancy or you've delivered with MercyOne before, understanding what’s ahead can help ease anxiety and give you confidence as you prepare for this exciting journey.

Before and early in your pregnancy. Call as soon as you have a positive test. Your first prenatal visit confirms the pregnancy, reviews your health history and medications and sets a schedule for the visits ahead. 

Learn more about prenatal care

Stay connected during your pregnancy journey. Our free MercyOne maternity app provides week-by-week pregnancy information, appointment reminders, educational resources and tools to help you prepare for delivery and life with your new baby. Download the app early in your pregnancy to access support and guidance every step of the way. 

Maternity App

Through your pregnancy. Regular prenatal visits track your health and your baby's growth. If you or your baby has any health conditions that need closer monitoring, maternal-fetal medicine specialists will join your care team.

Labor and delivery. You will deliver in a private birthing suite and recover in a private postpartum room. You’ll discuss your birth preferences, pain management options and support people with your care team in advance.

After your baby arrives. Recovery care, feeding support, newborn checks and safe sleep education begin in the birth center and continue through your postpartum visits. 

Learn more about postpartum care

Conditions We Support and Complications We Treat

Most pregnancies have few complications. If something does arise and needs closer attention, your care team will monitor it and adjust your plan. MercyOne care teams support pregnancies affected by:

• Gestational diabetes
• Preeclampsia and gestational hypertension (high blood pressure in pregnancy)
• Preterm labor
• Pregnancy with twins and triplets
• Breastfeeding and feeding challenges
• Postpartum depression and perinatal mood changes
• Pregnancy loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth 

Des Moines and West Des Moines

MercyOne’s Des Moines and West Des Moines birth centers provide comprehensive maternity care for both low- and high-risk pregnancies, supported by a multidisciplinary team. Together, the centers offer advanced services including maternal-fetal medicine, lactation support, childbirth education, cesarean deliveries, care for multiples and neonatal transport services. Both locations have NICU capabilities ranging from a Level II NICU in West Des Moines to a 62-bed Level III NICU in Des Moines for the most complex newborn needs.

Families benefit from private labor and postpartum recovery rooms, modern amenities and family-focused care including delayed cord clamping, skin-to-skin bonding, breastfeeding support and safe sleep education.  

Both locations are recognized for their commitment to quality maternity care and infant safety, with certifications and designations that reflect high standards of patient-centered care.

Dubuque

MercyOne Dubuque Birth Center provides personalized maternity care with a team of physicians, nurses, surgeons, lactation consultants and 24/7 neonatal specialists, including support from a Level II NICU for newborns who need additional care. The birth center has earned a CMS Birthing-Friendly designation and offers services such as twin deliveries, breastfeeding support and access to donor milk.

At our birth center, you’ll have access to private labor and postpartum suites, advanced infant security systems, wireless fetal monitoring and access to certified lactation consultants, making the birth center a comfortable, family-focused environment for welcoming a new baby.

Mason City

MercyOne North Iowa Birth Center offers family-centered maternity care for both low- and high-risk pregnancies, with a multidisciplinary team that includes obstetricians, pediatric hospitalists, lactation specialists, midwives and specially trained nurses. Our birth center features private birthing and recovery suites, a Level II NICU, breastfeeding and donor milk services and support for both routine and complex deliveries.

Designed to provide a home-like birth experience with access to advanced medical care, the birth center also offers postpartum support, home care services, family education programs and has been recognized as a Nationally Certified Safe Sleep Hospital for its commitment to infant safety and family education.

Quad Cities

MercyOne Genesis Birth Centers in Davenport, Iowa and Silvis, Illinois provide personalized maternity care for low- and high-risk pregnancies, supported by multidisciplinary teams of obstetricians, neonatal specialists, lactation consultants and specially trained mother-baby nurses. Both locations offer childbirth education, lactation support, VBAC options, skin-to-skin bonding and flexible levels of medical intervention to support each family’s birth preferences.

For newborns who need additional care, our Davenport location has a Level II Regional Neonatology Center/NICU onsite, and our Silvis location features a Level II Special Care Nursery with access to advanced neonatal expertise through regional partnerships.

Families also benefit from amenities such as whirlpool tubs, private rooms, newborn nurseries, advanced fetal monitoring technology and dedicated bonding time after delivery.

Waterloo

MercyOne Waterloo Birth Center provides comprehensive maternity care for low- and high-risk pregnancies, with a personalized care team that may include obstetricians, midwives and neonatal specialists. The birth center’s Level II Integrated Neonatal Intensive Care (INIC) unit allows families to stay together while newborns receive advanced care. Other specialized services include maternal-fetal medicine, childbirth education, lactation support, VBAC and TOLAC options and twin and triplet deliveries.

At our birth center, families have access to private birthing suites, advanced infant security and family-centered amenities. While the hospital’s Nationally Certified Gold Safe Sleep Hospital designation reflects its commitment to the highest standards of infant safety and education. 

The first appointment is typically focused on confirming your pregnancy, understanding your health history and building a schedule for the months ahead.

How to get started. Choose a maternity care provider or call a MercyOne birth center near you. Many patients can schedule directly; however, some insurance plans ask for a referral from a primary care provider first.

What to bring. Please bring your photo ID, insurance card, a list of medications and supplements you’re taking, relevant health and family history, the date of your last period if you know it and any questions you want to ask.

Insurance and cost. Coverage will depend on your plan and location. Contact your insurance company and the OBGYN clinic before your visit to confirm network participation and ask for an estimate of what you may owe. 

Recovery continues after you leave the birth center. Postpartum visits help ensure you are healing and will monitor your mental health.  

After your baby is born, they will need a pediatric provider for newborn checks and immunizations. Find a pediatric provider near you.

• Postpartum care — physical recovery, mental and emotional health and follow-up visits
• Choose a pediatrician — find a provider for your baby's newborn visits and beyond
• Safe sleep education — how to reduce the risk of a sleep-related infant death
• Iowa Safe Haven Act — information for parents who cannot care for a newborn