ST. LOUIS - Labor Day 2024 marks 10 years since Mercy Birthing Center Midwifery Care, the area’s first hospital-based, low-risk birthing center operated by certified nurse midwives, opened in St. Louis. On Aug. 20, Jess and Ryan Smith welcomed the center’s 5,000th baby, Hope Ryan. She is the couple’s fourth child born at Mercy Birthing Center.
“It’s been such a great 10 years,” said Jennifer Killeen, CNM, Mercy Birthing Center supervisor. “We have now welcomed more than 5,000 babies and seen countless families return for subsequent births.”
Mercy Birthing Center now has nine certified nurse midwives, all of whom are master’s and doctorate-prepared advanced practice nurses certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. In addition to prenatal appointments with certified nurse midwives, there are natural childbirth classes offered to learn more about the process as well as nutrition and fitness classes.
Mercy Birthing Center offers four birthing suites resembling home bedrooms with queen-size beds, showers and large tubs for labor. There’s also a central living room area, a kitchen, a community room for childbirth classes and a separate clinical area where patients visit the midwife each month during pregnancy for prenatal visits.
Most mothers and babies go home with their families four to 12 hours after birth and return for follow-up care a day later.
For more information on Mercy Birthing Center, please call 314-251-7955.
