ST. LOUIS – At 28-weeks pregnant, Mary Ridgeway’s routine ultrasound at Hannibal Regional Hospital turned into something more urgent. The ultrasound screen showed the baby’s heart beating very fast, and Ridgeway could sense a problem. After a few questions by the sonographer, Ridgeway and husband Austin sat in silence the remainder of the check-up before talking with their doctor.
That doctor directed Ridgeway and her husband to the obstetrics emergency department (OB/ED) at Mercy Hospital St. Louis which provides patients a dedicated space to seek care for any pregnancy related concerns up to six-weeks postpartum.
“Maternal fetal medicine doctors from Mercy in St. Louis reviewed my ultrasound with my OB in the moment and found that our son was in SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) and we were to be directly admitted to Mercy that day,” Ridgway said. “We checked in through the OB/ED where the staff were all very friendly and attentive.”
Since opening in March 2025, the 24/7 OB/ED care teams at both Mercy Hospital St. Louis and Mercy Hospital South have handled more than more than 17,000 visits. Those teams include a Mercy obstetrics hospitalist, an advanced practice provider, specially trained nurses and patient care technicians.
“While pregnancy is often featured with smiles and happy milestones, it can also bring fear when something doesn’t feel right,” said Dr. Todd Glass, chairman of the department of OB/GYN at Mercy Hospital St. Louis. “Giving our pregnant patients a place they can seek care in a less hectic environment than a traditional emergency department helps them feel a bit more comfortable in an uncertain situation.”
Patients like Ridgeway can be referred to the OB/ED for direct admission, though the most common reasons a patient visits include abdominal pain, signs of active labor, vaginal bleeding, elevated blood pressure, rupture of membranes and decreased fetal movement.
While Mercy St. Louis and Mercy South have always had maternity triage units, the new OB/ED has seen 20% more patients in the first year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for maternal warning signs, seek medical care immediately if you experience any of the symptoms below:
- Persistent headache
- Dizziness or fainting
- Changes in vision
- Fever of 100.4 or higher
- Extreme swelling of hands or face
- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
- Trouble breathing
- Chest pain or fast beating heart
- Severe nausea and throwing up
- Severe and persistent belly pain
- Baby’s movement stops or slows during pregnancy
- Severe swelling, redness or pain of leg or arm
- Vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking during pregnancy
- Heavy vaginal bleeding or discharge after pregnancy
- Overwhelming tiredness
