Mercy Birthplace - Northwest Arkansas
Advanced Maternity and Newborn Care
Trust your family’s care to the childbirth experts at Mercy Birthplace in Northwest Arkansas. Our experienced labor and delivery team provides the comprehensive care you and your baby need for a healthy start – all in one place. If a higher level of care is needed, you have the reassurance of our on-site neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and adult ICU.
As partners in your baby’s birth, we provide personalized and compassionate care with respect for your preferences. Complete your birth plan several months before your due date and discuss it with your doctor. When the time comes, bring your birth plan to the hospital and share it with your Mercy nurses.
Family-Centered Childbirth Services
At Mercy Birthplace in Northwest Arkansas, we offer private birthing suites and a full range of care to support your family's unique needs.
- Amenities – Our comfortable, private rooms have birthing balls and other equipment for labor, Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV, a refrigerator and microwave, and a spacious waiting area designed with families in mind.
- Doula-friendly birthplace – You're welcome to bring a doula (non-medical labor coach) to assist you before, during and after childbirth.
- Comfort measures – If you choose to have pain relief during labor, our certified nurse anesthetists are available 24/7 to provide epidural anesthesia. We also offer nitrous oxide pain relief as an alternative.
- Delivery options – We support all types of deliveries: vaginal birth, cesarean section and vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). If you need labor induction or a c-section, we work directly with your obstetrician on scheduling.
Packing a hospital bag? Download Mercy’s hospital-stay checklist to make sure you bring the essentials.
After delivery, your new family will move to a private postpartum room where you can recover and get to know your baby. Healthy newborns “room in” with their mothers, as recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Studies show “rooming in” promotes breastfeeding, helps you learn your baby’s cues and reduces your risk of postpartum depression. Your Mercy care team will be there to answer questions and offer newborn care tips, such as how to bathe or swaddle your baby.
Mercy Birthplace offers comprehensive support for breastfeeding mothers. During your hospital stay, our certified lactation consultants visit regularly to discuss breastfeeding benefits, help you with positioning, explain how to use a breast pump and answer your questions. Our Northwest Arkansas lactation consultants have been widely recognized for excellence.
Did you know outpatient breastfeeding services are available before and after you deliver? Schedule a consult by calling 479-338-2072 or emailing [email protected]. Our services include:
- Prenatal breastfeeding preparation – Meet with a lactation consultant before your baby arrives to feel confident from the start. In a private, comfortable room, your consultant will:
- Review your personal goals for feeding your baby
- Assess your medical history related to lactation
- Create a custom plan for breastfeeding success
- Educate you on feeding techniques, breast pumps (including custom flange fitting), and hand expressing milk
- Provide a free colostrum-collection kit and a breastfeeding book with educational videos
- Postnatal breastfeeding support – After you take your baby home, outpatient support can help you reach your breastfeeding goals. Our lactation experts will:
- Evaluate breastfeeding issues in a private, comfortable room
- Explain how to prevent and treat breast engorgement, mastitis, blocked ducts or sore nipples
- Offer solutions for low milk supply and infant weight-gain issues
- Educate you on feeding techniques, breast pumps (including custom flange fitting), and hand expressing milk
- Provide return-to-work consultations and baby weight checks
- Milk depot – Donated breast milk is a lifesaving gift. Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas is a donation site for donors approved by The UAMS Milk Bank – visit their website to learn how to become a donor. Approved donors can schedule a milk drop-off by calling 479-338-2072.
Our Level III NICU in Rogers offers exceptional care for premature infants. The NICU has 19 beds and an experienced team that includes neonatologists, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, therapists, case managers, pastoral caregivers and lactation consultants.
Your newborn will have a complete pediatric exam by a pediatric hospitalist (a pediatrician who primarily works in the hospital). Mercy also recommends that you choose your baby’s regular pediatrician or family doctor by your 30th week of pregnancy. If you need help finding a doctor, ask a care team member to connect you with our prenatal nurse navigator. While in the hospital, you’ll also schedule your baby's first doctor appointment outside the hospital, which is usually two to five days after discharge.
Northwest Arkansas Birthplace Classes & Tours
Our childbirth classes and maternity tours provide the knowledge and confidence you need before, during and after your baby’s birth.
Considering giving birth at Mercy? Learn about our maternity services as you familiarize yourself with the hospital.
Mercy Birthplace offers a variety of classes to prepare expectant parents for labor and birth. Choose from virtual or hybrid (a combination of virtual and in-person) options. Our hybrid classes allow you to learn at your own pace from home and join us at the hospital to learn from our nurse educators.
Register for expectant parent classes here >
Mercy Birthplace is committed to supporting your breastfeeding goals. Our certified lactation consultants can meet with you before delivery, during your hospital stay and after you go home. As experts in infant nutrition, our lactation consultants offer a full range of support.
View all breastfeeding classes here >
We also offer Weigh-In Wednesdays, a welcoming support group where parents of newborns share feeding experiences. Lactation consultants are available to answer questions, and you can track your baby’s weight each week. This group is free, and registration isn’t required. Join us on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. on the fifth floor of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas.
Learn about newborn care, infant safety and your baby’s development. Classes are open to expectant families and caregivers.
Mercy’s perinatal nurse navigators are here to help you throughout your motherhood journey.
Becoming a mom is both an exciting and overwhelming time.
As mothers themselves, the navigators understand the joys, anxieties, issues and challenges you may be facing as a first-time mom. Our team is here to help you navigate through questions and decisions you may have during pregnancy and the first months of life as a new mom.
Your navigator will provide personalized recommendations and support, building a lasting relationship with you throughout your journey.
To learn more about the program or to enroll, please call 405-936-5833.
Patient Education & Support
Take a closer look at the maternity service our Northwest Arkansas hospital provides by watching the videos below.
Packing a hospital bag? To download Mercy’s hospital-stay checklist to make sure you bring the essentials, click here.
Mercy Northwest Arkansas has achieved Gold Level Safe Sleep Certification This is the highest level of Safe Sleep Certification and Mercy is the only gold level certified hospital in the region.
