Obstetrics & maternal care
Find a specialistWhether it's your first child or your fifth, our labor and delivery team ensures a safe, nurturing environment and attentive care for your family's needs. Each year, families choose Advocate Christ Medical Center for its comprehensive birthing center services and treatments.
What you’ll find at our birthing center:
- Private labor and delivery suites: Our amenity-filled birthing suites allow you and your family to bond with each other in peace, quiet and comfort.
- Breastfeeding resources: We offer breastfeeding support before, during and after your stay with us.
- Level III NICU: A level III neonatal intensive care unit offers an advanced level of treatment, if needed.
- Obstetrical emergency department: We have a specialized clinical team that’s dedicated to caring for urgent maternity and postpartum concerns.
Schedule your obstetrics appointment
From pregnancy to postpartum, our OB-GYNs are here for you. Schedule your appointment in LiveWell, online or by phone.
Trust your birthing experience to us
Our birthing center combines advanced, cutting-edge care with a comfortable environment for expecting families. Our family-centered pregnancy care includes:
- International board-certified lactation consultants ready to help you succeed
- One nurse, your Baby's First Friend, dedicated to caring just for you and your baby and providing the personalized instruction or advice you may need
- Specialized treatment available 24/7 through our level III perinatal facilities
Birthing center tour: Take a virtual tour or register for a live virtual tour.
What’s it like giving birth in a birthing center?
We've thoughtfully designed our private birthing suites so you and your family have a calm, home-like setting. Each suite includes enhancements like a dedicated infant-care area equipped with the latest medical technology, a bathroom with a shower, Wi-Fi and a flat-screen TV. Our birthing suites also provide soft lighting and soothing decor to promote relaxation during childbirth. Other features and services at our birthing center include:
- Anesthesiologists are available 24/7 to provide labor epidurals
- Private post-delivery suites that include a family area
- C-section suites with advanced medical technology capable of accommodating multiple births
- Private recovery rooms for our cesarean moms that include a dedicated infant-care area to keep mom and baby together
- Level III NICU just steps away at Advocate Children's Hospital
How long do you stay at a birthing center after giving birth?
The length of your stay at our birthing center depends on your specific labor and delivery experience. For vaginal deliveries, the typical stay is 24-48 hours after birth if there are no complications. For C-section deliveries, the usual stay is 48-72 hours to monitor recovery.
In cases where there are medical issues for you or your baby, or if you had twins, a complicated or premature birth, an extended stay may be necessary.
Birthing center classes & resources
We offer a variety of classes and resources that help you and your family throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
Register for a class: Parents can learn about childbirth, breastfeeding and newborn care. Register online now.
Additional resources: We offer a range of resources for moms and babies, including baby pictures and hearing tests. View more resources.
Lactation support
We work with you throughout your pregnancy and beyond to make sure you're successful at breastfeeding.
We offer prenatal breastfeeding classes on a regular basis to help you prepare. Register online for one today.
Our international board-certified lactation consultants (IBCLCs) are available to meet with you after delivery to help with latching issues or to answer your questions.
In our Lactation Clinic, we offer outpatient breastfeeding consultations with our certified lactation consultants, who can answer your questions or address any concerns that may arise once you’re home. After obtaining a prescription for a lactation consultation, have your physician fax your prescription to 708-361-7768. Then call 708-304-9500 to make your appointment. You can also take part in our breastfeeding support group with other moms.
Advanced labor, delivery & postpartum care
Obstetrical emergency department
Our specialized obstetrical emergency department (OB ED) provides care for urgent or emergent concerns from 14 weeks of pregnancy through six weeks postpartum. Located on the same floor as our birthing center, our department is staffed with OB-GYN providers, residents, nurses and support staff 24/7.
If you’re in need of emergency care, we recommend calling your OB provider first if possible. If you’re experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
We can help you if you:
- Think you might be in labor
- Are leaking watery fluid
- Are experiencing decreased fetal movement
- Are experiencing pelvic or abdominal pain
- Have abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge
- Have a bladder infection or urinary tract infection
- Are experiencing severe nausea
- Have concerns related to a high-risk pregnancy, such as high blood pressure
- Have other pregnancy-related complications
Please note that patients will be subject to OB ED copays and/or cost-sharing. Copays vary and are based on your insurance plan benefits. Coverage, copays and any other cost-sharing can be verified with your insurance provider.
Why a maternity hospital with a level III NICU is important
In case any issues arise during your pregnancy or after labor, a maternity hospital with a NICU is crucial. Our birthing center is just steps away from Advocate Children’s Hospital’s level III NICU. This means we're specially equipped to stabilize and provide intense nursing care to critically ill infants, those who need surgery, and those who need monitoring because of premature birth, low birth weight or other complications.
Family-focused care for premature babies
We give parents of premature infants an active role in their treatment through kangaroo care, which involves using skin-to-skin contact to foster healing.
Learn more about kangaroo care and neonatal intensive care.
Advanced services for high-risk pregnancies
As a level III perinatal hospital, Advocate Christ has the specialized staff, maternal-fetal medicine specialists and technology necessary to identify and care for at-risk individuals and babies. Our team approach ensures those facing high-risk pregnancies get the comprehensive care they need for the best possible outcomes.
Our high-risk obstetrics unit offers:
- Comprehensive genetic, fetal and maternal diagnostic services
- Skilled staff that includes perinatologists (experts in maternal and fetal health) and neonatologists (experts on newborns)
- Facilities designed specifically for high-risk pregnancies and deliveries
- 24/7 availability of anesthesia
High-risk maternity conditions that we care for:
- Preterm labor
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension
- Diabetes
- Premature rupture of membranes
- Bleeding disorders – placenta previa, placental abruption, etc.
- Fetal conditions
- Post-surgery complications
Learn more about high-risk pregnancy management.
Prepare for your delivery
Get visitor information for our birthing center
Our location
Birthing Center - Advocate Christ East Tower
4440 W. 95th St.2nd FloorOak Lawn, IL 60453Get DirectionsAre you at risk for breast cancer?
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