Obstetrics care in Chicago
Find a specialistAs a designated Baby-Friendly hospital, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center offers the highest level of prenatal and postnatal care by board-certified obstetricians, perinatologists, neonatologists and certified nurse-midwives. We’ve also been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Hospital for Maternity Care.
At our birthing center, our labor and delivery team provide personalized care in our state-of-the-art birthing suites. Whether your birth is considered routine or high-risk, we have the expertise and technology necessary to keep you and your baby safe and healthy.
Trust your pregnancy to us:
- Award-winning care: We’re designated as Baby-Friendly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and also nationally recognized as a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence.
- Breastfeeding resources: We offer resources to make breastfeeding more successful and a donor program to help when supplies are insufficient.
- Midwifery services: Our team of certified nurse midwives offers the highest level of support before, during and after delivery. Midwives are licensed health care providers who are educated in midwifery and nursing and have passed a board examination. They work with your OB-GYN to ensure the best and safest care possible.
- Level III NICU: Our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has a level III designation, so you can rest assured that your baby will be well cared for.
Schedule your obstetrics appointment
From pregnancy to postpartum, our OB-GYNs are here for you. Schedule your appointment in LiveWell, online or by phone.
What's it like giving birth in a birthing center?
Our family-centered approach – combined with our reputation for excellent pregnancy, labor and postpartum care – gives parents both confidence and peace of mind throughout their birthing experience. Our comfortable, state-of-the-art labor and delivery rooms are equipped with sleeper sofas for spouses and support partners, free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs. We want you and your family to have a calm, home-like setting.
How long do you usually stay at a birthing center after giving birth?
The length of stay varies with each birth. Vaginal deliveries typically result in discharge within 24-48 hours, while C-section deliveries need 48-72 hours for recovery monitoring.
Family-centered birthing center
We support all types of birthing experiences and have been named an LGBT Healthcare Leader by the Human Rights Campaign. Our accredited Healthy Families program also provides teen mothers with education and support.
Midwifery services
Midwives support a natural birthing experience. Many families choose a midwife when they want a nonmedicated birth.
As part of the oldest nurse midwifery program in Chicago and one of the city's largest, our midwives work with our obstetricians to provide complete prenatal, labor, postpartum and well-woman care.
A certified nurse midwife can prescribe medications, order tests and provide treatment to expecting mothers. They cannot perform C-sections or surgeries. Learn more about midwifery services at Advocate Health Care.
Breastfeeding support
Learn basic breastfeeding skills, such as positioning and latching, and how to avoid common problems. Partners or support people are encouraged to attend. Classes are taught by an international board-certified lactation consultant or certified lactation counselor. Register online now.
Our nurses will help you get started with breastfeeding. Many of them have earned special certification as lactation counselors. If breastfeeding is more challenging for you, our international board-certified lactation consultants will work with you to address any issues.
We offer one of the only outpatient breastfeeding centers in Chicago, and our doors are open to all women regardless of where they delivered. Appointments with a board-certified lactation consultant are available Monday through Friday. Call 773-296-7047 to schedule. If your call isn't answered immediately, leave a message and we'll get back to you within 24 business hours.
Hospital-grade breast pumps are available for rent in Lori’s Gift Shop at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. For more information, call 773-296-5966. A lactation consultant will instruct you on pumping and breast milk storage.
We offer a free breastfeeding support group on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. The support group provides mothers with an opportunity to meet others, share experiences and receive guidance and support from a lactation consultant. To register, call Nilda Garcia at 773-235-3646, Ext. 15 or email her at nilda.garcia@advocatehealth.com.
If at any time you have questions or concerns about breastfeeding, call 773-296-7765. If your call isn't answered immediately, a lactation consultant will get back to you within 24 hours.
Donor milk program
Due to its numerous benefits, Illinois Masonic Medical Center provides pasteurized human donor milk to babies whose mothers have a low milk supply, are ill or are taking certain medications. Donated human milk can also be used in cases of adoption or surrogacy. Our program follows guidelines established by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, which regulates milk donation and banking.
Benefits of breast milk for premature infants
When a mother's breast milk is not available, donor milk can provide many of the same advantages, one of the most important being a reduced risk of developing infections like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a serious disease affecting the intestine of many infants born prematurely.
Donor breast milk can also help to lower sepsis (infection) rates, decrease length of stay in the NICU, decrease incidence of feeding intolerance and diarrhea and reduce the risk of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) – a potentially blinding eye disease primarily seen in premature babies.
Understanding the history & process
How we've grown: We're proud to be home to Chicago's first human milk depot. Advocate Illinois Masonic has been providing pasteurized human donor milk to babies since 2013. Seeing the benefits of that initiative inspired us to start accepting donations as a human milk depot to help provide the best possible care for an even wider scope of mothers and babies.
How it works: The milk depot collects human milk donations from healthy, lactating women who are approved donors through the Mothers' Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes. Donations to the milk depot are sent to the milk bank, where they are pasteurized to eliminate any viruses or bacteria. After pasteurization, the milk is tested once again for safety and distributed to hospitals.
How to donate breast milk
Become approved: If you'd like to become a donor, contact the Mothers' Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes at 847-262-5134 to learn about the approval process.
Schedule an appointment: If you're an approved donor who'd like to schedule an appointment to drop off a donation at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, contact Gina Juliano at 773-296-7120.
Advanced services for complex issues
As an advanced perinatal center, we’re equipped to provide the care moms and babies need when facing a high-risk pregnancy or complications. Some of the leading-edge services we provide include:
- Antenatal Resource Center: To ensure your baby gets timely care, our ARC experts can identify potential issues before your due date by providing such services as:
- Early pregnancy evaluation
- Genetic blood screening
- Targeted ultrasound for unusual test results
- Prenatal diagnosis (genetic testing, counseling, heart health, amniocentesis)
- Baby’s development assessment and imaging
- Fetal echocardiography (baby’s heart rhythm)
- Perinatal surveillance unit: For mothers who require hospitalization before or after labor
- High-risk obstetrical suites: Specially designed to handle multiple births, caesarean deliveries and birth complications
- Board-certified neonatologists: On site 24/7 in our level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the highest level of treatment available in Illinois for critically ill and premature babies
- High-risk infant follow-up care: Monitoring and care for infants with developmental or neurological issues
Birthing center classes & resources
We offer a variety of classes and resources that can be helpful to you and your family during your pregnancy and your newborn's first months.
Register for a class
For new or experienced parents, our programs offer the education you need to keep you and your child healthy. Take a live virtual class or self-led online class from the comfort of your own home. Virtual classes are taught live by an Advocate Health Care registered nurse educator. We recommend you begin classes early in your third trimester, but they may be taken anytime. Family or other caregivers are also welcome to enroll. Register online now.
Additional resources
Advocate Health Care offers a range of resources for parents and babies, including baby pictures and hearing tests. View Advocate's resources.
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Birthing Center - Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
836 W. Wellington Ave.Chicago, IL 60657Get DirectionsGet care
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