Expert care from your first visit to delivery.

Our Maternity Care Team at Mahaska Health is compassionate, caring and here to deliver exceptional care for you and your baby! Mahaska Health has been recognized by Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield through their Blue Distinction Specialty Care program as a Blue Distinction Center+. Blue Distinction Centers+ are healthcare facilities recognized for their expertise in delivering exceptional specialty care for our patients and their families.

Iowa Center of Excellence

Maternity Care & Birthing Center

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Delivering at Mahaska Health

Whether this is your first pregnancy or you have years of experience, we’re here for you throughout your journey. With an outstanding team of board-certified obstetricians and nurses, family medicine specialists and pediatricians – all dedicated to you and your family!

Our Birthing Center is more than a place to have your baby. Our private Labor and Delivery Suites offer ample room for your family. Every suite is equipped with extra sleeping accommodations for a support person, private bathroom, and several amenities. Delivery suites are spacious and offer 5-star amenities, such as: Apple TVs, plush bathrobes, and whirlpool tubs. Parents can also enjoy room service dining during their stay with a special celebration dinner following your baby’s birth. Our Mahaska Health care team and expert surgical services team is committed to your comfort and offers mothers several options for pain management during delivery – including epidurals. Our state of the art birthing center was developed around a family-centered philosophy, and the care and services that we provide for you, your baby, and your family.

Comprehensive Pregnancy Care

Our expert care teams support parents through their pregnancy journey and empowers them with access to a variety of resources including free birthing courses and breastfeeding support.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions. We would love to hear from you!

We are here for you

Monday – Friday

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Same Day Appointments Available

Please Call 641.672.3170

*We always have on-call providers and nurses available 24/7 for your needs. Our Mahaska Health Hospital campus remains open every day – 24/7 for Labor, Delivery and Maternity Care.

Meet our Expert Women's Health & OB GYN Care Team

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OB GYN Physician,
OB, Birthing Center & GYN Co-Medical Director

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OB GYN Physician
OB, Birthing Center & GYN Co-Medical Director

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Meet our Expert OB Care Team

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Family Practice, Obstetrics,
Graduate Medical Education Director

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Family Practice, Obstetrics

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Family Practice, Obstetrics

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Shawn Richmond, MD

Primary Care Medical Director, Family Practice, Obstetrics

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Erica Clair, RN

Birthing Center Director

Expert care dedicated to you and your family

Of all the services offered at Mahaska Health, our new Birthing Center brings us the most joy. We’re here to support you, your baby, and your family with our care and expertise, so the birth of your little one will be a moment you can enjoy and cherish! This means that we work closely with you to ensure your loved ones are welcome to share in your miracle.

Our Team is caring, compassionate, and experts in delivering exceptional care for you and your baby!

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Mahaska Health Birthing Center care team nurses are certified in Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO®)

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Our Team is here for you!

“We’re so grateful for the amazing care at Mahaska Health OB department. The nurses and doctors were fantastic, taking care of both me and my newborn. They were very good at making sure I knew what was happening at all times, making the whole experience reassuring. I can’t imagine better nursing care – truly top-notch! I would recommend Mahaska Health OB department to everyone for their OB care needs. We’ll definitely be back for any future needs. Big thanks to the whole team!” Patient Review

Birthing Center

We are committed to enhancing your experience by offering comfort and top of the line. You will receive personal care and:

  • A spacious, private, birthing suites (which can accommodate overnight guests and visitors) featuring private bathrooms with whirlpool tubs, refrigerators, and specially designed baby baths
  • Free Prenatal, birthing, and breastfeeding classes
  • On-demand room service that allows you to choose from our extensive Mahaska Health Café menu
  • We endeavor to help you follow your birth plan as closely as possible
  • A Celebration Dinner- Before you leave the Birthing Center, we treat you and your partner or guest to a Celebration Dinner from a special gourmet menu. It’s our way of saying “thank you” for choosing the Mahaska Health Birthing Center.

Other amenities include:

  • Expanded cable television
  • Apple TV
  • Wireless internet for use with your personal electronic devices

Items you may want to bring:

  • Clothes for mom and baby to go home in. Don’t forget a blanket for baby and loose-fitting or maternity clothing for mom
  • Socks, slippers
  • Toiletries
  • Reading material
  • Nursing bra, if you are planning to breastfeed
  • Contact information for friends and family
  • Infant car seat
  • Baby book
  • Personal laptop or other electronic devices for use with wireless internet and Apple TV

We supply the following:

  • Gown
  • Robe
  • Shampoo
  • Underwear
  • Toothpaste and toothbrush
  • Comb
  • Sanitary napkins

Please feel free to bring any of your own items for your comfort and personal needs.

If you are able, please call the Birthing Center at 641.672.3170. If you do not receive an answer, wait for the operator to pick up or dial 641.672.3100.

When you arrive at the hospital:

  • Use the emergency entrance (entrance #5) and check in at the Emergency Services Registration window.

Anyone, whether you’re delivering at Mahaska Health or not, is welcome to enroll in on line classes, free of charge. It’s just one of the ways we hope to help you and your partner feel more confident and comfortable as you embark on this new beginning.

To register or for more information, please email birthingclasses@mahaskahealth.org or contact the Birthing Center at 641.672.3170.

• Birthing Class

Participants learn prenatal care, labor, delivery, postpartum and baby care. For more information, please email birthingclasses@mahaskahealth.org with your contact information, the classes you wish to attend, and a nurse will contact you.

• Breastfeeding Class

This class is for new mothers as well as those that would like a refresher and is led by Mahaska Health’s Board Certified Lactation Counselor.  We can help you with what to expect and how to manage possible difficulties to help you be successful in your breastfeeding journey.

To register or for more information, please email birthingclasses@mahaskahealth.org with your contact information, the classes you wish to attend, and a nurse will contact you.

The class will cover:

• Breastfeeding techniques and positions
• How to read your baby’s hunger cues
• What to expect in the early days
• Benefits for both moms and babies
• How your baby’s feeding needs may change over time

Additionally, Oskaloosa AHFA MCAH and WIC Breastfeeding Support Group meet at Mahaska Health 3rd Thursday of every month, at 5:30pm, with Certified Lactation Counselors.

For more information click here!

• Lactation Consultation and Perfect Beginnings Support

At the Mahaska Health Birthing Center, our goal is to support you through your delivery and recovery, during your stay and after you return home.
To help you transition into parenthood seamlessly, we offer the Perfect Beginnings program, an optional program that provides parents with helpful information during the crucial first weeks of your baby’s life.

Perfect Beginnings starts before you even leave the birthing center. All of our nurses are breastfeeding educators, and if you choose to breastfeed, we have Board Certified Lactation Counselors who can visit with you during your stay. When you are discharged from the hospital, you have the option of a Perfect Beginnings Registered Nurse coming to your home to provide ongoing support as needed.

During the first home visit by an RN, the nurse will provide a brief assessment of the mother and baby, including a weight check for the infant. The nurse will also cover numerous educational topics such as nutritional/feeding issues, infant/child safety, SIDS education on proper sleep positioning and environmental factors, newborn care and address any questions parents may have.

Through Lactation Consultation during your hospital stay and after discharge, as well as the Perfect Beginnings program, we strive to provide support and comforting peace of mind. If you have questions or experience difficulty with breastfeeding, the Birthing Center nurses are in-house 24/7 and would be happy to assist you.

Location

The Birthing Center is best accessed through entrance #4.

Featured Families

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Joy Happens Here!

Oskaloosa community residents Janessa Ford and her Husband Kyle recently welcomed Jemma, the newest addition to their family at the Mahaska Health Birthing Center.

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Joy Happens Here!

Oskaloosa community residents Janessa Ford and her Husband Kyle recently welcomed Jemma, the newest addition to their family at the Mahaska Health Birthing Center.

Read more
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Joy Happens Here!

Many people choose to get care at Mahaska Health because they have heard throughout the community that the care teams are second to none.

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Meet our Family Practice & OB Physicians

Welcome to the Mahaska Health Family Practice and OB Clinic! Our expert team are here to provide comprehensive, compassionate care for you and your family with a specialized focus on women’s health, preconception health, fertility services, prenatal care, newborn care and delivering joy at our state-of-the-art birthing center! When it comes to finding great care…

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