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Pregnancy and Birth

St. Joseph's Hospital Breese Women and Infants Center is here with you for precious new beginnings

Young pregnant couple smiling at mom's belly

Welcoming a new life can be an anxious time. Finding the very best care shouldn’t be one of your worries. The team at the HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Breese Women and Infants Center will be with you throughout your pregnancy with individualized, compassionate care so you can focus on what matters most, enjoying the first precious moments of a lifetime. 

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding

Tips and resources for moms

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Our amenities

Our amenities

Special touches for your maternity stay

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Prenatal education

Prenatal education

Classes to prepare you for baby's arrival

Register now


Preparing for baby

Preparing for a new baby is exciting, but we understand that it can sometimes be a little overwhelming. We are here to help you.  

The Women and Infants Center has a variety of classes to meet your needs. Our teaching staff consists of experienced nurses who often have additional training and certifications to be able to teach our prenatal classes.

We want to encourage you to learn as much as you can about how to prepare for your new little one before your baby arrives. 

If you have questions, feel free to contact us at 618-526-5423.

Register for our prenatal classes

Breastfeeding Class

Breastfeeding Class

Saturday
1 to 2 p.m.
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Know Your Newborn Class

Know Your Newborn Class

Saturday
2 to 3 p.m.
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Prepared Childbirth Class

Prepared Childbirth Class

Saturday
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
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New mom with baby in her arms giving him a kiss

What to expect in our Women and Infants Center

Labor and Delivery

The Women and Infants Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital provides quality care to pregnant women and their families throughout the birthing process. Our anesthesia providers are available 24 hours a day to provide epidural placement and other pain management, as needed. We now have PCEA pumps, which are patient controlled epidurals – a method of pain control supports the mother’s desire to be involved in the management of her pain during labor.   

A hydrotherapy tub is also available for mothers-to-be, (who meet safety guidelines), as a pain relief alternative to epidural treatment. Upon request, we can provide music to help with relaxation.

Our Women and Infants Center also has birthing balls, squat bars and our nurses can recommend techniques to help laboring moms with pain relief.

After you deliver

After you and your closest loved ones have welcomed your new baby in your private labor, delivery and recovery room, you will be transferred to your private post-partum room. We encourage rooming in for you and your baby. Dads are encouraged to stay as well!

Breastfeeding support: Our maternity nurses are skilled at helping new moms and babies learn how to breastfeed, and our certified lactation consultants provide extra support. We smooth the transition to home with individualized instruction and a customized education program, including educational tools you can view in the privacy of your room. Contact our Certified Lactation Consultant.

Private Rooms: Private rooms allow mothers, babies and families to enjoy their time together in privacy. After delivery, you will stay in a private room, until you go home. During this time, we are conscious of your need for privacy, and you will find staff knocking before entering your room.

Well Baby Nursery:  It is encouraged that you room-in with your baby, but we also believe all new parents should have choices. Our Nursery staff is flexible and willing to provide comfort and safety so you are able to be well rested prior to going home.

What patients are saying about our Women & Infants Center

Baker's story

Baker's story

Matt and Lauren know that "miracles happened here." They are forever thankful for the life-saving care their son, Baker, received.
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Ronda, Jeremy and Luca's story

Ronda, Jeremy and Luca's story

Jeremy and Ronda chose to have their baby at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Breese because it was important for them to be close to home.
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Tammy and Trey's Story

Tammy and Trey's Story

Advanced care professionals and the technology for critical care situations.
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Critical care for special situations

State-of-the-art and ready for anything, the Women and Infants Center offers mother and baby:

  • Neonatal Nurse Practitioners onsite 24/7 with special training in resuscitation and care of high-risk infants.
  • Immediate, real-time ultrasounds and consultations with neonatologists through telemedicine technology
  • Advanced ultrasound evaluation and continuous monitoring during labor.
  • 24-hour consultation service with expert perinatologists
  • Level II nursery for:
  • Moderate-risk newborns who don’t require intensive care
  • Infants with low birth weight or mild to moderate respiratory distress at birth
  • Babies transferred from Level III (Tertiary Care) facilities

Should the need arise, Level II nursery staff are trained to stabilize infants who need to be transferred to a tertiary care hospital. Air transport teams are a telephone call away; the Women and Infants Center is 15 minutes away from these tertiary care hospitals via helicopter.