Start prenatal visits early

Please make an appointment with the CMH Women’s Center by calling 503-338-7595 as soon as you suspect you may be pregnant. Early prenatal care gives you and your baby the best opportunity for a healthy pregnancy.

Your first prenatal visit will be scheduled around seven to eight weeks after your last period. However, if you feel like you need to be seen sooner due to medical history or concerns, please call and ask to talk with a nurse. The nurse will discuss your situation with a provider, and may schedule your first appointment sooner.

It will include:

• Pregnancy verification
• An ultrasound to see how far along you are in your pregnancy
• Medical history and physical examination
• Education on what to expect
• A discussion of services, including genetic counseling and genetic screening
• An introduction to our obstetric practice

OHP member? Sign up for First Steps

If you are an expectant mother and an Oregon Health Plan (OHP) member, be sure to sign up for the First Steps program. First Steps is a free incentive program of Columbia Pacific CCO that rewards you for making healthy choices during your pregnancy. You can earn more than $100 in Amazon.com gift cards for taking steps to help you have a healthy pregnancy!

To sign up for First Steps:

• Talk to our transitional care provider in the clinic, or call 503-338-7598, or
• Sign up online.

Prenatal supplies

The CMH Outpatient Pharmacy has a wide selection of items to help you stay healthy and comfortable throughout your pregnancy, including:

• Prenatal vitamins
• Belly bands
• Skin care products

Help to stop smoking or other tobacco

Smoking, vaping or chewing, especially when pregnant, is harmful to your health and to your baby. It is important that you stop smoking once you know you are pregnant. Many women find pregnancy a motivating time to stop using tobacco.

Quitting is easier with help. CMH’s Tobacco Cessation program is covered by most insurances and may earn you rewards if you’re part of the First Steps program.

As you reach the third trimester of your pregnancy, it’s time to start thinking about your baby’s birth. Some things to consider include:

• Taking a birth class
• Touring the birth center
• Deciding who you want to be at the birth
• Determining if you will breastfeed your baby
• Finding a pediatrician for your baby

Birth classes

Whether this is your first or fifth baby, we encourage you to take birth classes early in your third trimester. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than the typical group class, we are offering online birthing classes through North Star Doula. They are free to women who plan to deliver their baby at the CMH Family Birthing Center. Sign up for an online birth class.

Birth classes are a great way to get to know other expectant parents, to discuss your expectations and hopes with your partner, and to prepare for your baby’s birth. Classes cover topics like labor and pain management, nutrition, infant care, and self-care after baby is born.

Tour the birth center

We welcome you to tour the CMH Family Birthing Center before your baby is born. Tours are offered every Wednesday at 2 p.m. and by appointment. Please call the CMH Family Birthing Center at 503-338-7581 to schedule your tour.

Who will be at the birth?

Each birth is different. Some are very intimate, with just the mother, her partner and the care team present. Others are festive, with older children, friends and family stopping by.

Often, one person will serve as your “Care Partner”. In many cases, this person will be a spouse/life partner or a close family member. While CMH does not offer a doula service, you are welcome to hire a doula privately. We welcome doulas as part of your support team.

You may choose to invite other people to your baby’s birth. However, we ask that your visitors follow CMH’s Visitor Guidelines. You should also be aware that:

• You may request that a visitor leave the room at any time
• Staff may ask visitors to move to the family lounge to accommodate your medical needs
• Young children must be accompanied by a responsible adult who is not the laboring mother or the Care Partner
• Pets can visit after the birth and should be accompanied by a responsible adult who can take them out for walks, when necessary

Preparing to breastfeed your baby

“Breast is best!” say IBCLC-certified lactation consultants Kelsey Betts and Laura Brown.

Most women do not need to prepare for breastfeeding their baby. However, if you meet any of the conditions below, we recommend meeting with a lactation consultant with the CMH Lactation Program at 30-36 weeks:

• History of failed breastfeeding
• History of low milk supply
• Last child was born prematurely
• Previous breast surgery of any kind
• Inverted nipples

Call 503-791-9140 to schedule an appointment.

Finding a pediatrician for your baby

Well-baby visits are an important part of caring for your baby. Your baby’s pediatrician will check to make sure that your baby is growing and developing as expected. They can provide valuable advice on feeding and sleeping, administer immunizations, and be available when your baby gets his first cold. See a schedule of well-child checkups.

Now is the time to find a pediatrician that you trust to care for your baby. The CMH Pediatric Clinic specializes in caring for children from birth to adulthood.

The CMH Pediatric Clinic offers no-cost consultations so you can meet our providers before your baby is born. Call 503-325-7337 to schedule a prenatal consultation.

Left to right: Dr. Kellie Edwards; nurse midwives Patricia Boullie and Corinne Almquist; Drs. Sarah Humphrey, Nathan Amrine and Robert Holland

The CMH Family Birthing Center is ready to care for you any time of day, any day of the year. An OB/GYN or nurse midwife is always on-call. When you are in labor, you will have an experienced labor and delivery nurse dedicated to your care. After the birth, a pediatrician will come to the Family Birthing Center daily to examine your baby.

You may also request a visit from one of our certified lactation consultants who will help you and your baby get off to a good start with breastfeeding.

Labor aids

Many women find labor more comfortable when they’re able to move about and change position. With our remote fetal monitoring system, you can take walks, bounce on a birthing ball, or find another position that works for you. You may also choose to labor in our specially designed labor tub or in the shower.

In addition, we offer aromatherapy with essential oils that may help you to manage nausea, anxiety, and/or pain.

Bonding with your baby

The Family Birthing Center is set up to help you bond with your baby before leaving the hospital. Whenever possible, you will be able to hold or lay with your baby immediately following their birth. This skin-to-skin time has been shown to improve the mother and the baby’s health and well-being.

Mothers are also encouraged to “room in” with their baby, which means that your baby stays with you in the room as you recover. This gives you and your care partner time to get to know your baby and to learn how to care for them.

Massage

After your baby is born, you may enjoy a massage to help you recover physically and emotionally. Our massage therapists are available Monday through Friday.

Celebrate with a special meal

Let’s celebrate your special day with a special meal for you and your partner! Our chef lovingly prepares a three-course meal for two. The menu includes a wide variety of entrees, soup or salad, and dessert.

Breastfeeding support

The CMH Lactation Program offers a number of services to help you and your baby get off to a good start with breastfeeding, and to help you through hurdles that may come up along the way. Services include:

• Breastfeeding support
• Feeding assessment and milk supply check
• Managing cleft lip/palate or tongue tie
• Pumping at work
• Bras to Moms program
• Milk donor drop off site

We also highly recommend visiting the CMH Outpatient Pharmacy to peruse the breastfeeding and pumping supplies it carries.

Circumcision

If your baby is a boy, and you’ve decided to have him circumcised, please ask your OB/GYN about the procedure. Infant circumcisions are performed in the CMH Women’s Center after you’ve been discharged from the hospital.

Your follow-up visits

Before you leave the hospital, your OB/GYN will talk with you about making a follow-up appointment at the CMH Women’s Center. During these postpartum visits, your OB/GYN or midwife will check to make sure you are healing well, to see that you and your baby are thriving, and to discuss birth control options.

We also recommend scheduling your baby’s first well-baby visit with their pediatrician before you leave the hospital. These first appointments are very important for finding and treating problems like jaundice, heart murmurs, genetic abnormalities, and feeding difficulties.