Birth Center

Go ahead. Breathe that sigh of relief. You’ll be surrounded by experts every step of the way—and will understand why patients recommend Littleton Adventist Hospital to their family and friends.

• Around-the-clock, on-site expertise. Our mother/baby provider team is supported by physicians, neonatal nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives ready for rapid response if needed. 
• 24/7 Pain Management. We offer nitrous oxide as an alternate pain management option for women in labor, only the second hospital in Colorado to do so. Under the close supervision of a midwife or physician, nitrous is self-administered, is painless, has minimal side effects, and there are no known effects on the baby. Regardless of what type of pain management option you choose, or if you elect to have none at all, physicians, midwives, and in-house anesthesiologists are always available.
• Breastfeeding Support. Along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, we believe that breastfeeding offers the best nutrition for babies. We help our new mothers breastfeed within one hour of giving birth. Because of the excellent resources we offer, we have a 95% breastfeeding initiation rate—higher than both the state and national averages.
• Expertise in High-Risk Pregnancies. Screenings, genetic counseling, pregnancy management, diagnostics, diabetes education and management, education, pre-pregnancy consultations and research initiatives are available to help moms with high-risk pregnancies.
• Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. If your baby needs expert care in a high-risk situation, you’ll be glad you chose The BirthPlace. Our NICU team averages more than 20 years of experience so you can rest assured your baby is in good hands. 
• Gentle C-Sections. Women who need a cesarean section (C-section) are now able to immediately bond with their new little one in what’s called a “gentle C-section.” Until recently, women who delivered a child through C-section missed out on immediate skin-on-skin with their newborn because their baby was taken to the nursery while mom was in recovery. Now, at Littleton Adventist Hospital after C-section delivery and a quick assessment by the doctor, baby is placed on mom’s chest while her incision is closed. Then, mom and baby recover together. Our C-section rate consistently ranks better than the national average and our vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rate is 88 percent, a testament to significant expertise.

Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Littleton Adventist Hospital, our team of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals provide personal, loving attention to infants requiring special care. This compassionate team of experienced specialists includes neonatal nurses, perinatologists (doctors specializing in fetal-maternal care), neonatologists (doctors specializing in the care of sick newborns), pediatricians, 24-hour in-house neonatal nurse practitioners, developmental specialists and respiratory therapists. Consultation with other neonatal specialists is also available 24-hours a day.

Many members of our NICU staff, including neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs), offer more than 20 years of experience. These NNPs attend all high-risk deliveries and are involved throughout the baby's entire stay at our hospital.

Our designation as a Level III NICU is based on our ability to care for the most critically ill, premature or multiple birth infants. While we hope your baby never needs this level of care, you can have peace of mind that our compassionate team of experienced specialists will provide the necessary levels of care.

We strive to make your family's experience in our NICU as comfortable as possible with a feeling of home. In our 14-bed, state-of-the art NICU each baby and family has a personalized area within the greater NICU while our volunteers personally knit hats and blankets for the babies. Each homey "cubby" is a separated, private space designed for every baby's individualized development care and has a chair, sink, utility cabinets and fridge for the parents' use.

We combine clinical excellence with compassion to ensure safe and individualized care. We believe that your birthing experience starts long before labor begins and continues well after your baby is born. A package of special services and family education will be designed with you in order to provide care before, during and after delivery.

Family Education at Littleton Adventist Hospital offers a variety of classes before, and after, your baby's birth, including:

• Childbirth Preparation

  • Express-condensed, yet comprehensive 7 hour class

  • FastTrack-comprehensive 8 hour class

  • 3 Week Series-comprehensive 9 hour class

  • Refresher-2.5 hour update (not for first time parents)

• Comfort Measures for Childbirth (practice oriented class)

• Breastfeeding

• Infant Care

• CPR for Infants & Children

• Boot Camp for New Dads

Practical classes taught by skilled instructors help you assume your new responsibilities with knowledge and confidence. Classes are kept small to give you the opportunity to closely interact with our instructors.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has long advocated breastfeeding as the best nutrition for baby's short- and long-term health. In the CDC's national assessment of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care, Littleton Adventist Hospital's overall score was above both the national and the state average in breastfeeding-related maternity care practices. We have a 95 percent breastfeeding initiation rate.

Littleton Adventist Hospital offers a breastfeeding classes as well as individual breastfeeding support. Our nurses are trained in breastfeeding support and certified lactation consultants teach our breastfeeding classes.

• Breastfeeding Class
  Before your baby is born, we encourage moms and their birth partners to attend this one-night class to learn more about breastfeeding techniques to better prepare them for the birth of their baby. To search for the next breastfeeding class, view the Childbirth & pregnancy class schedule.

High-risk Pregnancies

Every pregnancy deserves expert, compassionate care, but for those mothers and babies who need a higher level of specialization, The Perinatal Care Center at Littleton Adventist Hospital offers comprehensive maternal fetal medicine services specializing in high-risk pregnancies. The center is staffed by experienced OB nurses, sonographers, and physicians from the Obstetrix Medical Group of Colorado.

If your pregnancy requires more than routine prenatal care, Littleton Adventist Hospital’s Perinatal Care Center offers the resources required to give patients every medical advantage and to provide your unborn baby the best start in life. With an in-depth understanding of the medical and surgical management of high-risk pregnancies, our maternal fetal medicine team has extensive knowledge of prenatal diagnosis and treatment.

Littleton Adventist Hospital is proud to partner with Mother's Milk Bank (MMB), a Colorado based nonprofit program that collects, processes, tests, and provides human donor milk to babies across the country. Babies who receive the milk may be premature or have severe illnesses and need human milk to thrive. Human milk benefits infants through nutritional, immunological, developmental, social, economic and environmental reasons.

Are you interested in becoming a milk donor? You are likely to qualify as a donor if you are:

• In good health
• A non-smoker
• Not taking medications on a regular basis
• A person with an abundant supply of milk

Milk donors must undergo a blood test and health screening, be willing to donate a minimum of 150 ounces total and have a medical release form signed by the mother’s and baby’s doctors.

For more information on donating or receiving milk, contact us:

Phone: 303-869-1888