Family Birth Center - Dignity Health - Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta

At Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta, our Family Birth Center provides comprehensive care for both vaginal and cesarean births. Our services include on-site anesthesia, pediatrician support, breastfeeding assistance and vaccinations.

The most important item to bring is an approved infant car seat. You may also want to pack a receiving blanket and an outfit for your baby. We provide all other necessary items for your baby during your hospital stay, including diapers and blankets. 

You are welcome to bring anything that will make your stay more comfortable, including:

• Comfortable clothes to wear home (maternity clothes)

• Driver's license or ID card, insurance card, and pediatrician and OB/GYN contact information

• Flip-flops

• Lip balm

• Nightgowns

• Nursing bras and nursing pads

• Personal electronics and chargers

• Personal toiletries

• Snacks

• Swimsuit and a change of clothes for your birth partner

Yes, we welcome your chosen support people to be present during labor and delivery and after birth. We recommend discussing your visitor preferences with your care team in advance. This conversation will help ensure a comfortable and safe environment for everyone. 

We encourage visitors, including siblings of the newborn, to wait until two hours after the baby is born to allow parents time to bond. We allow a maximum of four visitors at a time. Visitors may use the cafeteria, gift shop and Nepenthe walking trail.

Review our visitor guidelines

Yes, our care team will help you get started with breastfeeding if you choose this option. We will also help you create a feeding plan, depending on whether you choose breast milk, formula or a combination of both.

At the Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta Family Birth Center, we help prepare the whole family for the arrival of your new baby. We offer classes that cover:

• Breastfeeding instruction

• Labor support skills

• Relaxation techniques

• Tours of labor/delivery/recovery suites

• Up-to-date information on our technology 

For more information about childbirth education at our Family Birth Center, please call (530) 859-2155.

Register for our classes

Yes. To help you celebrate the arrival of your baby, we offer professional photography services that include:

• Prints or a personal website

• On-site printing before you leave the hospital

• Purchasing of images up to a year later

Yes. At Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta, we keep mothers and babies together during the hospital stay to encourage bonding opportunities. Skin-to-skin bonding often:

• Causes your uterus to contract and bleed less

• Comforts and soothes baby

• Gives baby better oxygenation and blood sugar levels

• Promotes feelings of closeness and protectiveness

• Provides a quiet time for your new family to connect

• Stabilizes baby’s temperature and vital signs

• Stimulates milk production and provides the best opportunity to get breastfeeding off to a good start

You can choose a pediatrician by asking your obstetrics and gynecology doctor or asking family and friends. You can also use our Find a Doctor tool.