Ascension Sacred Heart Maternity and Women's Center

Care for mom and baby during pregnancy and beyond

As a woman and an expecting mom, you want the right care for the whole you and your new baby. When you choose Ascension Sacred Heart Maternity and Women's Center, in Pensacola, Florida, you’ll find experienced OB-GYNs, certified nurse midwives and an entire team dedicated to your care. Whether you’re an experienced mom or having your first, you know your body best. And your preferences for your birthing experience and questions are important. Every appointment with your doctor starts with a conversation. You’ll be supported by a team providing the care you and your baby need throughout your pregnancy, labor and delivery, and follow-up care. And, if you need more care, you’ll be connected to our highly experienced maternal-fetal medicine specialists.

Having your baby at Ascension Sacred Heart Maternity and Women's Center also means you are connected to a network of experienced pediatricians as well as pediatric specialists and pediatric emergency care at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart when you and your family need it most.

FIND A DOCTOR    REGISTER FOR A CLASS OR TOUR

Personalized care and options during your pregnancy

Your experienced care team is ready to support you during pre-pregnancy planning, your pregnancy, delivery and beyond. Your care team may include OB-GYNs, certified nurse midwives, neonatal nurses and other specialists. We understand that every pregnancy is different and are here to support you with:

• 24/7 OB emergency care
• Breastfeeding support
• Childbirth classes
• Labor, delivery and postpartum care
• Maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) and neonatal specialty care
• Midwifery services
• Neonatal intensive care (Level III NICU)

At Ascension Sacred Heart Maternity and Women's Center, we provide family-centered birth with home-like comforts. Working together, we help deliver a memorable birth experience.

• Birthing options, including birth with certified nurse midwife and without epidural
• High-risk pregnancy care
• Level III neonatal intensive care unit for babies born premature or critically ill
• Down the hall from Studer Family Children’s Hospital, meaning you’re connected to pediatric specialty care

A personalized birthing experience

Our personalized birth experience program, Monogram Maternity, begins during your pregnancy. You can meet with a birth designer, who will ask you questions about your pregnancy and your labor and delivery preferences. Then, a birth designer will show you a list of services available to you. Your birth preferences may include your wishes for pain management and medications, room setup, visitors and support people, movement during labor, positions and amenities. Amenities available to you through Monogram Maternity include:

• Aromatherapy
• Birthing balls
• Celebratory meal
• Music
• Photography
• Tub (for labor, not delivery)

Birthing suites for low-intervention deliveries

Private birthing suites are available, designed for women expecting low-risk births. The Ascension Sacred Heart Maternity and Women's Center offers three rooms with tubs to be used in labor, as well as a selection of birthing balls, bars and other comfort aids. Specially trained OB nurses focus on methods of pain control including massage, breathing techniques, position maneuvers, and aromatherapy.

Along with our certified midwife program, birthing suites provide women in our community who choose to have an unmedicated, low-intervention birth the peace of mind that comes with having specialized doctors and nurses prepared for emergency care just down the hallway. These services bring a new option for pregnancy and childbirth care, combined with the level of safety that can come from the area’s only OB Emergency Care Center, a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Ascension Sacred Heart hospital with 24/7 onsite obstetrician and anesthesia coverage.

Women wishing to use the birthing suites are asked to talk to their doctor and schedule an appointment with Ascension Sacred Heart’s birth designer, who meets with patients to learn about their labor and delivery preferences, including wishes for pain management and medications, room setup, visitors and support people, movement during labor, positions and amenities. The birthing suites are available for patients of Ascension Medical Group midwives and OB-GYNs, as well as any community OB-GYN with delivering privileges. 

For more information about Monogram Maternity and designing the birth plan that is right for you, call 850-416-6378 or email MonogramMaternity@ascension.org.

Choose care from OB-GYNs and certified nurse midwives

Choosing an OB-GYN or certified nurse midwife is a personal decision. And if you prefer midwifery, your midwife will be with you throughout your pregnancy. Our certified nurse midwives also work closely with your primary care doctor. If you and your baby need more care, OB-GYNs and other specialists are onsite at our hospitals and birthing centers. Our OB-GYN and midwifery services include:

• Annual well-woman exams 
• Care during labor and delivery 
• Emotional and mental health support 
• Postpartum care
• Prenatal care and classes on pregnancy, birthing and breastfeeding

Maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) care for high-risk pregnancy

Sometimes the unexpected happens and your pregnancy becomes high risk. Your OB-GYN may refer you to perinatal care and an MFM specialist at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart. During your pregnancy, you’ll be surrounded by a highly skilled multispecialty care team. With early and regular prenatal care and monitoring, you’ll have ongoing guidance and support. Your MFM specialist listens to understand you and your preferences and concerns and collaborates with you and your OB-GYN as a team. We connect the dots for moms who have received a high-risk pregnancy diagnosis and deliver support at every step. MFM specialists can deliver advanced diagnostic tests and care during your pregnancy that includes:

• Carrying multiples
• Co-management of gestational diabetes
• Coordinating care for babies with congenital abnormalities 
• General high-risk pregnancy care
• High blood pressure
• Neonatal intensive care (Level III NICU)
• Preventing or managing preeclampsia
• Transabdominal cerclage (TAC) procedure used to help prevent miscarriage

To pre-register for your hospital stay at Ascension Sacred Heart Maternity and Women's Center, please call 850-416-2229.

For special concerns that require a timely response, please call 850-416-8088.