Ascension Via Christi NewLife Center

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Having a baby is personal. So is how we care for you. The maternity care team at the NewLife Center at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph starts by listening to you and answering your questions. Whether you’re having your first baby or you’re an experienced mom, you know your body best and your preferences are important. By getting to know you, we deliver compassionate, personalized care for you and your baby. From prenatal and pregnancy care, to labor, delivery and beyond, get the right care for you, close to home. 

Your NewLife Center maternity care team includes: 

• OB-GYN doctors available 24/7
• Experienced labor and delivery nurses
• Around the clock coverage by board-certified neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, board-certified anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists
• Lactation consultants and a dedicated breastfeeding clinic for ongoing support and care
• Consulting specialists are available for pediatric surgery, genetic conditions, neurology, urology, and conditions affecting the bones, heart, lungs or blood
• Audiologists to test baby's hearing before they go home
• A NewLife chaplain and social workers 
• Pediatric therapists specializing in speech-language pathology, swallowing concerns and physical therapy
• An OB phone nurse to answer your questions throughout your pregnancy

Birth center with personalized labor and delivery options

At the NewLife Center, we are here to make childbirth as smooth as possible. Your maternity care team helps you to create a plan that’s right for you. This includes pain management, music for your birthing suite and selecting support people for your delivery. 

Our 15 spacious labor and delivery suites are designed to provide an intimate and comfortable childbirth environment for you and your baby. The birthing center is equipped to handle the expected and unexpected. If you or your baby needs extra care, our Level III NICU is just steps away. 

Via Christi's Level III NICU led by Children's Mercy neonatologists

At Via Christi NewLife Center in Wichita, Kansas, your newborn will be supported by a compassionate care team with advanced credentials in neonatal critical care. We work alongside Children’s Mercy specialists to provide care for premature babies or newborns with health conditions. Care teams at the NewLife Center are prepared for even the most complex pregnancy and birthing needs. Your high-risk pregnancy care team includes a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist who can diagnose and treat concerns that develop during pregnancy.

Children's Mercy neonatologists are available 24/7 for emergency deliveries and treat a full range of neonatal conditions in our Level III NICU. In the NICU at Via Christi, our doctors have the expertise to diagnose, treat and manage even the most complex conditions, including:

• Birth trauma
• Hyperbilirubinemia
• Hypoglycemia
• Hypoxic ischemic injury
• Low birth weight
• Neonatal withdrawal
• Prematurity
• Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs)
• Respiratory disorders
• Sepsis or infection

Via Christi offers 24/7 air and ground transport to the NICU by a team who specializes in transporting newborns. NICU beds can be enclosed for breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact and quiet time for you and your baby. If you’re nursing, lactation rooms are also available. Additional rooms may be used for overnight stays after you've been discharged from the hospital. The NICU care team includes neonatal occupational, physical and speech therapists, dietitians and board-certified lactation consultants. A social worker is also available to help connect you with hospital and community resources. And, a chaplain is part of your care team to provide spiritual support.

Breastfeeding clinic and post-delivery care

After your baby is born, you'll move to one of our large suites with a queen size bed and nutritious, tasty room service menu. The NewLife Center has been designated as a Baby-Friendly Hospital, a global initiative that helps you to breastfeed successfully. Breastfeeding moms will find advice and encouragement with breastfeeding classes before their babies are born, and visits from a certified lactation consultant during their hospital stay. Follow-up support is provided in our breastfeeding clinic, Monday through Friday, at no cost to you.

Postpartum support group

If you have a new baby and need additional guidance, you can talk with a registered nurse. We offer in-person and online support groups to talk about common parental concerns and overcoming baby stressors at home.

Childbirth classes and tours

Group tours of the NewLife Center are available Sunday afternoons, Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings in Wichita. Private tours also are available. Each tour provides access to birthing rooms, postpartum rooms, and the breastfeeding clinic. You’ll also see where to go for your labor and delivery. You are given preadmission paperwork and childbirth class information to start planning your birthing experience.

Childbirth classes are offered at no cost to you. This has been made possible due to a grant from Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Ascension Via Christi. These classes prepare parents and families for the impending birth. For more information about our childbirth classes or a tour, call 316-689-5485.

Recognitions

• High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier recognition for 2023, a program developed to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates in Kansas; maintained annually since 2015
• Only Wichita-area hospital certified as a Baby Friendly birth facility by the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative since 2018; achieved five-year recertification in 2023
• Only Wichita hospital to earn 2023 designation by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care, demonstrating commitment to delivering safe, cost-efficient, quality care
• Via Christi St. Joseph is a member of Vermont Oxford Network (VON), a worldwide community dedicated to improving the quality, safety, and value of care for newborn infants and families.