Family Birth Center | MaineHealth Stephens Hospital

We offer a "Preparing for Birth" class for expecting parents. Join a group of expectant parents and have fun learning about the labor and delivery experience. Expectant moms will explore how to relax and allow themselves to flow with their labor through breathing and relaxation techniques. Partners/coaches will learn how they can assist mom through the process of labor and share in the joy of birth.

Information on making a birth plan, comfort measures, stages of labor, and cesarean delivery are all explored.  A question and answer session is always part of the class.

For more information on upcoming classes please call 207-744-6151 or register online.

We offer breastfeeding education and support for new mothers. Our breastfeeding class will teach you important skills and share support services available to breastfeeding mothers. Classes are held monthly and there is no fee. For more information on upcoming classes please call 207-744-6151 or register online.

• Breastfeeding Basics
• Breastfeeding How-To
• Football and Cradle Hold Explained
• Engorged Breasts
• Signs and Symptoms of Mastitis
• Storing and Handling Breast Milk
• Burping Your Newborn
• Taking Your Newborn's Temperature

Our Infant CPR classes are helpful to both new and experienced parents. Learn the skills to do CPR and choking rescue on an infant up to the age of one year. This is a hands-on experience with manikins where you'll have an opportunity to practices these critical skills. Come have fun and learn a valuable, life-long tool.

Classes are held monthly. For more information on upcoming classes please call 207-744-6151 or register online.

Safe Sitter® is a national organization founded in 1980 by Indianapolis pediatrician, Dr. Patricia A Keener, after a colleague’s 18-month old choked to death while under an adult sitter's care. The program is a medically accurate, hands-on instructional program that teaches how to handle emergencies when caring for children. The curriculum is geared for people age 11-13. 

Classes are available throughout the year, including during school vacations. Our certified instructors will cover:

• Infant & child CPR
• Choking procedure
• Safety for the sitter
• How to call for emergency help
• Babysitting business skills
• Basic child care skills
• How to entertain children and keep them safe.

For more information, please call 207-744-6151 or register online.

Car seats, when installed and used correctly are extremely effective in saving children's lives. Proper use of a car seat reduces the risk of death by as much as 71% for infants. However, car seats are complicated to install and use and there are many models to choose from. It has been found that nine out of ten car seats are not installed or used correctly, and that only 5% of children who should use a booster seat actually do.

MaineHealth Stephens Hospital is a Child Passenger Safety Seat Inspection and Distribution Site. We offer Child Safety Seat Inspection Events throughout the year and by appointment. At the events, Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians are available to provide free hands-on seat inspections. Parents, caregivers and grandparents are encouraged to attend to ensure their child’s safety seats are properly installed, compatible with their vehicle, haven’t been subject to a recall, and are the appropriate seat for the child. As a Distribution Site, we offer free car seats to those who qualify, by appointment only.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call 207-744-6151.

The Family Birth Center at MaineHealth Stephens Hospital  is recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as a Gold Safe Sleep Champion for our commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep. The cause of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is unknown, however there are things you can do to prevent it.

• Have regular prenatal care during your pregnancy.
• Avoid first and second hand smoke. Babies whose mothers smoke are 3 times as likely to die of SIDS, while those babies who are exposed to second hand smoke are twice as likely.
• Breastfeed when possible.
• Practice Safe Sleep Habits:
  • Keep baby on their back for both nighttime and naps.
  • Provide supervised tummy-time to promote neck strengthening.
  • Remove all bumpers, blankets, toys, stuffed animals from cribs and bassinets.
  • Use a firm infant approved mattress in the crib or bassinet.
  • Sleep your baby in a “sleep-sack” rather than wrapped in a blanket.
  • Keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult in a T-shirt, a hot room allows the baby to go into a much deeper sleep from which they may not wake.
  • Use of a pacifier once Breastfeeding is well established, 3-4 weeks is acceptable.
  • Avoid the use of a home monitor rather than checking on your baby regularly.

For more information, please call 207-743-5933 ext. 6951.

Learn more about SIDS at SafeSleepAcademy.org.