Central Maine Healthcare

Where You are the Center

Women’s and children’s health

Awards and Accreditations: Women’s Health

Since we prioritize high-quality care, we put our patients first when it comes to how we deliver exams, diagnostics, and treatments. At Central Maine Healthcare, we want you to feel like you’re among caring friends who value your needs and wants. As such, we have a high commitment to excellence, and we provide the highest quality of care close to the places you call home.

Women’s Choice Award®

Our Sam and Jennie Bennet Breast Care Center was recognized for their excellent care by being named one of America’s Best Breast Centers by the Women’s Choice Award®.  To qualify for this prestigious award, a hospital must meet certain standards and receive specific types of positive reviews. By receiving this award, Central Maine Healthcare has been recognized as being in the top 1% of breast care centers in the nation. This recognition shows our determination to offer quality care and our commitment to always working with our patients to create the best outcomes.

This award also focuses on the perspective of women, considering their specific needs and wants when choosing their care. For our female patients, this offers a view of our commitment to respectful care that considers the specific needs of each individual patient. We value your perspective and unique needs.

ACR Breast Stereotactic Accredited Center of Excellence – Bennett Breast Center Mammography

ACR Breast Ultrasound Accredited Center of Excellence – Breast Ultrasound

ACR Mammography Accredited Center of Excellence – Bennett Breast Center Mammography

ACR MQSA (Mammography Quality Standards Act) – Bennett Breast Center: The intent of this legislation was to establish minimum standards to ensure that all women have access to quality mammography services.

Maine Perinatal Quality Collaborative: AIM Hypertensive Crisis Bundle – Maternity: The bundle provides actionable steps that can be adapted to a variety of facilities and resource levels to improve quality of care and outcomes for patients experiencing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Newsweek: America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2024 – Maternity: The ranking is based on a nationwide online survey of hospital managers and medical professionals (regarding areas like perinatal care and operative obstetrics) as well as publicly available data from hospital surveys addressing the patient experience (including topics such as cleanliness and communication about medication).

Data on hospital quality metrics—like the number of elective deliveries and level of personnel vaccination—was provided from several sources, including nonprofit hospital accreditation organization The Joint Commission, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.

National Consortium of Breast Centers and NQMBC – Breast Center of Excellence: This is the highest certification level. This certification recognizes a center’s quality performance as meeting quality standards criteria. In addition to the requirements to become a Certified Quality Breast Center, the Certified Quality Breast Center of Excellence applicant must have supplied 90% of the measures for which their quality breast center type should be able to measure performance.

U.S. News & World Report: High Performing in Maternity Care U.S. News evaluates how well hospitals perform in childbirth using C-section rates, newborn complication rates, breast milk feeding rates, early elective delivery rates, routine vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) rates, episiotomy rates, whether a hospital meets new federal criteria for “birthing-friendly” practices, and whether a hospital tracked and reported their outcomes for patients of different races and ethnicities. 

Blue Distinction Center (Blue Cross Blue Shield National Programs) – Maternity Care (BDC+): Blue Distinction Centers and Blue Distinction Centers+ for maternity care demonstrate expertise and a commitment to quality care for vaginal and cesarean section deliveries. These centers demonstrate lower episiotomies, fewer elective deliveries and lower cesarean births.

Access the provider directory of Blue Distinction Centers or Blue Distinction Centers+ designated providers for maternity care. Review the program selection criteria.

View more Central Maine Healthcare Awards and Accreditations

Why Choose Us: Women’s Health

As part of our commitment to excellence, we always use feedback and data to improve our care practices. You can see our range of women’s health offerings below and thoughts about why you should choose us.

Quality Gynecological Care

Our providers and nurses are highly-skilled in women’s health and dedicated to providing the best care for your gynecological needs. We offer the newest advancements in health screenings, including pap smears, breast exams, and mammograms, with additional advanced screening techniques as needed. We also help our patients manage menopause symptoms and offer wellness and fitness support to keep you healthy.

Exceptional Birth Centers

Our hospitals offer birth centers staffed with providers who care about your and your baby’s well-being. Our teams include doctors, midwives, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses who all work together to make sure you’re healthy, comfortable, and supported through your birthing journey. Two of our hospitals have achieved the Baby Friendly Hospital designation and all our hospitals are proud to offer accessible lactation support. The NICU at our Lewiston hospital provides parents with peace of mind and the knowledge that we are here to keep you safe and cared for.

Breast Health Screening and Cancer Treatment

Our facilities are all equipped with quality diagnostic equipment to ensure that you are screened regularly for breast cancer and other breast issues. Our award-winning Breast Care Center at Central Maine Medical Center is set up for advanced diagnostics and the latest in treatment techniques. We also pride ourselves on our supportive team members who will be there for you throughout your breast health journey.

Education, Events, Support

Our hospitals offer classes to help you learn healthy skills and develop wellness habits. Choose from our childbirth education classes, sibling and grandparent education classes, smoking cessation classes, and even our fitness classes at our gym in collaboration with the YMCA. Whatever you want to improve or develop, we offer affordable classes and workshops to help.

Find Compassionate Care, Close to Home

Our women’s services are available near where you live or work, so you can focus on your good health:

Rumford Hospital in Rumford, Maine
Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine
Bridgton Hospital in Bridgton, Maine

View our Women’s and Children’s Health Services Awards and Accreditations

Specialized Care for Your Baby

While most babies are born exactly when they should be and in the best of health, it’s still reassuring to know that we offer services for those rare times when babies need a little extra help. Central Maine Healthcare has a Special Care Nursery available for those babies and their families. We have the best providers and nurses on our team who use the latest in technology, skills, and compassion to care for your little one.

Local Care So You Can Get Help… Quickly!

Our Special Care Nursery is located at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, which is a quick drive from Bridgton or Rumford. If you give birth in either of those two hospitals, our transport team will quickly and carefully transport your baby to our caring team in Lewiston in under 30 minutes.

Specialized Care for Your Baby

We specialize in caring for babies born with medical conditions. Our providers and nurses have special training and are skilled at evaluating and diagnosing infant conditions. As a result, you have the peace of mind, knowing that should any complications arise, we have specialized care waiting just for you and your baby. Our team works closely with infants’ families to create care plans as needed. We’ll help plan what services might be needed, including post-discharge care and home-care services.

Free Accommodations for Extra Support

If your baby requires extended care and traveling to CMMC is an issue, we have a hospitality house, Arbor House, to accommodate you and your family. The 15-bedroom building has a common room, a fully equipped kitchen, dining room, library, laundry facilities, a patio and a garden. Arbor House is free for its visitors and is supported through community donations. For more information: Call CMMC’s Arbor House Scheduler: 795-2691.

Childbirth and Parenting Classes

We want to do more than just support you on your big day – we aim to offer the education you’ll need to feel empowered and ready for birth and parenting!

Central Maine Healthcare offers several classes for parents-to-be and their family members. Whether you’re a first-time parent or a seasoned parent, these classes will help you get ready for your birth and bringing home your baby.

Childbirth Education Classes

We offer childbirth education classes to ensure that our families feel confident and ready to face the wonderful challenges to come. Through discussion, PowerPoint presentations, DVD video clips, plus hands-on-activities, we explore a wide variety of childbirth topics.

Our classes cover pregnancy, labor, labor comfort techniques, cesarean birth, newborns, postpartum issues, and breastfeeding. We practice labor positions (which includes trying out physical therapy balls and a birthing stool), develop different breathing techniques for different parts of labor, and learn the vital importance of relaxation. Our goal is for expectant parents to learn about childbirth in a fun, comfortable, and respectful class environment.

The birth of your child can be a positive, powerful experience, one that you will carry with you always. Through our childbirth education classes, we hope to give you the tools necessary to have the best birth experience possible.

Preparing for Your Big Day

Few experiences in life are as exciting as bringing home a new member of your family. Central Maine Healthcare wants to help you get ready for birth and caring for your newborn in any way that we can.

Ways We Can Help

Our doctors, midwives, and nurses are here to help you create the best plan for your upcoming birth experience. There are several ways we can assist in your preparation, including:

  • Childbirth and Parenting Classes: We offer a selection of classes for families, including childbirth education.
  • Guide to Pregnancy and Birth: We want to make sure you have the best birth experience, so we’ve created guides to help inform you and answer all your questions. From pregnancy to birth, breastfeeding to new mother and baby care, we’ve covered it all in our helpful guides created just for you.
  • Car Seat: Proper installation of your new baby’s car seat is vital to its working properly to keep your newborn safe. We can ease your mind by helping you ensure that it’s installed correctly.

Personalized Birth Plan: At Central Maine Healthcare, our goal is to help you have the best birth experience possible. To help you and your doctor better understand your birth preferences, we encourage parents-to-be to create a birth plan. Central Maine Healthcare can provide you with a birth plan form through your care provider.

What is a Birth Plan? A birth plan is a personal care plan that outlines your preferences for how you’d like your labor, birth, and postpartum care to go. By creating a plan, you can determine exactly what kind of care you would like for you and your baby.
We encourage you and your spouse or birthing partner to enroll in our childbirth education classes, where you can learn about options that will be available to you during the labor experience. This will help you decide what should go into your birth plan and if your expectations are in sync with any requirements your hospital and birthing unit may have.

Creating Your Birth Plan: To create your plan, we suggest starting by making some notes about your labor and birth preferences. You can address experiences such as:

  • The sort of emotional support you would like to have. (For example, who would you like to be with you?)
  • The special comforts you would like to have throughout labor. (For example, would you like to spend time in a labor tub?)
  • The ways that you would like to alternative therapies. (For example, would you be interested in trying out our birthing stools and physical therapy balls?)

Be sure to share your birth plan with your healthcare provider and other maternity support people, as they might have some great ideas for you. Also show it to those who will be with you during your labor and birth experience. You can go over your plan with the team ahead of time, so they know what your preferences are.
Keep in mind that if your birth does not go exactly as you planned, it’s okay! This is where flexibility is the key. Learn about the ways that labor can unfold and plan for how you will handle unexpected situations, then focus on the positive.
A birth plan reflects how you would like to navigate a joyful experience. By writing things down, you also let those assisting you know more about who you are.

Guide to Pregnancy and Birth

We know that new parents often have lots of questions about pregnancy, delivery, and taking care of a new infant. That’s why Central Maine Healthcare created guides to guide you on your new parenting path. To make it even more interactive and accessible, this series of guides includes online access to educational videos. That way you can read the material and then see the information in action. If you’ve already received access to your guides, you can get to the online materials by signing in here.

Guides for Pregnancy through Parenting: We created the Injoy Birth & Parenting Education series to address many of the common questions that new parents often have. Included in this series are four guides:

  • Understanding Pregnancy
  • Better Breastfeeding
  • Understanding Birth (for those who are enrolled in our Childbirth Education Course)
  • Mother and New Baby Care

Baby’s Car Seat

When it’s time to head home after the birth, it is important to make sure your baby is safe and snug in their car seat. At CMH, your safety is one of our top priorities which includes the ride home! For more information about car seat inspection and installations, call 207-795-2695.

Keep Your Baby Safe: Maine law requires that your baby rides home in an approved child safety seat. It’s best to take the time to install the car seat ahead of time, so you’ll be familiar with how it works before your baby is born. We recommend that you have the car seat inspected by a certified car seat inspection station, just to make sure it’s as safe as can be.
Central Maine Healthcare helps with safe care seat installations by providing resources. We can connect you with the professionals that can test your installation. 

Why CMH Created the Program: Child safety seats are required under Maine law. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that using properly installed car seats reduces the risk of death by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for children between one and four years of age. Child car seats also reduce the need for hospitalization after a car accident. Simply put: car seats save children’s lives.

Virtual Car Seat Assistance: CMMC offers free virtual car seat inspections and installation assistance. Appointments available daily.
Contact: June Turcotte, Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician 207-795-2695
Need more resources? Child Passenger Safety Seat Program

Community Resources: You can bring your vehicle and car seat to a free monthly fitting clinic held at the United Ambulance station in Lewiston on the third Thursday of every month from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. More information about car seat safety (as well as inspection dates and locations) is available through the Maine Department of Motor Vehicles or the Safe Kids Maine organization.

To help you get started with proper car seat installation procedure, we’ve included some tips below.

  • The safest way to position the harness: the internal harness straps should be at or below your baby’s shoulders when using a car seat in the rear-facing position.
  • Once you have buckled your baby into the internal harness, adjust the harness so the fit is snug. If you can pinch a fold in the harness, it is not tight enough and will need to be re-adjusted. The harness retainer clip is in the proper position when it is at armpit level.
  • It is not recommended to add items to your safety seat that did not come with it. If you feel that your baby needs additional head support, you can use rolled baby blankets or towels and place them on each side. Do not place anything including blankets behind the baby or between the baby and the harness.
  • To obtain optimal harness fit for your baby it’s ideal to avoid bulky clothing. Once the baby is secured in the harness cover the child with a blanket if needed.

Once You Are Home

Once you leave the birthing center to head home with your new bundle of joy, we will continue to offer you the care that you need.  From offering breastfeeding support to local resources, we want you to feel supported by us and those in your community.

Breastfeeding Support and Resources We have many resources available to help you as you adjust to motherhood. New mothers might like to take a breastfeeding class and consider joining a breastfeeding support group. Our lactation consultants are also available to help you through breastfeeding issues that require expert help.

Infant Care Resources When it comes to infant care, there are several free home-visiting programs available to all families, with visits from a social worker and a nurse. Both can help with the expected and the unexpected issues that may arise for you and your family.

Postpartum Mood Disorders While you’re healing and recovering from birth, pay attention to how you feel emotionally. It’s normal to have ups and downs while you’re adjusting to parenting and dealing with lack of sleep. But it’s also not uncommon for depression or anxiety to creep in that needs treatment. You can read more about the issue of postpartum depression and don’t hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider if you suspect that you might need a little extra help.

Newborn Care

Becoming a new parent can be overwhelming, especially as you’re just getting to know your baby and dealing with a bit of sleep deprivation in the process. We want you to feel confident and successful at parenting your newborn, which is why we offer support for learning about caring for your infant.

Learn Before Birth Infant care adds another great reason to attend the class. You can also do lots of reading in books and online, watching videos, and talking with your friends and family about what they did to provide the best care to their babies. Just make sure to check with your provider about anything that you find that’s confusing or concerning.

State and Community Resources Several state and federally funded agencies offer special programs to families with newborns. The Maine Families Home Visiting Program provides a home visitor who will visit with you and your family from pregnancy until your child is three years old. This program is free and is available to all. The home visitor is there to offer guidance and assistance for a range of issues. Another program provides free Visiting Nurse visits. The nurse can help you by providing healthcare, resources and information about your baby’s wellness.

Postpartum Care

After you’ve given birth, you now begin what we call the postpartum period. This term refers specifically to the six weeks following birth but can last much longer depending on your culture or medical needs. We love caring for postpartum mothers and babies! The Central Maine Healthcare teams will work with you to help you adjust to motherhood and to heal your post-pregnancy body.

Body Changes During Postpartum After you’ve given birth, you will typically bleed (called lochia) in which your body is eliminating all the excess blood, tissue, and mucus that helped your baby to grow. The best thing for you during this time is to rest and enjoy your baby, allowing your body to do the work to heal up properly. If you have any concerns about your bleeding, please don’t hesitate to call us with questions.

During the 6 weeks after birth, your uterus shrinks back to its normal size and you might feel some light contractions as this is happening. You also might feel more uterus tightening while breastfeeding, which is perfectly normal (and another reason why breastfeeding helps your body heal!).

Breastfeeding In the first few days after birth, your breasts will change size and shape as they prepare to feed your new baby. Colostrum is the first “milk” that your breasts will produce and is an amazing substance that gives your infant nutrients that they need to get a great start at growing. A couple days later, your breast milk will come in and you will probably notice a difference in how your breasts feel.

If, at any time, you have concerns about breastfeeding, feel free to talk to a nurse or lactation consultant at our hospitals. If you have chosen not to or can’t breastfeed for any reason, we can work with you to take care of your body and help you decide how you would like to feed your baby.

Postpartum Depression Feeling extra moody, sensitive, or even a little “down” is normal during the first days and weeks of postpartum. But sometimes new moms can develop depression that they just can’t shake on their own.

Postpartum depression is a type of clinical depression that occurs in some new moms shortly after they give birth. Our nurses screen new moms very carefully for this treatable condition but it may not become apparent until you are back at home.

Research indicates that as many as 1 in 6 mothers will experience depressive feelings or the more consistent condition of postpartum depression. The causes are believed to be the significant drop in hormones (primarily estrogen and progesterone) that occur once a woman gives birth. Thyroid levels may also drop significantly, and a low thyroid condition can cause depression. The body may adjust in time and correct itself. If the cause is low thyroid, that can be easily tested and treated with medication.

It is important to note any symptoms you are feeling, and if they persist, tell your healthcare provider. Difficult emotional or life circumstances occurring at the same time can trigger or make postpartum depression worse. Serious, lingering depression is debilitating – but treatable – so don’t hesitate in telling healthcare providers all that you are feeling.

You might not feel like “yourself” for several days after giving birth, due to hormonal changes, fatigue and recovery. However, if after a week or two you notice the following symptoms, set up an appointment with your healthcare provider immediately. Symptoms of postpartum depression include:

  • Feelings of being overwhelmed
  • Feeling hopeless
  • Feeling sad and crying frequently
  • Restlessness
  • Moodiness
  • Lack of interest in social interaction
  • Low libido
  • No interest in food, or the opposite, overeating
  • Lack of energy and motivation
  • Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Memory problems
  • Inability to focus
  • Inappropriate feelings of guilt or worthlessness
  • Inexplicable and/or vague body pains

Postpartum depression treatment The two most common forms of treatment for postpartum depression, which may be combined, are medication and talk therapy. Some medication may not be appropriate for women who are breastfeeding, and your healthcare provider can counsel you about what you can take.

Your choice of therapist may depend on your healthcare provider’s recommendation, your health insurance coverage and your income. Possible therapy resources are: a psychiatrist (a provider’s referral is usually needed), a psychologist, or a licensed clinical social worker. Ask your provider about CMH mental health experts who specialize in postpartum depression.

Please remember that depression is not your fault. It is a condition that affects many new mothers. And most of all, it can have an impact on your new baby. Call your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about your emotional or psychological state. You can get help to feel better!

For additional resources on post-partum depression visit Postpartum Support International.

High Risk Pregnancies

Though most women experience a healthy pregnancy, sometimes pregnant moms and growing babies have a higher risk for health problems. Central Maine Healthcare provides care for every kind of pregnancy, with an emphasis on the best care and technology to help you get through the challenges so you can have a healthy birth and baby.

If you’d like to know whether your pregnancy might be high-risk, talk with your obstetrician.   We want you to have the best outcomes, so we take precautions to ensure that everything is developing in a healthy way.

Extra Special Care for You and Your Baby

We offer the most up-to-date services, including maternal and fetal screening, diagnostic testing, and risk consultations. We offer the following specialized services:

  • Targeted ultrasound: This is a special ultrasound that helps to capture images of your growing baby to detect any abnormal development.
  • Amniocentesis: This test helps us to identify genetic conditions your baby might have, as well as detect abnormalities of the brain or spinal cord. We take a sample of the amniotic fluid that is around your baby, usually after your 15th week of pregnancy, then process it in the lab to reveal any issues.
  • Cervical length measurement: Your provider might want to determine if you’re at risk for preterm labor by using an ultrasound to measure the length of your cervix.
  • Lab tests: There are several lab tests your provider might want to run. One specific test will check for preterm labor by taking a swab of vaginal secretions to look for fetal fibronectin which increases the chance of preterm labor.
  • Biophysical profile: We can check on your baby’s well-being by monitoring the fetal heart rate and using fetal ultrasound.

During Your Stay

At Central Maine Healthcare, your birth experience is our number one priority. We want to make sure you and your baby are happy and healthy while you’re under our care. We work hard to provide you and your family with the assistance, resources and support that you’ll need.

Cozy Birthing Rooms: Our signature care offering is the priority we place on your comfort. The birthing suites at Central Maine Medical Center are designed to enhance privacy and comfort. The rooms include amenities such as access to labor tubs, televisions, and delicious meals. There’s plenty of space for a spouse or partner to spend the night with you.

Other Options You’ll Enjoy: We don’t just make you cozy in your room, we’ve taken the time to enhance our services to make you feel relaxed, safe, and supported in your birthing choices. Here are a few of the other options you can choose when you give birth at our hospitals.

  • Special Comforts: We offer a variety of comforting services, ranging from labor tubs for relaxation, security systems to make you feel safe, and homelike rooms to ensure you feel truly cared for by our team.
  • Alternate Therapies: For those interested in other ways to reduce the pain of labor and enhance relaxation, we offer complementary services such as massage, birthing balls, and more!
  • Caring for Your Baby: We want you to feel successful as a new parent, so we offer several services after your baby is born. These include access to lactation consultants to help with breastfeeding and feeding issues, hearing tests and any other diagnostic testing your baby may need, birth certificate filing, and help sending in birth announcements.
  • HUGS Security System: We ensure the safety of your newborn with our state-of-the art Hugs® security system. Newborns have an electronic tag attached to one foot, which allows them to be monitored 24/7. We consider the safety and security of our patients – especially our youngest – to be a top priority!

Alternate Therapies

At Central Maine Healthcare, we know that every birth is unique, and every woman has different needs. That’s why we’ve expanded our comfort options to include additional supportive resources for those who would like access to them.

A Full Range of Comfort Options: To make your birth experience more relaxing, our hospitals offer various alternative therapies including:

  • Acupressure: Gentle pressure is applied to strategic points to help relieve pain during childbirth. This ancient practice, also called Shiatsu, is related both to massage and acupuncture.
  • Aromatherapy: The careful use of essential oils has been shown to reduce many women’s pain and anxiety during childbirth. Scents like lavender and rose have even been shown in some studies to reduce the need for pain medication.
  • Birthing balls: A large, bouncy therapy ball can help a birthing mother get into a variety of positions that are more comfortable than lying in bed. Sitting or leaning on a ball can help a woman maintain a squat that is helpful for labor. It also makes it easier for her support person to offer a back massage.
  • Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is just as it sounds: Laboring moms soak in a tub for part or all of labor. The warm water from the tub or a shower promote relaxation and reduce pain for many women.
  • Music therapy: Your favorite music can provide a distraction from the pain of childbirth and create a more relaxed environment for everyone involved.
  • Doulas: A doula is a non-medical person trained in the art of supporting a woman through the experience of giving birth. They act as a labor coach and as an advisor and resource for the woman and her partner and family before, during, and after delivery. We don’t have doulas on staff, but we are supportive of patients who hire doulas to help them.

Most families only stay with us for a couple of nights, but every effort is made to make this time a positive and memorable experience. Let us know how we can make your birth experience more comfortable.

HUGS Security System

When you give birth with us, you get our sincere concern for your safety and peace of mind. That means we’ve invested a lot of time and thought into protecting your new little one and you while you’re in our care. To do that, we offer the state-of-the-art Hugs® security system to track and protect your newborn.

What is the Hugs® Security System? The Hugs® security system is a special system in which we attach an electronic tag to one foot of your newborn. This allows them to be monitored around the clock, so we always know that they’re snug in their bassinet or with you and that they’re doing just fine.

 Additional Security Measures:
We also add more security by making our birthing centers locked units, which means we have put into place secure systems of check-in and check-out and require all our team members to wear photo ID badges.
We consider the safety and security of our patients – especially our youngest! – to be a top priority. If you have any questions or concerns about security, please feel free to reach out to discuss them with us.

Special Comforts

When you give birth at Central Maine Medical Center, we want to make sure you are truly comfortable during your stay. We go the extra mile to support your spouse or partner and to offer safety and security, so you can just relax.

Comfortable Birthing Rooms: Each of our birthing rooms are designed with relaxation in mind and offer the warmth and comfort of home. These rooms are made so that your partner or other support person can stay with you comfortably, including delicious meals, a private birthing room, access to a labor tub and other comfort options to help ease you through your labor. We want you to feel relaxed and cared for while you’re under our care!

Newborn Safety is Our Priority: For your safety, our hospital features the state-of-the-art Hugs® security program, an electronic tracking system that protects your precious newborn. Knowing your new baby is safe, you can get the rest that you need while knowing that you’re both in good hands.

Helping You Rest and Recover: Our team also wants to ensure that moms and their newborns have the quiet and alone time they need. We encourage visitors to be respectful of this special time and we enforce our visitor policies, so you can rest as much as possible. We also offer alternate therapies for those moms seeking expanded options to pain relief and comfort measures.

Caring For Your Baby

Whether you choose to breastfeed or formula-feed your baby, our nurses are here to help. First-time mothers may need a few tips to adjust to their newborn’s needs.
If you have decided to breastfeed, we have lactation consultants available to help new moms learn effective breastfeeding positions and techniques. We also offer free breastfeeding classes and a breastfeeding support group that meets once a week to ensure that you’ve got all the help you need to be successful.


Certified Lactation Consultants: Our lactation consultants are certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBCLE) and are also registered nurses. They are available for consultation prior to your delivery, during your stay, and can also be available to help after you go home. The lactation consultants work closely with the nurses in labor, delivery, and in the NICU to ensure a positive breastfeeding experience for you and your baby.

Newborn Health Tests and Procedures: We want the best for your baby and that means ensuring that they are healthy. We follow the Maine law requirement to test newborns for health and hearing conditions, to help provide the best care for your new baby. Newborns don’t always display symptoms of issues at birth, so these screening exams help us detect problems early when they can be corrected the most easily. One of the tests we offer is the Newborn Bloodspot Screening test, which can detect serious health issues that are thankfully rare but may impede development or even be fatal. The hearing tests that we offer are important because speaking and language skills are dependent upon a child’s ability to hear well.

Hepatitis B Vaccination: This vaccination is an important health precaution that can be started right after your baby is born. Make sure to have a chat about it with your provider before or right after birth. Typically, the vaccination requires three injections given over the course of 18 months. It’s recommended that the first injection be given soon after birth or at least within your new baby’s first two months.

Other Vaccinations: Other vaccinations will need to be given in the first year of your baby’s life, so it’s important to start learning about them now while you’re pregnant. Talk to your healthcare provider about what vaccinations are recommended and when they should be given so that you know how to make the best choices for your baby.

Paternity Paperwork: If you need to fill out paternity papers, both parents must sign the paternity form in front of a notary public. You may get the papers notarized at your hospital’s birthing unit. We would be happy to help you with this process, if needed.

Your Baby’s Birth Certificate: Filling out your baby’s birth certificate can be an exciting experience as it is the first legal documentation of their birth and new name! After your baby is born, we will provide you with the necessary paperwork that you can complete. For your convenience, we will then send in the paperwork for you to your city or town office, and then you can get back to enjoying your new little one.
Your baby’s birth certificate is a valuable legal document. It is often required to obtain other documents, as a person goes through life. The birth certificate shows that a person is a natural-born citizen of the United States of America. A birth certificate provides proof of age and identity. This is important for inheritance reasons and for obtaining rights to travel to foreign countries.
Your baby’s birth certificate will include the following information:

  • Full Name (first, middle, last)
  • Place of Birth
  • Date and Time of Birth
  • Parents’ Names

A birth certificate is also needed, in most cases, for the following:

  • Social Security number
  • Entrance to school
  • Work permits
  • Travel
  • Driver’s license
  • Marriage license
  • Welfare benefits
  • Entrance to the Armed Forces

Your newborn’s birth certificate also helps healthcare providers by providing vital information related to the health of your baby. This information can be used for planning maternal and child health programs and to provide quality care for your own child and family. Some of the information requested when you complete the birth certificate form is personal. This information is considered confidential and will help with statistical information and medical research. Please try to make sure that the information in the birth certificate form is as complete and accurate as possible. We would be happy to answer questions and help you as needed.

Sometimes when the birth certificate form is being filled out, parents can have legal questions about the information needed. You might be divorced or not married, causing you to feel concern about what legal name to give your child or how to include the name of the other parent on the certificate. We would love to help you puzzle out legal issues so that you can get all the information correct.

If you discover an error on your child’s birth certificate later, contact the municipal clerk of the city or town where your child was born. The clerk will assist you in the proper procedures for making corrections.

Copies of your child’s birth certificate may be obtained from the city or town clerk at the birthplace, from the city or town clerk where the mother was residing at the time of the child’s birth, or from the state’s Office of Vital Records (1-800-606-0215). A fee is charged for copies.
This copy has been adapted from the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Health Office of Vital Records, State House Station 11, Augusta, ME 04333-0011.

Birth Announcements: Congratulations – you just had a new baby! Share the joyous news with your community by filling out a birth announcement form while you’re staying here with us. We can help you get it submitted to your local newspaper so that your family, friends, and neighbors can celebrate right along with you.

Breastfeeding Support

Central Maine Healthcare is committed to helping new moms breastfeed, for those who have chosen that method of feeding their babies. Our team has several lactation consultants who are available to help you learn, troubleshoot, and to lend a listening ear if you get frustrated.

We also offer free breastfeeding classes and have a breastfeeding support group that meets regularly.

Your Certified Lactation Consultants

Our lactation consultants are certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBCLE) and are also registered nurses. They are well-trained to handle the basics of breastfeeding as well as the more challenging situations. You have access to them via a consultation prior to your delivery, during your stay, and after you go home. The lactation consultants work closely with the nurses in labor delivery and in the NICU to ensure a positive breastfeeding experience for you and your baby. They are available to help at all three of our hospitals.

The Benefits of Breastfeeding

Many health specialists besides the World Health Organization and the United Nations’ Children’s Fund advise mothers to breastfeed, when possible. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics advocates breastfeeding, as does the U.S. Surgeon General, who recommends exclusive breastfeeding babies for the first six months of life and beyond the first year. Many healthcare experts believe that it’s optimal to breastfeed for 12 months or longer, depending on you and your baby’s needs.

The benefits to your baby include:

  • When it comes to nutrition, breast milk is the ultimate food for your baby. As your baby grows, your breast milk also changes to adapt to the baby’s nutritional needs.
  • Breast milk enhances the baby’s immune system and promotes wellness – it helps prevent illnesses including intestinal tract infections, ear infections, allergies, skin conditions, and respiratory infections. It also reduces the risk of more serious illnesses, such as childhood cancer, meningitis, juvenile diabetes, and other acute chronic diseases.
  • Studies indicate that breastfeeding greatly reduces the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
  • Breastfeeding enhances a baby’s physical development, from encouraging the development of straighter teeth to helping brain development.

The benefits for you include:

  • Breastfeeding allows you to respond quickly to your baby’s need for nourishment. It is convenient, and it is free!
  • Breastfeeding has many physical benefits for a new mother. The long-term benefits to mothers who breastfeed have reduced risk of breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers. They also have less chance of osteoporosis.
  • Breastfeeding also enhances your everyday health, by reducing your risk of anemia. It also helps you metabolically: moms who breastfeed return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster.
  • While breastfeeding, you have a great opportunity to bond with your child, and to enhance your emotional relationship.

Baby Lena’s Story

Within minutes of their daughter arriving, it was clear that the baby was in distress. She was quickly whisked away to the NICU at CMMC due to complications from fluid in her lungs. Ben and Kim stayed with their little one while she received care in the NICU for a week. Family members watched their older son. The baby recovered and the family was able to head home together.

Ben and Kim are grateful for all of the doctors and nurses who cared for their daughter with compassion and provided them comfort during a stressful time. Today, their baby girl is thriving, and she and her older brother are seen regularly at Central Maine Pediatrics.