If you’re pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, a healthy child starts with great prenatal care. The decisions you make now—with food, your lifestyle and your healthcare—can give your baby the best chance for a healthier life. And, with a robust series of childbirth education classes for the whole family, MetroHealth is here to support you throughout your pregnancy.
Not every person needs the same thing from pregnancy care. At MetroHealth, we give you options for the best chance of having the pregnancy—and delivery—you desire. Our providers are a team, which means if at any time you need—or want—a different type of care, we can adapt to fit your needs.
Many women choose to see an obstetrician for prenatal care and delivery, as well as post-partum (after delivery) care. Obstetricians specialize in care for pregnant women—it’s what they do every day. With advanced clinical training, obstetricians are experts in pregnancy health and care for pregnant women with a range of complications—or none at all. And, because obstetricians are also gynecologists, they can provide expert women’s healthcare throughout your lifetime.
Certified nurse-midwives are a new option for women’s healthcare at MetroHealth, from pregnancy care to a lifetime of well-woman care. At MetroHealth, our certified nurse-midwives are experienced medical providers who are registered nurses with extensive clinical expertise. Equally important, they excel at making patients feel comfortable, answering questions and forming relationships that encourage good health.
Many women have a relationship with a trusted family medicine provider and choose to stay with their provider through pregnancy. That’s why at MetroHealth, our family medicine doctors provide prenatal care for women, deliver their babies and provide post-partum care. This continuity of care often extends to the new baby, too. If you are at low risk for pregnancy complications, choosing a family medicine provider means that both mother and baby develops a relationship with a trusted provider—for life.
For more than three decades, MetroHealth has been leading the way in treating high-risk pregnancies through our Maternal-Fetal Medicine program. MetroHealth is one of only 12 centers in the country selected to participate in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units research networks. Because of this, we are at the forefront of maternal-fetal care in Cuyahoga County.
It’s important to establish care with a MetroHealth provider before your baby is born, so they can have a healthy start to life. With providers across Northeast Ohio, MetroHealth is ready to care for your baby—right in your neighborhood.
Find a Pediatrician
If you think you might be pregnant, visit our free pregnancy testing locations at main campus or Ohio City Health Center Express Care. No appointment necessary, and results are confidential.
Main Campus OB-GYN Clinic
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Ohio City Health Center Express Care
Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
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Your First Trimester
Making sure your baby is healthy from the start.
If you’re pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, a healthy child starts with great prenatal care. The decisions you make now—with food, your lifestyle and your healthcare—can give your baby the best chance for a healthier life.
The MetroHealth Birthing Center
When you’re having a baby, you want the most comfortable environment for you, your family and your friends to welcome your baby to the world. You’ll get just that—and more!—at the new MetroHealth Birthing Center, recognized as a Best Hospital for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report.
Centering Pregnancy is a special group for pregnant women that includes more time and attention in a group setting. You’ll meet with your provider and other women, who are due near the same time as you, for 10 sessions during your pregnancy.
MetroHealth offers a robust series of childbirth education classes, breastfeeding support and classes for family members. It’s an added benefit of being a MetroHealth patient! To learn more, call (216) 778-3381 or e-mail [email protected].
Our childbirth educators are certified and experienced perinatal nurses. Classes include information about labor and birth, comfort options and pain relief, coping skills for labor and birth, and caring for yourself and your baby after birth.
If you’re pregnant with your first baby, you likely have a lot of questions and concerns. The Nurse-Family Partnership at The MetroHealth System can help you have a healthy pregnancy and delivery – and offer support through baby’s 2nd birthday.
The Nurse-Family Partnership is a free program for women pregnant with their first baby. You will be paired with a registered nurse who will come to your home and provide support, advice and information to help you have a healthy pregnancy and be a great parent after baby arrives.
The program offers a range of services to help pregnant and new parents thrive, including:
You can enroll in the program if you are:
To learn more about the program or to enroll, call our office at 440-592-3837 or the Cuyahoga County office of Help Me Grow at 216-930-3322.
MetroHealth supports families who choose to breastfeed their new baby. To learn more about the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, download our brochure in English or Spanish.
Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding | Diez pasos para una lactancia maternal exitosa
If you need to make an appointment for issues related to breastfeeding, our Breastfeeding Clinic is here to help.
To schedule an appointment at Broadway Health Center, call 216-957-1500. To schedule an appointment at the Main Campus Pediatric Clinic, call 216-778-2222.
Learn about the many benefits of breastfeeding and what you can start doing now to prepare you on your breastfeeding journey. Classes are taught by Certified Lactation Consultants and Breastfeeding Counselors. English and Spanish options available.
Infórmese sobre las numerosas ventajas de la lactancia materna y lo que puede empezar a hacer ahora para prepararse en su camino hacia la lactancia.
You don’t have to take your breastfeeding journey alone. Lean on community—and expert advice—in our breastfeeding support groups.
In-person
Mondays, 1-2 p.m.
MetroHealth Main Campus
Outpatient Pavilion, Pediatric Clinic
Registration not required.
Call 216-778-3337 for more information.
Virtual
Wednesdays, 2-3 p.m.
Registration required.
Breast pumps are important tools to help your baby continue to get breast milk when you’re not with your baby. Some breast pumps are fully covered under your insurance plan, and MetroHealth can help you navigate ordering a pump.
Call your insurance company to find out which pumps are covered by your plan. Some pumps may be fully covered, and some may only partially be covered.
If you do not have medical insurance but receive WIC benefits, our staff can help you navigate getting a WIC rental pump.
Look up pros and cons of different pumps. Common things to think about:
Once you have determined which supply company you would like to choose, you will need to obtain a prescription from your doctor. Follow the company’s instructions to get a prescription. Once the prescription is approved by insurance, the supply company will provide further instructions on receiving your breast pump.
The MetroHealth lactation team looks forward to helping you along your breastfeeding journey! If you have questions, please contact us at 216-778-3337 or Email Lactation Support to speak with a member of our team!
Birth certificates are important legal documents, and we’ll help you get started in the hospital.
My partner and I are married. Do we need to bring ID or a marriage license to complete the birth certificate paperwork?
No. If you are married, both names will be added automatically.
If my partner and I aren’t married how does my partner get added to the birth certificate?
Partners have to be present with a current government issued ID to sign the affidavit with our notary stating that they are the parent. This allows them to go on the birth certificate. We have multiple notaries on staff.
If I want DNA testing to show parental proof how to I get that?
You do not sign the affidavit because the father’s name will not be added until those results are returned. The county provides DNA testing outside the hospital in multiple locations. We will give you the information on testing locations during your postpartum (after delivery) stay. When the results get returned, you will go back to the location where you tested and sign the affidavit to add the father’s name. Results can take 1-2 weeks to return.
Do I get my baby’s birth certificate before I leave the hospital?
Once the initial paperwork is filled out, we will certify the birth and your birth certificate will be available from City Hall within about a week. If there is an affidavit that gets submitted with the paperwork for unmarried parents, the birth certificate will be available in about 4 weeks.
Are there different steps to take if I have a surrogate, or am adopting?
For surrogacies or adoptions there are certain state regulations that most parents are already aware of before they arrive for delivery. We will be glad to help you complete the paperwork after the delivery based on your specific needs.
When do I get my baby’s social security card?
Your child’s social security card is applied for automatically and you will see it arrive in 4-6 weeks through the mail. Please make sure you have an updated address in your hospital files.
If you’ve experienced a miscarriage, you’re not alone. Nearly one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. This can include pregnancy loss in the first weeks before you know you’re pregnant.
MetroHealth is focused on you and your family during these difficult times. We’ll guide you through a miscarriage—both the physical and emotional parts—and counsel you on navigating future pregnancies. Through our Maternal-Fetal Medicine program, we provide specialized care for treating issues that may have caused multiple miscarriages and will help guide the health of future pregnancies.
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MetroHealth obstetricians, midwives and family medicine providers work as a team to support you in your pregnancy. The first trimester of pregnancy is the most important to your baby’s development, so you should start care right away.
To make an appointment, call 216-778-4444.
Lead can cause problems with learning, behavior, and growth. Protecting children from lead is important for lifelong good health. MetroHealth has Community Health Workers to help prepare you and your home for your new baby! Watch this video to learn how to bring your new baby back to a lead-safe home.
