Moms-to-be choose the UPMC Altoona Birth Center for our broad array of expert services before, during, and after birth.
About Our Birth Center
If you're pregnant and trying to decide which birthing center best suits your needs, let our team help ease your concerns.
Make an appointment to tour our center and meet our team of labor, birthing, and postpartum experts. Call 814-889-2754 to schedule a tour.
Information for Visiting
- Visiting hours are from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM to allow mothers and babies adequate time for education and healing.
- All visitors interested in accessing this unit must obtain a visitor’s badge in the main lobby. The badge is needed to scan in/out of the unit and must be renewed every 24 hours.
- Labor and delivery is restricted to a maximum of two (2) designated support persons. The support persons will be given designated visitor bracelets and allowed 24-hour access. Visitors without bracelets will be directed to the waiting room. Bracelets are not interchangeable.
- Postpartum visiting is permitted after delivery. Visitors must be at least 16 years of age or the sibling of the newborn. Siblings must be at least 2 years of age to visit.
- The main support person may be granted permission to stay overnight. Minors under the age of 18 are not permitted to spend the night unless they have the primary support band.
Parking
Visitors should park in the main parking garage on Howard Avenue. Expecting parents will receive a voucher for free parking.
Learn more about parking at UPMC Altoona.
Our Services
What we offer
- 24-Hour Anesthesia Coverage
- Continuing Care Nursery
- Lactation Services
- Childbirth and Parenting Education
- 24-hour Breastfeeding Helpline 814-889-2310
Birthing services
When you choose our team for your care, our relationship begins far before your due date.
For expecting parents, we offer:
- Prenatal care classes
- Infant care classes
- Postpartum care classes
As the largest birth center in the area, we offer all you might need during labor, delivery, and postpartum. Our facilities are located on the 9th floor of UPMC Altoona and include:
- Two Triage Rooms. At your time of delivery, you'll go to a triage room for testing before going to a birthing room.
- 18 Private Birthing Rooms. You can expect to stay in a birthing room from the time you arrive until you leave. These private rooms have a home-like feel for mom and baby to bond in comfort. Most new moms stay here for two nights, but some can go home after 24 hours.
- 24-Hour Anesthesia Coverage. You have around-the-clock access to a doctor who can help relieve any pain, no matter what time you give birth.
- Continuing Care Nursery. The nursery, found on the same floor as the birthing rooms near mom, is for newborns who need a little extra care. If needed, our pediatricians will refer your baby to a specialist.
- Operating Rooms. If you have a C-section, it will take place in the OR on the same floor as the birthing rooms. We can also take moms in labor here if any issues arise.
- Lactation Guidance. During your stay, our lactation expert will visit you and offer breastfeeding advice. After you leave —if you have any questions or concerns — you can reach us by phone or in-person.
- Car Seat Safety Checks. Before you leave, one of our certified experts can look at your car seat to make sure you’ve safely installed it.
Why Choose UPMC Altoona Birth Center?
Each year, our center serves more than 1,000 women from Blair County and the surrounding areas.
To meet all your needs, we're staffed 24 hours a day by a full range of pregnancy and postpartum experts, including:
- Ob-gyns
- Nurse midwive
- Family doctors
- Labor and delivery nurses
- Case managers
- Pediatricians
But don't just take our word for it. We have national- and state-level honors for providing the best possible care for new moms and babies.
We're fully certified as a National Safe Sleep Hospital by Cribs for Kids. We help all our new parents make sure their newborns have safe sleeping quarters.
We're on the Immunization Action Coalition’s (IAC) Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll. The IAC recognizes hospitals who give the Hepatitis B vaccine to over 90 percent of newborns before going home.
We take part in the Keystone 10 Initiative. The state-led program endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics t aims to improve breastfeeding care. Our involvement ensures that we have the methods in place to promote healthy breastfeeding.
