Board-certified obstetricians and a professional nursing staff are here for you and your baby. They tend to your specific labor, delivery and postpartum needs throughout your hospital stay. Anesthesiologists are on call 24 hours a day and offer various options for pain relief. On-site pediatricians give routine and specialized care for newborns.

When needed, your baby also has quick access to East Tennessee Children's Hospital and Children's Health Services at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

New mom & baby
Our Family Birthing Center nurses are trained in mother-baby care. They encourage you to keep your baby with you. This helps you bond sooner and learn more about infant care. However, if you need some time by yourself - we are more than happy to watch your baby for you.

Hearing test
Among the Family Birthing Center's newest services is a two-in-one hearing test for all babies born here. We were one of Tennessee's first hospitals to make this possible. The first test detects possible hearing loss in infants, and the second checks hearing pathways to the baby's brain.

These tests allow treatment, if any is necessary, to begin as soon as possible. Delays in treatment may affect a child's speech and language development.

Safety & Comfort
Childbirth can be a wonderful experience, and parents often want to share their happiness immediately. We welcome visits by those closest to you, but no one can enter our locked unit without identification.

Your comfort is another priority. The Family Birthing Center has cozy private rooms and charming birthing suites. Each suite features a private shower, Jacuzzi® and oversized rocking chair. Beneath the homey appearance, the suites are high-tech delivery rooms with state-of-the-art monitoring and life support systems.

Take a tour
Tours of the Family Birthing Center are available for expectant families upon request. To arrange a tour, please call (865) 835-2268.

We also offer virtual tours of a birthing suite on Methodist's Web site. To begin, click here on virtual tour. First-time visitors to the site may have to download free software, but the directions are simple.

Celebrate! Celebrate!
A Star is Born and the Net Nursery are easy ways to announce the birth of your child. You can celebrate with the "Star is Born" Baby Wall of Fame at the Family Birthing Center. We will inscribe a star with your child's name and birth date for the wall and give you a second star to take home. For more information, please call the Methodist Medical Center Foundation, (865) 835-5261.

You also have an opportunity to share baby's first photo with loved ones around the world. Just tell a nurse you want your baby's picture posted on Net Nursery, a special service of Covenant Health Online.

It's free and simple. We take a photo, and after you leave the hospital, you and your loved ones can see it by clicking here on Net Nursery. For your protection, we identify babies by a number and birth date rather than by name.

For more information about the Family Birthing Center, please call (865) 835-2250.