Family Birth Center
Birth Center Resources in La Crosse
OB-GYN services
No matter what stage of life you're in — from adolescence to pregnancy to menopause — you can receive care from the OB-GYN team. If you have a women's health issue or concern, the team of physicians and advanced-practice providers — physician assistants, midwives and nurse practitioners — is ready to help you find a solution that is best for you.
A variety of surgical and nonsurgical services are available to you for women's issues, including:
- Birth control selection
- Breast care
- Incontinence and bladder care
- Infertility treatment
- Irregular bleeding
Learn more about how OB-GYN services can benefit you.
Pregnancy and infant loss support
Experiencing the loss of a baby is heartbreaking, and the grief is real. It's difficult for all family members. If you have experienced a loss, we are so sorry.
As you heal physically and emotionally, we would like you to know that you're not alone. Staff is available to support families who are grieving the loss of their baby through miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death.
A number of resources are available to help families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss:
- Perinatal and infant loss bereavement support: Our bereavement team is available to support and guide you through the grief and healing process after losing a baby. Through Rachel's Gift and other programs, our staff has been trained to care for bereaved families during and after the time of loss.
- Burial services: Services are held in May and October each year for families who have experienced a newborn loss. Participation is optional.
- Annual remembrance events: Events are held in October and December, hosted by Mayo Clinic Health System and Gundersen Health System. These events are open to anyone who has been affected by pregnancy or infant loss at no charge.
- Contact us: If you would like information regarding these events or would like additional support coping with your loss, contact Family Birth Center at 608-392-2560 and ask for a member of the bereavement team. If no one is available, please leave your name and phone number, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.
Additional resources include these blog posts and :
- Miscarriage – It's not your fault
- When grief goes unacknowledged
- Currents of grief: Finding balance through the holiday season
- What's normal when I'm grieving?
- Do children grieve?
- Offering support to the grieving
- March of Dimes: Loss and grief
Unwanted newborn — safe options
Some women feel that it isn't the right time to start a family. The resources below are available for women who are unsure if they are keeping their baby.
Unwanted baby
"If a mother has hidden or denied her pregnancy, she may panic when the baby comes. We can't risk that newborn's life," says Terry Walsh, executive director of Safe Place for Newborns. "There's an option to unsafe abandonment." Under Wisconsin's law, a parent can go to any hospital employee, tell him/her that she wants to leave the baby with Safe Place for Newborns and she won't have to fear that police will be called, Walsh explained. The newborn will be given any needed medical attention and then be placed in foster care for adoption.
In Wisconsin, a parent may confidentially hand over her unharmed newborn, up to 3 days old, to any hospital employee, EMT or police professional in the state without fear of prosecution. This law is commonly known as the "safe haven law" or Wisconsin Act 2.
In Minnesota, a parent may confidentially hand over her unharmed newborn, up to 7 days old, with an ambulance dispatched in response to a 911 call, or at a hospital or healthcare facility that provides urgent care. Medical staff will give shelter, healthcare and aid to the newborn. The Minnesota law does not apply if newborns are born in a hospital, have been harmed or are over 7 days old.