Northern Light Mercy Hospital: labor and delivery in Portland, ME
Northern Light Mercy Hospital is a hospital in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine that delivers babies. It handled 720 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 16% delivered by C-section (263 such births). That is below the Maine rate of 25% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 16%First-birth C-section rate
- 720Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 332Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 4 of 5Patient survey stars
- 4 of 5Overall hospital stars
Birth services at Northern Light Mercy Hospital
- Midwifery care
- Childbirth and parenting classes
Address and phone
144 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
Cumberland County
Call (207) 879-3000 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Church
How Northern Light Mercy Hospital compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 16% | 25% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 332 | 288 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 59 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%.
In Maine, Northern Light Mercy Hospital has the 2nd-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 15 hospitals that report one.
The first-birth C-section rate counts first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby. Complication rates are adjusted for patient risk. Our data explains each number.
What patients say
- Patient survey summary: 4 of 5 stars
- 83% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 79% of patients rated this hospital 9 or 10 out of 10
Survey results cover all patients at the hospital, not only maternity patients.
Birthing-Friendly designation
Northern Light Mercy Hospital holds the federal Birthing-Friendly designation. Hospitals earn it by taking part in a perinatal quality collaborative and following maternal safety practices.
Other hospitals that deliver babies near Portland
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainehealth Maine Medical Center | Portland | 0.5 | 27% | 3,824 | Yes |
| Mainehealth Mid Coast Hospital | Brunswick | 25 | 26% | 481 | Yes |
| Central Maine Medical Center | Lewiston | 31 | 26% | 631 | Yes |
| Mainehealth Stephens Hospital | Norway | 41 | 21% | 243 | Yes |
| Wentworth-Douglass Hospital | Dover | 43 | 23% | 1,738 | Yes |
| Lincolnhealth | Damariscotta | 45 | 15% | 129 | Yes |
More labor and delivery in Portland
More in Cumberland County
- Mainehealth Mid Coast Hospital (Brunswick)
All hospitals in Portland · Cumberland County · All Maine hospitals