As you plan for the birth of a child, it’s important to understand all your delivery options. UCSF Health’s Birth Center at Mission Bay offers unparalleled, holistic care and support during labor, delivery, and beyond. Below, learn more about the services and amenities available to expecting mothers at UCSF Betty Irene Moore Women’s Hospital.
Preparing Mothers and Families for Healthy Births
The first step toward delivering a happy, healthy infant is finding the right care partners. The Canopy Health alliance includes many highly-trained OB-GYN and women’s health physicians. Your doctor will coordinate the care of your nurses, midwives, and specialists — monitoring you and your child’s health and development at every stage of the pregnancy. And as part of the Canopy Health alliance, you can choose to deliver your baby at UCSF Health’s renowned Birth Center.
Even before you go into labor, UCSF Health’s team of nurses, physicians, and other specialists will work with you to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy and birth. Expecting mothers can enroll in a variety of programs and classes that can help prepare you for childbirth and parenting. They include:
- CenteringPregnancy®: A unique approach to prenatal care where groups of mothers receive coordinated care and support throughout their pregnancies.
- Great Expectations: Courses that offer prenatal and postpartum education and support addressing childbirth, mindfulness, infant nutrition, infant massage, and maternal self-care.
- Birth Center Tours: You can register for guided tours on the UCSF Health Birth Center website.
These courses, along with regular prenatal care from your obstetrician and other providers, will help you prepare for birth and parenthood.
Your Family Will Have Access to Private and Well-Appointed Birthing Rooms
The Birth Center at Betty Irene Moore Women’s Hospital understands expecting mothers and their families have unique needs. All of the facility’s labor, delivery, and post-partum rooms are private. They offer specialized bathtubs for labor and a dedicated infant care area in each room that allows your newborn to remain with you for minor tests and procedures. The newly-built women’s hospital also offers scenic bay, garden, and city views from all of its rooms.
The rooms are also spacious enough to accommodate your spouse or partner, including an area to sleep and a lockable storage area for personal items. Families also have access to a pantry that provides bottled water, basic snacks, and other items.
UCSF Health Does Its Best to Honor Birth Plans
While maternal and fetal health are top priorities, UCSF Health’s nurses, obstetricians, and midwives do their very best to honor each mother’s birth plan. The Birth Center has one of California’s lowest C-section rates and a significantly higher-than-average number of VBACs. While 9% of eligible mothers have a vaginal birth after a C-section in the average California hospital, UCSF Health’s rate is 38%.
Additionally, the Birth Center:
- Allows midwives to collaborate with obstetricians in high-risk births
- Welcomes doulas and other support people during birth
- Offers nitrous oxide and other innovative pain relief options
- Permits mothers to labor actively and freely with wireless monitoring equipment
- Boasts an award-winning hospital menu that mothers can easily order from using an in-room infotainment system
- Ensures family members’ comfort with waiting lounges that contain mini kitchens, WIFI, workstations, and children’s play areas
- Provides breastfeeding support from certified lactation consultants
UCSF Health is also committed to respecting our families’ diversity. Simple amenities like free interpreter services and multilingual menus can make your time at the Birth Center feel more welcoming. And UCSF Health consistently gets high honors from the LGBT Healthcare Equality Index and welcomes parents of all genders and sexual orientations.
Exceptional Care for High-Risk Pregnancies and Infants
UCSF Health was one of the country’s first National Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health. Whether your pregnancy is uneventful or high-risk, the specialists at UCSF Health are ready to jump into action. According to U.S. News & World Report, UCSF Health has the #10 neonatology and #8 gynecology programs in the United States. When a mother or newborn require intensive or specialized care, qualified physicians are readily available. Parents can also rest assured knowing they have access to a Level IV Regional NICU and Neuro-Intensive Care Nursery.
