New Ways to Welcome Babies

By Kendra Ericson

It seems not too long ago now that expectant mothers had few options regarding childbirth. Even for our parents’ generation, it was almost a given that an expectant mom would choose a doctor at the hospital closest to her home and that, when the time came, she would be whisked away to a delivery and hospital room devoid of the comforts of home, except for the television, of course – my mother-in-law can still recall the program that aired in her hospital room when she went into labor with my husband thirty-five years ago.

When it comes to childbirth, expectant mothers in Orange County have more options than ever before. Long gone are the days when mothers had two choices: homebirth in a “comfortable” environment or a hospital birth in a “clinical” environment. Today, Orange County hospitals and birthing centers offer such innovative options as homelike suites, lullaby music for newborns, and maternity boutiques. The rise in these options makes the childbirth process customizable, personal, and more tranquil for both mom and baby.

Looking into birthing options in your area? Here are some of the innovative facilities and services available at local hospitals and birthing centers.

Mission Hospital – St. Joseph Health System

Located in Mission Viejo, Mission Hospital has several specialized services for expectant and new moms. For example, after delivery, moms are placed in “home-like, state-of-the-art recovery rooms” for the remainder of their stay, and babies are cared for by one of their “Mother/Baby” nurses in the same room. Mission also encourages the new mom’s support person to spend the night, and, seven days a week, they offer a sunrise buffet breakfast for mom and her guest.

Mission Hospital also has an onsite maternity boutique. The boutique, according to Mission’s website, “has certified bra fitters to help you find the perfect size breastfeeding bra just for you,” and the boutique is “staffed by certified lactation educators,” and also “sells or rents breast pumps and many other products to make this part of the mothering process as easy as possible.”

Take a tour of the Mission Maternity Center online at www.mission4health.com under their “about us” section.

Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center

At Orange Coast Memorial in Fountain Valley, the entire birthing process takes place in their private labor, delivery and recovery (LDR) rooms. In addition to providing additional privacy, these rooms contain special birthing beds that allow moms to deliver in whatever position they find most comfortable. Further, according to the Center’s website, Orange Coast Memorial is the only community hospital program in Orange County to have Certified Nurse Midwives on staff. For more information on the Center, visit their website at www.memorialcare.org/orange_coast/about.cfm.

Saddleback Memorial Medical Center

Also part of the Memorial Care centers is Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills. In addition to having Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Postpartum Suites, Saddleback also offers a “Breastfeeding Supply Store” and several childbirth education classes including a three-week childbirth preparation series and a class on preventing preterm delivery. More information of Saddleback Memorial can be found at www.memorialcare.org/saddleback/about.cfm.

UCI Medical Center – University of California, Irvine

Like Saddleback Memorial, UCI Medical Center offers prenatal classes to “prepare expectant parents for the big day and the baby's first months of life” (ucihealth.com). In addition, UCI offers materials to help expectant moms develop a detailed personal birth plan, and they provide “A Woman’s Guide to Understanding Pregnancy” online, a comprehensive guide to both pregnancy and the birthing process. After the delivery, mothers can usually “room in” with their babies to begin the bonding process, and UCI Medical Center gives parents access to WebNursery, an on-line announcement service for parents.

Looking for something a little different?

While many moms opt to deliver their babies in hospitals or birthing centers, other options exist for moms who want to deliver at home or in freestanding (not connected to a hospital) birth centers, some of which offer waterbirth options. For either option, the internet is the best resource available to research case studies, organizations, and practicing midwives in your area.

Homebirth:

Many mothers decide to deliver at home because they can feel in charge of the situation and comforted by their surroundings. In this case, a midwife will come to the expectant mother’s home for prenatal visits as well as for the birth itself, and the midwife will bring all the necessary birth and medical equipment to the home.

Waterbirth:

Like homebirth, most waterbirths are assisted by a midwife, sometimes in the home and sometimes at a birthing center. Waterbirths are becoming increasingly popular because, proponents argue, the warm water helps relieve the mother’s pain during childbirth while providing the baby with a gentle transition into the world.