Where Can I Give Birth in LA?
Feeling trust and alignment with your provider and their standards of care is essential to having the labor and birth experience that you desire. If you’re considering different birth settings in LA, you’ve come to the right place.
So, how do you find a care provider that is aligned with your birth preferences? Here we talk about choosing a provider, the different options, and some of our favorite birth settings in Los Angeles.
Know a Bit About What You Want
Even if you are still early in your process and yet to take childbirth education classes or read a birth book, imagine your ideal birth experience. What is the environment like? What is your partner doing? Who else is there? How does your midwife or OB behave? What are your most important preferences? If you are hoping for a vaginal birth and you choose a care provider who has a great bedside manner, but has a high Cesarean rate, that is like going to a fine dining restaurant and asking for a Big Mac. The restaurant may try to oblige, but you are unlikely to get what you are looking for because they are not used to making Big Macs. The same goes for planning a very care-provider-directed birth with a midwife who has a hands-off approach.
Choose Your Care Provider Based on Their Views About Birth
This may seem obvious, but choose your care provider based upon their views about pregnancy and birth, not just their bedside manner or the convenience of their office. Choosing a care provider based upon the recommendation of a friend without knowing if their labor preferences are similar to yours is a common mistake. It’s a lot like having someone go shopping for your wardrobe. Everyone has different views and tastes. It is your responsibility to learn more about a care provider’s philosophy and services and decide whether or not they are a good match for you and your baby. Of course, if you have a few friends who have had positive birth experiences and similar preferences, by all means, ask for their referrals and interview, interview, interview!
Hospital
Hospitals have all the technology and tools to address emergencies and intervene if needed. If you are wanting an epidural or you are high-risk, a hospital is an obvious choice. If you are being called to a physiological birth, know that you can achieve this in a hospital setting, however, it will be “swimming up-stream.” Due to legal and medical protocols, many care providers in hospitals are beholden to policies. Some of these policies are simply routine and can be disruptive to a physiological birth, so keep this in mind if your goal is to have a vaginal, unmedicated birth.
These are some of our favorite providers (both OB and Midwives) who deliver at hospitals in Los Angeles.
Dr. Joy, Meschter, Quimby, and Twogood: Cedars Sinai
Dr. Tomayo: Huntington
Dr. Johnson and Mitchell: Verdugo Hills
Dr. Chiang: UCLA Santa Monica
The Eisner Midwives: California Medical Center, Downtown
UCLA Midwives: Santa Monica Birth Place
Birth Center
Birth centers usually have large birthing tubs, birthing stools, balls and a serene, low-tech environment. Unlike a hospital, you will have more freedom of movement, less policies, a more intimate team, and you will likely experience midwifery care, which is patient-focused. Prenatals with a midwife last 45+ minutes and cover nutrition, mental wellness, and supplemental care.
A reason to choose a birth center is a lower chance of c-section. Compared to 26% for similar low-risk women in hospitals, planned birth center births end in c-section 6% of the time.
Birth Centers in Los Angeles
Moxie Birth in South Pasadena
Mind Body Birth in Downtown La
Gracefull Birth Center in Silver Lake
Kindred Space LA in South La
Pure Births in Santa Clarita
Home
Home is a safe option for low-risk births, so this does not include multiples (twins), unmanaged gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, etc. Your care provider will likely be a midwife. Homebirth midwives come with all the same tools and training as birth center midwives: neonatal resuscitation, medication to help with postpartum bleeding, and the knowledge to recognize risk and transfer to hospital if necessary. Home is conducive for achieving an unmedicated birth as it allows you to feel safe and private, two essentials for birth hormones to perform optimally.
Here are our favorite Los Angeles based midwives who support home birth.
Christian Toscano LM, CPM and Janell Moore LM, CPM
Choosing your birth setting and provider are the most important choices while preparing for your birth. Select a team that aligns with your preferences and views on birth and instills trust and safety. Los Angeles has many options, well beyond the listed referrals here. If budget and insurance limits your options, you may consider adding a fund to your registry for the care that you want. You may also be able to apply funds from a flexible spending account. Always ask your insurance provider what the options are for out-of-network benefits, and your care provider may help you get reimbursed for some of their bill.
Village Birth offers doula services, childbirth classes, newborn care classes, lactation and pregnancy support for Los Angeles. Our space is in Sparrow’s Nest in Pasadena (bordering Eagle Rock) where we hold classes, support groups, workshops, and meetups.