Family Birth Center
Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento

Sutter Memorial Hospital has a long tradition of being Sacramento’s baby hospital. Our reputation as the premier destination for deliveries is why more babies have been born at Sutter Memorial Hospital than any other hospital in the Sacramento Region. But we are more than just a place where babies are born – the specialists at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento provide the highest level of prenatal support and education, baby- and family-centered care at the hospital and a complete range of postnatal support for the mother and baby.

Why Choose Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento for Your Delivery?

• Clinical outcomes/quality that surpass local and national averages. View our Outcomes page to see how we compare.
• Designated as a Baby Friendly Hospital by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
• Immediate skin-to-skin contact with mother and baby following delivery to help establish breastfeeding, and uninterrupted first hour for family bonding.
• A team of dedicated and experienced OB physicians and nurses.
• Nurse lactation consultants that provide breastfeeding support and guidance in breastfeeding techniques.
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Genetic specialists and a robust High Risk Pregnancy Program
• Childbirth education classes that have been ranked by our patients in the 99th percentile for satisfaction, ensuring mothers and families are prepared for delivery, breastfeeding and taking care of their baby once they return home.
• Mothers of Multiples program that provides pre- and postnatal care, education and support for mothers expecting multiples.
• Special Start program that offers prenatal education, special delivery options and postnatal support for babies that will require special care after delivery.
• Sweet Success program for pregnant women with diabetes or who had gestational diabetes with previous pregnancies.
• Individualized delivery and pain control options based on the mother’s requests.
• The region’s largest Level III Tertiary Care Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with 24-hour board-certified neonatologists and transfer team.
• NICU survival rates consistently surpass the national average as reported to the Vermont Oxford Network.

Delivering Your Baby at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento?

• Complete our online OB pre-registration form during your second trimester.
• Sign up for your Child Birth Education Classes. The classes fill up fast, so make sure to schedule them soon.
• Get Connected on CaringBridge. This free, secure CaringBridge service lets you set up a unique web page for yourself, family or friends who are hospitalized or are receiving ongoing care. Learn more or create a CaringBridge website.

Labor and Delivery Options

We encourage every family to plan for their labor and delivery and notify their nursing team at arrival of their plan. Our patients labor, deliver and recovery in a large, private room, where spouse and family can attend the birth. For our patient’s comfort, we usually allow up to five people in the labor room. We offer:

• Labor that may include sitting or walking, and continuous or intermittent fetal heart rate monitoring.
• Childbirth anesthesia 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA), "walking" epidurals, intrathecal (spinal) narcotics, and traditional epidural analgesia.
• Three dedicated operating rooms available for cesarean births, should the need arise.

After Delivery

To help establish breastfeeding, the mother and baby will have immediate skin-to-skin contact following delivery and the family will have one hour of uninterrupted time for bonding. Usually within the first two hours following delivery you will be transferred to our Postpartum Unit. Once on the Postpartum Unit, you and your baby will have an initial assessment by a registered nurse. In your postpartum room, your baby usually never leaves your side and our care team comes to your room to perform necessary examinations and screenings. Our focus is on your new family and giving you all of the information you need to care for yourself and your baby once you go home.

Choosing Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento

To select Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento as your birthing facility you first need to establish care with an obstetrician who has privileges to deliver at our facility. Use our Physician Locator to find an obstetrician.