At St. Luke’s, we offer spacious labor/delivery/recovery suites for childbirth. We strive to keep mothers and newborns together at all times. Our private rooms include a bathroom, television and sleeper bed for your partner or labor coach. Following delivery, you and your baby will be moved to a private postpartum room for the remainder of your stay. Because your family offers a strong support system, you may elect to have your husband, partner, mother or other family or a friend stay with you during your stay. Our goal is to make you as comfortable as possible, providing a supportive environment and the personal attention you would expect from an excellent community hospital.

We recognize the Bay Area’s diversity and are sensitive to patients’ cultural needs. Many of our staff are bilingual and speak Spanish, Chinese or one of 30 other languages/dialects. Our childbirth team respects patients’ birthing customs, supporting the unique traditions you and your family bring to the celebration of birth.

Every step of the way, we work with you to provide the childbirth experience you desire. Some features offered at St. Luke’s include:

*A Full Range of Pain-Relief Options
We respect women’s choices in labor and offer individualized care for your needs. Pain relief options may include walking, hands-on support and a labor tub, in addition to medications and epidurals. Because various pain-management options have their own unique benefits and side effects, we recommend discussing pain-relief options with your doctor or nurse-midwife prior to active labor. Our anesthesiologist is available 24 hours a day to offer anesthesia should you so desire.

*Doula Program
St. Luke’s Hospital offers a multi-dimensional approach to labor support. Staffed with physicians, midwives, and obstetrical nurses, our birth center also provides doulas. Doulas are women who have received special training in order to provide physical and emotional support to women in labor. The doula remains by the woman’s side throughout the birth process. If needed, a postpartum doula can assist the mother during her hospital stay, providing breastfeeding support and guidance on caring for her newborn.

*Family-Centered Approach
Because one’s family and friends are invaluable sources of support, we welcome their involvement during your hospital stay. Similarly, we focus on providing you and your partner with the education and tools you need to care for your newest family member.

*Mother-Baby Care
Our mother-baby care program supports bonding between mother and infant, with education from our nursing team. Following childbirth, your baby will stay in your room, giving you the opportunity to better understand his or her needs. Your nurse will help you to recognize your baby’s feeding cues, sleeping patterns and temperament so you can be well prepared upon your return home.

*Advanced Care
Though most mothers and children experience no complications during the birthing process, St. Luke’s is equipped to rapidly respond to any high-risk delivery. Our Pediatric Hospitalist Physician and Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse attend all high-risk deliveries and, along with our neonatologists, care for and stabilize premature babies in St. Luke’s Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. If necessary, transport to more extensive perinatology and/or neonatology services at California Pacific Medical Center is immediately available.

*Pediatric Unit
Our Pediatric Unit enables sick children to receive needed care close to home. St. Luke’s pediatricians deliver attentive, child-centered care in our Emergency Department and Pediatric Unit. A pediatric hospitalist is available in-house 24-hours a day to respond to any emergencies and attend any births that require their assistance.