Natural birth friendly hospital in/around Seattle?

[bre27]

We are brand new to the area and the hospitals that have been referred to me have the highest c-section rates in the area (Overlake, Swedish First Hill) but I'm not sure if that's because they cater to the area high-risk pregnancies? One of them was 39% and that scares the heck out of me.

I'd like private rooms with tubs and natural birth friendly nurses. I had an AMAZING hospital birth experience with my son in California and a home birth is not something that is right for me. I'd like to find the hospital before I find a midwife or OB to ensure that they deliver there. I'm only 5 weeks.

[Melany]

I've had two natural births with VERY supportive nurses at Northwest hospital. My first nurse even said to me "I love the natural ones! The babies are so much more alert!" right after we went through my birth plan. 

I'd recommend having a natural birth friend doctor, too. A friend of mine had a very different experience with her OB at the same hospital. 

Edited by Melany - 12/3/12 at 8:27am

[shannamll]

I agree about Northwest hospital.  We used the midwives and they are great!  http://www.nwmidwivesclinic.com/midwives/

[jenneology]

One resource you will for sure want to look at is: www.parenttrust.org/uploads/pdf/Webstore/GreatStarts%20Guide.pdf You can also look at www.thebirthsurvey.com to see how local providers are rated.

It lists all the maternity care providers in the area and gives consumer feedback ratings and stats regarding birth outcomes and intervention rates.

I also highly recommend the midwives at Providence Everett, especially Gretchen Weiss-Elliot, CNM. I was a doula at a birth with her and she was very impressive and wise when it came to natural birth. She had two homebirths herself so she knew a great deal when it came to natural labor.

The midwives from UW are at Northwest Hospital now and I had a bad experience with them 5 years ago when my son was born, but I have heard more encouraging stories lately.

[lkoz2]

Oh thank you for sharing the survey. Helps us make a "back up" plan.

Laura

[katlin89]

university of Washington medical center... We planned on delivering at Puget Sound Birth Center but when our little monkey decided to come 6 weeks early our midwife recommended UW, as they are very supportive of natural childbirth. I was so pleasantly surprised. They were fantastic. Tubs in every room and a very hands off nursing staff. They were also very supportive of our choice to have a doula. They worked with her very well. Also, their NICU has private rooms so I was able to stay with my daughter for the entire ten days that she was there. Highly recommend UW for labor and delivery if you want to go the hospital route.

[prettysymmetry]

Swedish First Hill - one of the aftercare maternity nurses was belittling and condescending to my husband & me. She actually raised her voice to me and said "you don't have to be a hero! Just take the medicine. Everyone does. " umm, no. I didn't need it & I was breastfeeding. She also also went on abouttheir high c-cxn /epidural rate & how only less than 2% have their children naturally. She wouldn't leave me alone about taking Tylenol either. I just had a baby naturally (thank u hypnobirthing!!), my uterus contracting isn't going to kill me..
So I wrote them up on Angies list /yelp & wrote a lettter to the hospital. They never responded.
if u can go to a birthing ctr instead.
Good luck!

[prettysymmetry]

If u need an ob - Nw women's group on 1st hill is a good group. I worked with Dr pray.

[Chipi]

I was just going to post a similar thread. I'm moving to Issaquah in two weeks and am looking into baby friendly hospitals due to family pressure. I've been reading great things about Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland. It looks like they're very pro baby in the room with you, private rooms with whirlpool bath and shower, midwives, breast feeding, etc. Through their center they also offer all sorts of parenting and birth classes, including the Bradley Method. I haven't heard from anyone specifically who birthed there yet, but how could a hospital offer Bradley and not be pro-natural birth?

[Heathergladish]

I am going to Swedish in Ballard and they have the lowest rates of C sections of all the Swedish centers.  The midwives are very hands off, welcoming to doulas, and right in line with our philosophy of birth.  I'm a first time mamma, so at times it has been a little too hands off but overall our experience has been great.  They offer a centering program which is unique.  I have heard great things about UW-- they are the only center in Washington that offers nitrous oxide as pain management (if it matters).

I'm due in a couple of weeks, so if I don't loose my mind and forget I might be able to share more about my experience after.

Good luck!

[CookAMH]

My research was from a couple years ago and I did have a homebirth instead...but I became very comfortable with what I had read about Group Health. The births are largely midwife attended, and pretty natural childbirth friendly. I don't know about tubs as I never toured before we switched to homebirth. If I wasn't a VBAC, my first choice would be one of the birth centers in the area. The Center for Birth looks neat, and many different midwives will use it for their clients.  With this pregnancy, if I needed to end up having a hospital birth, I would probably go to Group Health.

[prettysymmetry]

Nitrous oxide is only used 50 % of the time @uw because it's up to the anasthesiologist on staff when you go into labor. At least that's what I was told by the nurses when I stopped by..

[lkoz2]

Have you considered a birthcenter? Puget Sound Birth center in Kirkland has a beautiful facility and amazing midwives. We used Lake Washington Midwives. Wonderful expirenced team. And if it makes u more comfortable, Evergreen is only a couple blocks away.

I just delivered my 3rd baby with the lake wa group. We delivered at home. They do both birthcenter and home births. All three of my babes were delivered naturally. My first daughter at a hospital and my last two were delivered at home.

May you find just the right place for you to birth.

[DahliaRW]

I would second checking out Puget Sound Birth Center.  At least go for an initial tour/consult to see if it's right for you.  They are literally 2 minutes from Evergreen, and since if something went wrong they would call over there and get you there asap, you would be in an OR having a C/S in pretty much the same time as if you were at the hospital itself and they had to go set one up and then wheel you down the hall.

I've also heard good things about delivering with the 2 midwives that have priviledges at Group Health in Seattle - though their names are escaping me now.  Since they are not Group Health midwives, the facility is billed as a facility fee to your insurance and you don't have to be on a Group Health plan that way.

[want2becrunchy]

I third Puget Sound Birth Center!! http://www.birthcenter.com/  I will be delivering there in July with a midwife from Snohomish.  Good luck with your decision!!