Sutter Davis Hospital Family Birthing Center - Davis (CA)

5 /5 Sharissa Easter: I delivered my baby girl here on Valentine’s Day and had the most amazing birth experience, I knew going into it that I would have such a better experience than I did with my first baby that I delivered at Valley Care/Stanford in Pleasanton, because of rave reviews from a few friends. This birthing center is very mama-focused and respects your wishes. They don’t try to push all the hospital policy BS on you. They fed me lunch right before my labor kicked into high gear, telling me I would need the energy! At Valley Care I could only have ice. From all of the labor pain coping options they offer to how amazing the nurses, doctors and midwives are, my experience was as close to perfect as it could have been. My precipitous labor prevented me from utilizing the birth tub or the many other options they have that I wanted to try, but if you’re going for an unmedicated birth (or medicated), this is the place to be!!!

5 /5 T L: My wife just gave birth to our daughter here, and although we werent able to stick to our birth plan due to an unusually fast first birth (from 2cm to 10cm and pushing in an hour to born in another 1.5 hrs!), The midwives, nurses, and volunteer doula were an amazing support system which helped alot with whats sure to be some PTSD from labor and delivering itself, again, nothing done wrong by anyone, just a very fast birth. They are very attentive, and always happy to help. Krista (one of our midwives) seemed genuinely invested in our new family and it made us feel at home during our stay. Unfortunately we are now back after being home for a day due to postpartum pre-eclampsia and once again the staff has been amazing. My wife who is very sleep deprived needed time away from the baby to get some much needed rest, so they graciously accommodated me with a seperate unused room to take the baby to in between feedings so my wife did not have to worry about anything but resting and recovering. Thank you Sutter Davis Birthing Center!

5 /5 K Andrews: I birthed my second here earlier this year in the spring. When I tell you I made it to the end 2 hours of a 24+ hr labor without intervention thanks to the volunteer doulas and the incredible midwives, I have them to thank for helping me honor my birth plan in my second low risk delivery. They now have 5 rooms with tubs and each also have a bed if you choose intervention ie epidural, etc. I tried nearly all of the tools they offer before any intervention and the touch of the doula as well as what they taught my support people was incredibly integral to my 2nd positive and empowering experience giving birth. In my opinion, this is the ideal fusion of birthing center meets hospital. I birthed my first in an LA hospital, which was also great compared to the regular hospitals here in Sac, but this takes the cake for me and I would birth 1000 times if it went like it did with my 2nd here. The environment is quiet and peaceful, so natural to drive out to a place like Davis, somewhat remote and private. The center is small but recently updated and gives you many options for your desired birth, given you are low risk. Higher risk is sent to downtown etc. They honor the type of delivery you have in recovery stage as well by prioritizing the comfier rooms for C sections and traumatic events. My birth went well and it felt good knowing they put me in a basic room for others who needed a comfier/longer stay. They have incredible extra support for mama if you need, for mental health etc. They don’t have a full nicu so this is as hands off as you could get with spending time with your baby and being left alone post-birth in a hospital setting. Everyone who came in was so kind. I’m grateful. I opted for midwives to deliver rather than an OB and am glad bc it was a value to me to opt for a woman delivering my baby. I am coming back a few months later to simply thank and send love to the staff at the center whose touch and care throughout was everything I needed. Thank you x10

2 /5 Brendaly Felix Hoang: My experience at Sutter Davis was not what I expected. I transferred from home, I tried for a home birth. Since they have a low cesarean rate I was sure I wouldn’t need to have one, with the right support team I felt my birth would go as I wished. My home birth team did not support my wishes how I had outlined in my birth plan. I believe the lack of mindfulness and intuitive support is what led me to the hospital. My doctor at Sutter was concerned about how I had been in prolonged labor, 40 hours. She laid out our plan, I got the epidural, rested and after some time a cesarean was recommended due to babies heart tones changing. It was NOT an emergency cesarean but it sure felt like it... I asked if a gentle cesarean would be possible, I asked for immediate skin to skin, and to nurse my baby while I was stitched. I was strapped to the surgery table, it felt horrible, my baby was not immediately placed on my chest and I was not given the opportunity to nurse her. She was placed on my chest very briefly after they did the assessment. I was still strapped to the table, I couldn’t hug my baby. They took her and we were reunited in one hour. The hospital placed us in the most horrible recovery room, one close to the main door, every single time someone came in and out there was a very loud bang. I couldn’t rest, finally after 24 hours and a lot of asking we were moved to another room. Sutter gives the new mommies a cute floral arrangement after giving birth, well I didn’t get one. I wondered, is it because I had a cesarean or because I was not an established patient. It was an awful feeling, my birth didn’t go as I wished and then to feel left out of a cute tradition felt horrible. I wanted to be out of there ASAP! I did everything in my power to go home within two days. I asked to take my placenta home for encapsulation. Once I got home and and my placenta was being prepped my cord was missing. It was a beautiful long cord, I wanted to make a keepsake. My review had been long overdue and I only wish to share my experience because it may help someone be more assertive in stating their wishes and making sure they will be granted.