Family Birth Center - Dignity Health - St. Elizabeth Community Hospital

We offer a variety of birthing options to meet your personal preferences. You can choose to deliver your baby with the assistance of a doctor, midwife or doula. 

During labor you may also use our water tub. This tub is filled with warm water, which can help to ease the labor process. You can also walk around our calming gardens. We use a fetal monitoring system that allows you to walk with confidence and security, knowing your care team is keeping watch.

We encourage you to discuss your options with your doctor, who will help you create a birthing plan based on your health requirements.

Soaking in a warm water tub during the labor process may provide many benefits, including:

• Ability to move freely and position your body as needed, due to a lessening of body weight

• Boosted energy during the later stages of labor

• Greater sense of privacy, which can reduce inhibitions, anxiety and fears

• Increased physical and mental relaxation to help you focus on the birthing process

• Lower blood pressure

• More efficient uterine contractions and improved blood circulation, resulting in less pain for you and more oxygen for your baby

St. Elizabeth was the first hospital in California to offer a water tub. The water tub is for labor only and not available to all expecting mothers. Together, you and your doctor will decide whether this option is right for you.

Yes, we welcome your chosen support people during labor and delivery and after birth. We encourage discussing your visitor preferences with your care team to ensure a comfortable and safe environment for everyone. 

Two support people may be present during labor, delivery and recovery. Visitors may rotate. Your newborn’s siblings may visit with a designated adult (other than you). All visitors may also use the cafeteria and gift shop.

Review our visitor guidelines

The most important item to bring is an approved infant car seat. You may also want to pack a going-home outfit for your baby along with a receiving blanket. We provide all other necessary items for your baby during your hospital stay, including diapers and blankets. 

You are welcome to bring anything else that will make your stay more comfortable, including: 

• Comfortable clothes to wear home (maternity clothes)

• Driver's license or ID card, insurance card, and pediatrician and OB/GYN contact information

• Flip-flops

• Lip balm

• Nightgowns

• Nursing bras and nursing pads

• Personal electronics and chargers

• Personal toiletries

• Snacks

• Swimsuit and a change of clothes for your birth partner

Yes. Our approach to infant feeding is guided by compassion, research, real-world experiences and your family's unique needs. It’s designed to help all families thrive, supporting both breastfeeding families and those who make an informed choice not to breastfeed.

If you choose to breastfeed, St. Elizabeth hospital staff is well trained to help you get started. Our board-certified lactation consultants can also provide expert support during your hospital stay.

Our Childbirth Preparation Class helps you and your partner prepare for labor and childbirth. The class covers topics from early labor to delivery, with an emphasis on options for labor and delivery, coping strategies and pain management. 

The class is held as a two-day series of three-hour classes. We recommend that you sign up for this class in your fifth or sixth month of pregnancy. Please call the Education Department at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital at (530) 529-8031 for upcoming class dates and to pre-register.

Register for a class

Yes, we offer professional photography services to commemorate and share your newborn’s arrival. You can purchase prints or create a personal website. Our photography vendor offers on-site printing so you can receive your package before you leave the hospital. You can also select images or reorder up to a year later.

Yes. At St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, we keep mothers and babies together during the hospital stay to encourage bonding opportunities. Skin-to-skin bonding often:

• Causes your uterus to contract and bleed less

• Comforts and soothes baby

• Gives baby better oxygenation and blood sugar levels

• Promotes feelings of closeness and protectiveness

• Provides a quiet time for your new family to connect

• Stabilizes baby’s temperature and vital signs

• Stimulates milk production and provides the best opportunity to get breastfeeding off to a good start

You can choose a pediatrician by asking your obstetrics and gynecology doctor or asking family and friends. You can also use our Find a Doctor tool.