Meet The Women’s Hospital 

Over 30 years. Over 75,000 babies and counting. An incredible birth experience. Choosing the place to deliver your bundle of joy is an important decision. That’s why we’re so proud to deliver sub-specialized maternity care in a beautiful, comfortable environment that feels like home. We provide resources and support throughout your entire journey – including personalized care from exceptional physicians and nurses, an on-site, advanced Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Obstetric Emergency Department (OB ED) and spacious, private birthing suites. Whether you’re planning to start your family, choosing your OB/GYN or discovering what we’re about, we’ve got you covered.

Personalized Midwifery Care 

We've expanded our midwifery care in South Orange County with the addition of certified nurse midwives, who deliver babies exclusively at Saddleback Medical Center. Our midwife philosophy emphasizes comprehensive prenatal support, education, and counseling. We empower women to make informed choices, ensuring they have the best possible birth experience and the autonomy to decide what feels most natural to them. Learn more.

Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology Center of Excellence and Magnet Status badges

Meet our Maternity Concierge, Jessica Sanders

Jessica Sanders

Jessica provides individualized support for you and your family from the time you register with us to the time you deliver your baby. She coordinates with all our specialized teams at The Women's Hospital to fulfill your needs and answers any questions you may have, including questions related to insurance and billing.

In 1988, The Women’s Hospital introduced the first Labor-Delivery-Recovery-Postpartum (LDRP) suites in California, and since then, we’ve stayed ahead of the curve, adding a variety of luxurious amenities. Our suites have a spa-like ambiance with large windows for soft natural light, Bluetooth speakers, Himalayan salt rock lamps and have been recently renovated with refreshed aesthetics.

Our LDRP birthing suites are equipped with the necessary tools and supplies to care for you and your baby before, during and after birth. We offer soaking tubs in six of our birthing suites and other natural birthing resources including peanut balls and rocking chairs to encourage mobility during labor.

Depending upon how many babies we have making their way into the world in any given week, some families may need to be transferred to our postpartum unit located on the 1st floor of The Women’s Hospital to ensure labor and delivery suites are available for laboring patients.

The additional private rooms on the 1st floor are equipped with spa-like amenities including a fully reclining chair for the partner in care, room service, a celebratory brunch and a quieter environment to support baby and family bonding. Patients in our postpartum unit are cared for by the same specialty nurses as our LDRP unit.

The Obstetrical Emergency Department (OB ED) at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is open 24/7 and provides care to obstetrical patients over 20 weeks pregnant and up to 6 weeks postpartum. Our 4 bed OB ED is located within The Women’s Hospital, on the same floor as our Labor, Delivery, Recovery, Postpartum (LDRP) suites.

If you are admitted to the OB ED, you will be cared for by specialized OB ED nurses and a board-certified OB/GYN, also known as an OB hospitalist or laborist. The OB hospitalist assesses, treats, and discharges as needed. If the OB hospitalist determines you should remain in the hospital for further care or observation, the OB ED team will coordinate your care, including transferring you to the appropriate area in the labor and delivery unit.

The following symptoms may prompt an expecting or newly postpartum mother to be seen in the OB ED, including but not limited to:

  • Abdominal pain including labor contractions
  • Abnormal vaginal bleeding
  • Concern about pre-term labor
  • Conditions related to high-risk pregnancy (such as high blood pressure)
  • Decreased fetal movement
  • Ruptured membranes (when a patient’s “water breaks”)
  • Urinary tract or bladder infections
  • Other signs and symptoms of infection
  • Mothers requiring evaluation prior to being admitted to an LDRP suite

Advanced On-Site Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Level III)

While we plan for perfect deliveries and healthy babies, we have an on-site Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and an expert team – including an on-site neonatologist available 24/7 – dedicated to caring for ill or premature infants. This special unit gives you peace of mind knowing that, should the need arise, we can provide immediate, advanced care for your newborn.
Learn More

Your Moment. Your Miracle. Your Hospital.

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Find an OB/GYN

With extensive experience in maternity care, our OB/GYNs will help guide your pregnancy and create the best birth experience possible.

Find an OB/GYN

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Expert Care for High-Risk Pregnancies

Perinatologists, board-certified maternal-fetal OBGYNs who specialize in the care of the mom and fetus in more complicated, higher-risk situations, are on staff to care for you and your baby before and during delivery. Whether it be for management of multiples (twins or more), diabetes management during pregnancy, or other high-risk conditions, our specialists are ready to provide expert, personalized care on-site. With our Level III NICU on the same floor, we offer immediate advanced care for baby just across the hall, should the need arise.

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Specialized, Experienced Nurses

Saddleback Medical Center has been designated a Magnet organization, the highest and most prestigious international distinction a healthcare organization can achieve for nursing excellence. Our caring and compassionate 24/7 labor, delivery and postpartum nurses provide support and guidance throughout your journey.

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Proudly Leading the Way Toward Better Care

The Women's Hospital at Saddleback Medical Center is proudly recognized as Orange County’s first Center of Excellence by the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP). This designation recognizes that our hospital demonstrates excellence in obstetric anesthesia care.

The Women's Hospital is also proud to be included on the Maternity Honor Roll by the California Health and Human Services (CHHS) Agency and Cal Hospital Compare (CHC). This honor recognizes that we have surpassed the statewide target aimed at reducing births via C-section in first-time mothers with low-risk pregnancies.

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Postpartum Support Groups

Our virtual postpartum support group and Mommy & Me postpartum support group hosted by The Mommy Center offer a non-judgmental space designed to help you adjust to the complex and rewarding world of motherhood. You will have the opportunity to interact with other new mothers, discover you are not alone and build a network of peers for continued support.

Attend a Class

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On-Site Specialists

Dedicated obstetric anesthesiologists are available to provide immediate, around-the-clock pain management to maximize your comfort. A board-certified neonatologist is here 24/7 to provide immediate, specialized care for your baby, if additional care is needed.

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Special Touches

We offer special touches before, during and after labor, including complimentary room service meals and snacks for new mom and partner, a celebration brunch, free parking, WiFi access, lavender towel service and fresh-baked cookies. Each suite includes a private bathroom and a foldout bed for your partner.

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Birth Plans & Doulas

No matter what tools you choose to use during labor and delivery, when deciding on a birth plan or the incorporation of a doula into your birth experience, the goal is to foster a collegial, interprofessional, and collaborative relationship.

Birth plans were originally introduced as a tool to enhance communication between doctors, nurses, and patients. Over time, there was a shift and now they tend to focus more on what a woman will accept and what she will not accept in labor and the postpartum period. If you choose to utilize a birth plan, keep in mind that it should be considered a tool to help explain your perspectives and facilitate the most satisfactory birth for you, your partner, and your baby, while employing a collaborative approach with your healthcare team. For a birth plan to be as successful as possible, it is important to have it reviewed by your health care provider before your hospital admission as well as by your nurse upon admission. Even though your healthcare team works together to provide optimal care, having a birth plan cannot control all outcomes. It is important to have flexibility with the process.

Doulas can contribute positively to the birth experience of a family. Doula services can help you prepare for and support you during childbirth and the postpartum period. They are considered a vital member of your care team and recognized by The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) as such. AWHONN specifically supports doulas as partners in care and acknowledges their ability to provide physical, emotional, and partner support. While the use of a doula is not required, if you do choose to utilize one, it is up to the woman to provide. Saddleback Medical Center encourages a collaborative approach between the patient, doula, and medical team. While the doulas’ role does include providing you with continuous physical, emotional, and informational support there are a few things that doulas are not expected to do:

  • Speak for you
  • Make decisions for you
  • Project their values/goals upon you
  • Interfere with medical treatments
  • Perform clinical tasks such as vaginal exams, adjust monitors and/or assess fetal heart tones
  • Diagnose medical conditions, offer second opinions, and/or interpret medical advice
  • Discourage your choices, including the choice to use pharmacologic pain relief
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Your Cesarean Delivery: Information Regarding Your Birth Experience

This handbook should be used as a guide to help you understand your surgery and recovery, and answer questions that you may have.

View the Guide

Advancing Research Forward

At MemorialCare, research is woven throughout national consortiums and centers of excellence through clinical trials and novel investigations to improve population health – effectively safeguarding the community by improving outcomes, while lowering costs for patients.

Resources