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Washington Babies
LifesPeachy
member
Birth Centers in Seattle
LifesPeachy
member
Hello!
My family and I are moving to Seattle at the end of the month and I am 16 weeks pregnant. I have my heart set on a birth in a birth center attended by a mid-wife.
I see Swedish Medical Center in Ballard has a birth center? They have a really terrible website (hard to navigate) and I am finding it hard to get any info. Can you ONLY do this "Centering Pregnancy" option because that doesn't interest me at all.
If anyone can give me any info on the Family Birth Center at Swedish, please let me know! I would consider a freestanding birth center but like the idea of it one attached or part of a hospital- is that how it is at Swedish Ballard? We are actually staying about 2 blocks from here but only until November when we move out of corporate housing into a home will be buying.
Does Swedish Ballard do OB births as well or just midwife births?
I am bummed because I tried to sign up for a tour but it seems all the ones for people who are early in their pregnancy are booked! There also aren't ANY on their online calendar for the child-friendly tours for Ballard. Maybe this means they are all family friendly at Ballard since it is a family birth center? I will call tomorrow and ask. I will have to take part in the early pregnancy tour even though I am in my second trimester because I will be new to Seattle. I am not waiting until 4 weeks before I deliver to take their pre-birth tour.
So much to think about 
Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me details on Swedish Ballard or other birth centers in Seattle!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Birth Centers in Seattle
Good luck on your move!
Evergreen Medical Center in Kirkland, WA is a great center (it is a hosptial) and I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) has a mid-wife option.
Swedish on Capital Hill in downtown Seattle is also a great facility to deliver at.
I also have had both my babies at the Puget Sound Birth Center and love them so much! The midwives are care there are amazing!!! I highly recommend them.
https://www.birthcenter.com/
We were with Heike, Andrea and Nicole (I think they are the Eastside Midwives group). There are two groups of midwives that work out of the Birth Center. You really cant go wrong with any of them!
Thanks everyone. I think the Puget Sound Birth Center might be too far for us. My husband won't be driving, he'll be using public transport. He barely drives here in Delaware and that's only because I threatened him if he didn't start
(he's from London where he relied on public transport so driving here in the states makes him incredibly nervous, he'll never do it in big city).
So I just can't imagine having to drive myself to Kirkland, especially in labor! Or just postpartum!
I guess there's always cabs...
If I can have a midwife attend my labor, I think I'd be happy. I don't necessarily need the entire birth center experience, just a caring midwife will make me extremely happy, I think I'd get the kind of experience I am looking for at Swedish Ballard. I am seeing an OB now and really do not like it. Wasn't happy with my care the first time around either and the labor/delivery had too many interventions.
The Centering Pregnancy program sounds neat, if you're a first time mom. This is my second.
So is the "Birth Center' Just a LDRP hospital floor? If anyone else has other personal experiences with Swedish Ballard and the midwives, please respond!