Your care team
At Kaiser Permanente, your labor and delivery care team may include:
- Certified nurse-midwives
- Obstetrics-gynecology physicians
- Maternal-fetal medicine specialist
- Nurse practitioners
- Advance practice nurse practitioners
- Registered nurses
- Medical assistants
- Genetic counselors
- Kaiser Permanente lactation line
- Doulas
- Clinicians
- Physician assistants
- Neonatologists
- Anesthesiologists
At the hospital
Our obstetrical team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the hospital — whenever you arrive in labor, we’ll be ready.
When you’re a Kaiser Permanente member, your prenatal care team, primary care doctor, and labor and delivery team are all connected through your electronic health record. The physician on call when you’re in the hospital may not be the same one you saw during your prenatal visits, but they will have the same knowledge, expertise, and experience.
Midwifery
In addition to the traditional ob-gyn care model, you’ll have the option to get care from a team that includes certified nurse-midwives and ob-gyn physicians working together.
The midwife philosophy takes a holistic approach, recognizing that conception, pregnancy, and birth are part of a natural cycle. Ob-gyn physicians specialize in all aspects of women’s health and medical care, and are highly trained in caring for women before, during, and after childbirth. We’re proud to be part of a national movement toward this new collaborative care model, where new moms and new babies can benefit from the knowledge and expertise of two types of medical professionals.
Care team members
Depending on your preferences and needs, you may receive care from a physician, a nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife during your pregnancy. If you or your baby need special care, we’ll refer you to one of our high-risk specialists.
These are registered nurses with advanced training who have taken certification exams in midwifery. Our midwives perform the majority of our uncomplicated births, in addition to providing prenatal care.
Choosing your baby's doctor
We encourage you to select a personal pediatrician or family medicine physician for your new baby before he or she arrives. Helping your little one grow up healthy is an important job, so make time to choose a doctor you really like.
When it comes time for delivery, you’ll see the Kaiser Permanente healthcare team on call at the hospital that’s paired with the home medical office you’ve selected for prenatal appointments. During labor, our certified nurse-midwives and physicians are there to monitor the health of you and your baby.