Pregnancy & Birth

Also known as Maternity & Obstetrics

Compassionate, community-based care for growing families

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Our Pregnancy and Birth Services

At Mount Auburn Hospital, we do everything we can to provide a warm, comfortable, family-centered environment for the birth of your baby. This is a memorable time in your life, and we are dedicated to making it a positive experience.

Parents choose Mount Auburn Hospital because we make them feel like family. Our providers strive to deliver world-class care with a personalized touch — all in a convenient setting close to home.

The Department of OBGYN recognizes our responsibility and affirms our commitment to fighting racism and discrimination. We are also dedicated to creating and supporting a culture of equity, inclusion, and respect for all patients, families, healthcare providers, staff and learners. Please read our Statement of Commitment to Respectful and Equitable Care.

Our Pregnancy & Birth Experts

Our team includes obstetricians and midwives to support you from pregnancy to labor and delivery.

Meet the Team

More About Pregnancy & Birth

Labor & Delivery

Obstetricians and midwives provide expert labor and delivery care, including a range of childbirth intervention options.

Midwife Care

Midwives at Mount Auburn Hospital provide prenatal care and birth services for low-risk pregnancies.

Newborn Care

Our Special Care Nursery provides world-class newborn care for babies who need extra medical care after they’re born.

Postpartum Care

We offer private maternity suites and one-on-one nursing care to help you rest and recover after the delivery of your baby.

Pregnancy & Parenting Classes

Pregnancy and parenting classes can help you and your family feel prepared for the arrival of your new baby.

Award-Winning Maternity Care

We are proud to have received multiple awards and distinctions, including being named one of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals by US News & World Report. We are the recipients of a Leapfrog A-level designation for clinical excellence and have also achieved the Blue Cross Maternity Distinction Plus Designation, demonstrating our commitment to high-quality prenatal care and childbirth experiences.

We deliver over 2,300 babies in our community each year. And we’re proud to have a lower-than-average Cesarean section (C-section) rate. If you are interested in pursuing a vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC), our providers can help you work towards that option.

Specialty Care

Along with obstetricians, we are proud to include midwives on our care team at Mount Auburn Hospital. We offer the largest midwifery practice in eastern Massachusetts. Our midwives work hand-in-hand with our obstetricians and the rest of our pregnancy and delivery care team.

With the help of our midwives, we can provide you with the full range of options for your pregnancy and birth experiences, from low-intervention births to care for complex, high-risk pregnancies.

Special Care Nursery at Mount Auburn

When your baby needs special care, trust the skilled physicians and nurses at the Level IIB (special care) nursery at Mount Auburn Hospital. You can rely on experienced staff with advanced training in caring for premature or ill newborns. Our newly renovated Level IIB nursery allows a parent to stay overnight with their neonate in a private room.

If you or your baby require a higher level of care than our Level IIB nursery can provide, our providers partner with specialists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston. We are here to provide you with seamless access to the care you need.

Prenatal Care

Get more details on what you expect during your pregnancy appointments at Mount Auburn Hospital.

Collaborative Pregnancy Care Providers

At Mount Auburn Hospital, you can choose a pregnancy and birth care provider that fits you. Your team might include the following:

Certified nurse-midwife (CNM): Certified nurse-midwives are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who are experts in supporting pregnant people through the pregnancy and birth process.
Nurse practitioner (NP): Provides prenatal care in collaboration with obstetricians and CNMs.
Obstetrician: Specializes in caring for patients during pregnancy, labor and birth. Obstetricians have advanced training to manage complications and perform cesarean births.

No matter which type of provider you choose, you’ll have access to the expertise of our entire team. That’s because our providers work closely together. Doctors and midwives share offices. That way, you experience seamless care from your first prenatal appointment to the moment you welcome your baby.

Your Prenatal Appointments: What To Expect

Throughout your pregnancy, you visit your obstetrician, midwife or NP regularly to:

Discuss your questions or concerns.
Get other exams and tests as necessary, such as ultrasounds and genetic tests.
Manage health conditions, such as preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy) or gestational diabetes.
Measure your baby’s growth.
Monitor your health.
Share your expectations and preferences for labor and delivery.

Parent Education Programs & Classes

To help you prepare for your new baby, Mount Auburn Hospital offers a series of childbirth education programs. Our own certified childbirth educators and registered nurses teach these courses.

We offer a full range of education programs for your whole family with both in-person and virtual options, including the following:

Breastfeeding classes
Childbirth classes
Childcare classes
Postpartum classes with a focus on fourth trimester care
Prenatal classes

Learn more about our parent and family education classes and programs.

Group Prenatal Care

Mount Auburn Hospital provides group prenatal care as an option for receiving care during your pregnancy. In our group prenatal care program, you would be matched with a small group of people with similar due dates. Your group meets with a certified nurse-midwife or obstetrician to share and learn from one another.

Participants benefit from shared knowledge, peer support and a reduced risk of preterm labor. Talk to your provider to see if group prenatal care is right for you.

High-Risk Pregnancies

If you have a chronic health condition or develop an unexpected complication during pregnancy, you may need additional pregnancy care. The perinatology experts on our team are here to help you and your baby stay as healthy as possible.

Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists (perinatologists) have advanced training in caring for those with high-risk pregnancies, including but not limited to:

Endocrine disorders
Hematologic disorders
Hypertensive disorders
Multiple gestations (twins)
Placenta previa
Preterm labor
Preterm rupture of membranes
Vasa previa
Velamentous cord insertions

These specialists collaborate with your regular obstetrician or midwife to provide care tailored to you.

Prenatal Neonatology Consultations

Neonatologists are pediatricians with advanced training in caring for premature or ill newborns. If you have questions or concerns about your baby’s development during your pregnancy, you can meet with a neonatologist. These specialists can also provide answers to your questions about the safety of medications during pregnancy or discuss conditions that have been diagnosed prenatally.

What To Expect with Your Prenatal Visits

Additional information about a variety of specific topics is listed below that you will need during the course of your pregnancy. If you have questions specific to your care or pregnancy, please discuss them with us at your prenatal visits.

Initial Obstetrical Visit

Congratulations on your new arrival! Below you will find several resources that you will need during your first trimester:

28 Weeks

At 28 weeks you will need to make several decisions regarding your labor and delivery. Below you will find several important documents you will need to consider and complete at this time.

36 Weeks

At 36 weeks it is time to start looking forward to your new arrival. Below you will find additional resources for what will happen during your hospital stay and beyond.

Newborn Information

Other Resources

Below you will find a list of other resources you may need during your pregnancy and after delivery.

Postpartum

Wellness & Mental Health

OB/GYN Locations

Center for Women Address Icon

330 Mount Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone Icon

617-499-5151

Charles River Community Health Center - Brighton Address Icon

495 Western Avenue
Brighton, MA 02135 Phone Icon

617-783-0500

Charles River Community Health Center - MIT Medical Address Icon

25 Carleton Street
Cambridge, MA 02139 Phone Icon

617-253-1315

Charles River Community Health Center - Waltham Address Icon

564 Main Street
Waltham, MA 02452 Phone Icon

781-693-3800

Mount Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecology Practice at Watertown Address Icon

480 Pleasant Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Mount Auburn Practice for Women at Fresh Pond Address Icon

725 Concord Avenue
Suite 1200
Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone Icon

617-503-1000

OB/GYN at Harvard University Health Services Address Icon

75 Mt. Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone Icon

617-495-2333

Women's Healthcare at Arlington Address Icon

22 Mill Street
Suite 204
Arlington, MA 02474 Phone Icon

781-646-1043

Women's Healthcare at Waltham Address Icon

355 Waverly Oaks Road
Suite 275
Waltham, MA 02452 Phone Icon

781-893-5550

Services We Offer

Our experienced team provides the full range of services during your pregnancy, during delivery and after the birth of your baby, including the following:

Breastfeeding education and support
High-risk pregnancy care
Hydrotherapy and water birth
Intervention options during childbirth

Midwife care
Opportunity to meet doctors and midwives
Parent education classes and programs

Services & Specialties

Your Mount Auburn Hospital pregnancy and birth team coordinates care with other specialty providers throughout our hospital to ensure all your care needs are met.

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Pregnancy & Birth

Our Pregnancy and Birth Services

Our Pregnancy & Birth Experts