Birthing Center

With a spa-like atmosphere, the Birthing Center, opening in summer 2021, will feature 17 labor and delivery rooms, including seven with labor tubs; in-unit operating rooms for cesarean deliveries; and large inpatient rooms to allow mothers to stay with their newborns.

Emotions run high during the birth of a baby, and that can lead to feelings of stress, fear, and anxiety. When we designed our new Birthing Center, we wanted to create a calming environment, where mothers-to-be can find comfort knowing they are receiving the care and support they need in a soothing atmosphere.

Fewer places are more calming than spas, which were our inspiration for everything from our room layout to our color scheme. We hope that the Birthing Center ultimately gives our patients a sense of security so they can focus on what is most important – the safe birth of their babies.

Upon arrival on the eighth floor, patients will step out into the Center’s lobby area, which will include a front desk, waiting area, and family lounge. Of its 30 obstetrics rooms, seven will have a labor tub. The Center includes its own operating rooms for cesarean sections, with large enough rooms to allow babies to stay in the same room as their mothers. It also includes an infant evaluation area and newborn nursery.

“We looked at the entire birth process – from the moment a patient arrives to the time she leaves with her new baby – not only from a medical standpoint but from a patient and family comfort standpoint. We wanted to be able to deliver the same high quality, family centered care that we have always delivered in a space that best meets the needs of laboring women and new mothers,” Leo Brancazio, M.D, chair of WVU Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology, said. “The birth of a child is a memorable event, and we are proud to be able to share this time with our patients and their families.”