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# Santa Monica-UCLA opens BirthPlace birthing center with largest NICU in Santa Monica
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/newborn/
- Published: 2008-01-15T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T17:58:09.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Health, Mid-City, #archive-import

*Santa Monica-UCLA opens state-of-the-art birthing center*

*By DAILY PRESS STAFF*

MID-CITY Choosing which hospital to give birth in is one of the most important decisions an expecting couple can make, right up there with picking the child’s name.

To make the decision easier, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital has opened a new, state-of-the-art birthing center that features Santa Monica’s largest Neonatal Intensive- Care Unit (NICU) for premature babies and other newborns with life-threatening conditions.

Called The BirthPlace, the new facility opened on Jan. 5, enabling the hospital to provide expectant couples and their families with more efficient and compassionate care in a more comfortable environment, said Lynn Sullivan, community programs manager for The BirthPlace.

“We’re like proud parents who can’t wait to show off our new birthing center,” Sullivan said. “We think expectant families will see that our BirthPlace is the best choice for their child’s birthplace.”

The BirthPlace features labor/delivery rooms designed to look and feel like home, with a warm decor, flat-screen televisions, wireless capabilities and fold-out chairs and couches for new fathers and other family members to sleep. The rooms are more spacious and contain private bathrooms, allowing mothers to give birth and recover in one place.

After delivery, mothers are moved to the postpartum unit where they recover and spend time with their newborn, all in the privacy of their own room at no extra charge. There are deluxe rooms available for those who want extra space and comfort.

“We designed it this way because we wanted it to be very family oriented,” Sullivan said.“Some people can stay here for up to four months before delivery and we encourage them to bring a lot of stuff from home to make it as cozy as possible.”

In addition to the new labor/delivery rooms, the BirthPlace also has two special delivery rooms to accommodate scheduled and emergency C-sections and other procedures.

The BirthPlace is part of Santa Monica- UCLA’s extensive remodel, which has brought the community a new emergency room. The BirthPlace is 42,000 square feet, about 6,000 square feet larger than the previous birthing center, said Ted Braun, spokesman for the hospital.

Also included is a Well-Baby Nursery, where newborns are bathed and undergo nursing assessments, screenings, hearing tests, pediatrician exams and procedures such as circumcision. The nursery has large windows that enable family members and friends to view and welcome new arrivals.

In addition to the new facility and technology, the BirthPlace will continue to offer services such as high-risk pregnancy care, 24-hour obstetrical anesthesia and daily breast-feeding instruction and education. In 2007, Santa Monica-UCLA had the highest exclusive breast-feed rate of any hospital in Southern California, Braun said.

There is also a wide-range of prenatal and parenting classes available. The classes run the gamut, from childbirth preparation, baby care, infant CPR and first-aid to sibling preparation and new mom support groups.

“Our BirthPlace office also provides personalized assistance to help expectant couples with class selection, physician and community referrals and other birth-related decisions,” Sullivan said. “Additionally, rooms … will offer ‘The Newborn Channel,’ which broadcasts a full spectrum of educational programming for parents.”

The hospital also contracts with a private company to snap shots of the newborns and their parents. There is also a family dining room where people can gather for breakfast or tea.

Parents aren’t the only ones who are pampered. Staff at the hospital have their own break-room with recliners and a masseuse.

“Staff has to take care of themselves so they can take care of their patients,” Braun said.

The first 20 patients to deliver receive a gift donated by local businesses, including many hotels and restaurants.

Elizabeth and Morris Salem of Brentwood were the first couple to give birth to twins at the BirthPlace and had nothing but positive things to say about their experience.

“It was just wonderful,” Elizabeth Morris said as her babies, Eliana and Daniel, slept just a few feet away from her bed.“We’ve had such tremendous care. Everyone has been so helpful and so nice. It’s been a great experience.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/011508-03_01.jpg)

(Photo: photo courtesy Thomas Neerken)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 15, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/011508.pdf?ref=smdp.com)