Birthing Options in and Around Denver
Your Resource List for a Positive Birth Experience in and around Denver.
Here in Denver, we have some amazing options for having a positive and supported birth experience. Whether you're considering a hospital birth, exploring the cozy environment of a birth center, or opting for the personalized care of a home birth attended by one of our skilled midwives, you can find a great fit for your birthing preferences here and around Denver. But sometimes the hurdle is just seeing so many options laid out in front of you. So today in this guide, I'll be sharing a mix of listed options, insights, recommendations, and important resources to empower you on your birth planning journey. My aim is always to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions that align with your vision for an empowering birthing experience. We all come to birth with our own needs and feelings of what will give us that confidence, safety, and positive experience. My hope is that this list can help you on that journey and open your heart to all the options you have!
let’s start with hospitals
Denver has a diverse array of hospitals. As a doula and birth photographer, I've had the privilege of working in most of our surrounding hospitals. So, along with a comprehensive list I want to share with you a little insight into the hospital providers I love working alongside and a list of the hospitals where I most consistently see my families will getting supportive and evidence based care from staff and hospital policies.
Midwives at Hospitals
Center for Midwifery (CFM) at UCH Anshutz (also the only hospital that will permit a water birth)
South Denver Midwives at Littleton Adventist Hospital
Intermountain Health Midwives at St. Joseph’s Hospital
Vaginal Breech Birth Options (and my favorite providers)
Dr. Hall with Bella Health + Wellness at Sweedish Hospital
Dr. Breeden with Rocky Mountain Women's Care at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital
VBAC Friendly
Dr. Breeden with Rocky Mountain Women's Care at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital
The Full List of Hospital Options
Avista Adventist / Louisville, CO
Denver Health / Denver, CO
Swedish Medical Center / Englewood, CO
Rose Medical Center / Denver, CO
Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center / Denver, CO
UCHealth Anschutz/ Aurora, CO
UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital / Longmont, CO
UCHealth Highlands Ranch / Highlands Ranch, CO
Good Samaritan Medical Center / Lafayette, CO
Boulder Community Health / Boulder, CO
Saint Joseph / Denver, CO
Parker Adventist / Parker, CO
Castle Rock Adventist / Castle Rock, CO
Littleton Adventist / Littleton, CO
Sky Ridge Medical Center / Lone Tree, CO
Children’s Hospital Anschutz / Aurora, CO
McKee Medical / Loveland, CO
Lutheran Medical Center / Wheat Ridge, CO
North Suburban / Thornton, CO
St. Anthony Summit Medical Center / Frisco, CO
Vail Health Hospital / Vail, CO
Medical Center of the Rockies / Loveland, CO
let’s talk birth centers
In Denver, there are only two authentic free-standing birth centers and one in Boulder.
Additionally, there is one hospital-run birth center, The Birth Center of Denver, owned by St. Joseph’s Hospital.
What is the difference between free-standing and hospital run?
According to the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC), a birth center is “a home-like facility” providing “family-centered care for healthy women before, during, and after normal pregnancy, labor, and birth,” guided by “the wellness model of pregnancy and birth” and “principles of prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention, and cost effectiveness” (read more here). Nationally accredited birth centers are subject to certain standards (read them here) that govern everything from how they operate to whom they serve.
Probably the single most important characteristic of a birth center is that it follows a Midwifery Model of Care. This is a “wellness model” that means pregnancy and birth are treated as physiologic processes, with medical intervention only when necessary. The person giving birth is the center of care and the decision-maker, with an emphasis on informed consent by a care provider whose role is one of support rather than management.
A hospital-owned birth center often has more strict regulations that mirror the policies and liability concerns of the hospital. Which leads to more transfers due to families ‘risking’ out of their care more frequently. These birth centers still house midwives, have created home-like facilities, permit water birth, and support non-medical options for labor and birth.
IMPORTANT: Many hospitals have adopted the term ‘birth center’ for their labor and delivery wings on the hospital property. This terminology is misleading and results in families believing that they will have a midwifery led birth center experience when in reality, they are very much under the hospital model of care.
Ultimately, the key is choosing the birthing environment that aligns with your preferences and feels safest and most supportive for you. Some families find tighter rules around their birth safer while others feel like a complete separation from the medicalized hospital is more in alignment with their birth goals.
Birth Center Options
Seasons Community Birth Center - Located in Thornton, CO - FREE STANDING
Colorado Birth and Wellness -Located in Denver, CO - FREE STANDING
Boulder Birth and Holistic Health- Located in Boulder, CO - FREE STANDING
The Birth Center of Denver - Located in Denver, CO - HOSPITAL RUN
- Located in Thornton, CO
-Located in Denver, CO
Located in Boulder, CO
- Located in Denver, CO
let’s talk home birth midwives
Denver has some of the most skilled and amazing home birth midwives, each bringing their unique approach and expertise to the table. {But maybe I’m bias, because I know most of them personally!} However, it's worth noting that these midwives are popular here in Denver and have limited availability. Their schedules fill quickly, so it's wise to reach out to multiple midwives early on to secure a spot if your hope is to birth at home.
New Leaf Midwifery
Meadow Sweet Midwifery
Way of Birth
Holding Light Midwifery
Home Birth Colorado
Moon Babies Birth Services
Sierra Madre Midwifery
Caring Hands Birth
Welcome
I’m Lindsey Eden
Doula and birth photographer based in Denver Colorado! Mama of two and passionate believer that documenting the journey of birth can heal and change lives!
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