Boston is one of the best cities around when it comes to healthcare. So it’s no surprise that when you’re preparing to have a baby, your choice of Boston-area labor and delivery hospitals and birthing centers seems endless. For some moms, your doctor and insurance will determine where you deliver, but for others, the choice is all yours.
We’ve got the scoop from real moms who’ve been there — the good, the bad, and the ugly of Boston-area birthing centers and hospital labor and delivery options!
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
330 Brookline Avenue, Boston
“Great medical facility but poor communication between nurses.” — Allison G.
“Doctors were great and so were nurses during delivery — very good communication and discussing with us options and what was happening (ended up w/unplanned C-sections both times). Maternity ward was great, too, but they didn’t always inform us of what was happening, as in tests for baby or how long we could stay in the hospital, but everyone was friendly and nice.” — Stephanie T.
“They offer in-ward support groups and awesome lactation consultants. I struggled a lot with nursing and they had LCs in my room twice a day, plus daily support groups if you want. And the food is amazing. I can’t speak highly enough of my nurses either!” — Amanda L.
“I received amazing care! However, only one labor and delivery room has a tub. Our room didn’t even have a shower.” — Stepheny R.
Mass General Hospital
55 Fruit Street, Boston
“Wonderful experience. They had a free weekly support group post-baby that was facilitated by an RN and a lactation consultant that was life changing for us. I definitely had some postpartum blues and a difficult time breastfeeding, and this group was such a wonderful support system.” — Heather Y.
“I had some medical complications during delivery and felt safe through it all! — Carlyn S.
“I received expert care, but it feels a bit like a factory, with long waits and condescending attitudes.” — Kate D.
“Fantastic nursing staff all around, and all the providers were great. I had one baby with midwives and another with doctors (high risk), and both groups were GREAT!” — Kelley S.
Mount Auburn Hospital
330 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge
“I loved Mount Auburn both times and have zero complaints. Amazing nurses, super supportive of natural childbirth, very encouraging of lengthy of skin-to-skin time immediately following birth, breastfeeding, etc.” — Ashley D.
“The facilities were awesome. I didn’t love our nurse, but we had a doula, so she and the rest of the staff kind of left us alone to do our thing. The postpartum room menu was pretty on point.” — Allison D.
“Had the best experience there. Great care. Good food. Even had a fireplace in my room!” — Emily W.
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
2014 Washington Street, Newton
“What I loved about Newton-Wellesley was everything. They literally saved my life and my baby’s, and considering I was told the odds of getting pregnant were close to none — and when I did it was at an extremely high risk for multiple reasons — it was that much more intense. They took such great care of me from pre to post, and I truly can’t say enough.” — Jenn S.
“For having my first child and not knowing what to expect at all, the nurses and doctors were absolutely amazing! They were so nurturing, caring, and made sure to always keep me in the loop with what was going on. I really had such a great experience all around!” — Korinn L.
“Newton-Wellesley is formula-feeding and nursery-use friendly! Both were important to me.” — Elizabeth S.
Brigham & Women’s Hospital
75 Francis Street, Boston
“Great care team (including OB on call who wasn’t who I’d seen during my pregnancy). I didn’t feel supported in breastfeeding, and the lack of that support/connection to community supports was a big disappointment.” — Katrina M.
“Loved that they had everything thought out, and you could tell this was their specialty. Had an awesome experience from the second we came in until the second we left. I can’t really think of any negatives. The nurses and doctors were great, and the rooms were pretty nice too.” — Alicia M.
“Brigham & Women’s was wonderful for my high-risk pregnancy. I saw almost every doctor and nurse there!” — Jessica F.
Cambridge Hospital
1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge
“The nurses were amazing and the lactation support was fantastic. This may not be exclusive to CH, but I had an emergency C-section, and I felt they pushed the pain meds too much. I got sick of refusing Percocet.” — Stephanie G.
“Loved everything about it. Wrote a two-page thank you note to the labor nurses after I came home. I felt well cared for, respected, listened to, valued, etc. They’re talented and empathetic. I felt in control of my own medical decisions.” — Erin E.
Cambridge Birth Center
1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge
Emerson Hospital
133 Old Road Nine Acre Corner, Concord
“I loved it both times I delivered there. The nurses rock!” — Matina F.
St. Elizabeth’s
36 Cambridge Street, Brighton
“I had to have a C-section at 36 weeks due to preeclampsia and fetal stress. Everyone at St. E’s was amazing, despite how hard my body had been fighting against everything. The doctors were very communicative. The nurses were wonderful, very helpful, and knowledgable. They really go above and beyond. The NICU team was dedicated and made me feel my baby was in safe hands at her tiny size.” — Paige M.
“I was able to do a VBAC even with gestational diabetes mellitus and while of ‘advanced maternal age’ — with a female-centered staff.” — Maria G.
Heywood Hospital
42 Green Street, Gardner
“They were absolutely amazing and went beyond what I would expect. Though it certainly serves a more rural area compared to hospitals closer to Boston, my family and I were well cared for and received top-notch care.” — Jennifer W.
Winchester Hospital
41 Highland Avenue, Winchester
“Cannot say enough good things about delivering our baby at Winchester Hospital! The nurses were attentive, so caring, and incredibly supportive both during L&D and postpartum. One of the hospital doctors ended up delivering our baby, and she was phenomenal. The majority of my close mom friends have delivered their babies at Winchester, and we all had great experiences!” — Shannon G.
“Not a single complaint! The nurses were phenomenal and so caring.” — Brette F.
South Shore Hospital
55 Fogg Road, South Weymouth
“The midwives at South Shore Hospital are absolutely incredible! Their NICU team is phenomenal, too.” — Samantha G.
“At South Shore Hospital, the nurses, doctor, and midwives were the best! It was so close to home with an outstanding NICU.” — Meri H.
“The midwives are incredible — like the best friends you need to get you through!” — Colleen B.
“Both my boys were NICU babies, and the staff and midwives were incredible!” — Christina S.
MelroseWakefield Hospital
585 Lebanon Street, Melrose
“The labor and delivery staff there is so kind and attentive. They were open to VBAC, used clear drapes during a C-section, and had a level II special care nursery.” — Daniela P.
Beverly Hospital
85 Herrick Street, Beverly
“I had two perfect scheduled C-sections at Beverly. I had a great experience both times.” — May
Boston Medical Center
840 Harrison Avenue, Boston
Lowell General
295 Varnum Avenue, Lowell
Want to weigh in with your childbirth experience at a Boston-area labor and delivery hospital or birthing center? Let us know!
Or, looking for other pregnancy and postpartum resources? We’ve got you covered with our “All Things Baby” guide!
I wish you had mentioned the North Shore Birth Center at Beverly Hospital, or the Cambridge Birth Center. These are wonderful options for women who want their birthing experience and care to be less medical, and to have the hands-on approach provided by midwives, yet covered by insurance.
We did mention Cambridge Birth Center.
We posted a question a few weeks ago on our page asking moms where they delivered and what they loved/didn’t love about it.
Thanks for this review. I have a question that applies to each of the above hospitals: which of these facilities still has newborn nurseries? My wife just learned the hospital we previously utilized no longer offers this option. After going through an all-night/morning delivery, being able to get a full night’s sleep those first two nights was vital to her mental well-being. I am hoping to avoid a debate on the pros/cons of co-sleeping/imprinting or anything related to the manner in which newborns are fed. Because the nursery was of such importance last time around, the lack of such option is making us consider leaving a doctor and hospital we genuinely like. Any input would be very-much appreciated. Thanks
Hi there, thank you for comment! This post was meant to just present some impressions by local moms about their experiences. It is definitely trying to go through a hard labor and not get a night’s sleep! Our best suggestion would be to check with your doctor to ensure the hospital you are planning to deliver at still has a nursery.