While you’re pregnant, it’s important to plan ahead and have the right team in place when it’s go-time. This can ensure you have a safe, nurturing and empowering birth experience. “If you’re going to give birth in the hospital, you want to make sure that you’re going to be somewhere where it’s going to be safe,” said Dr. Jerry Anderson, obstetrician-gynecologist. Dr. Anderson says it’s important to choose a birth center based on your individual needs. For example, if you want a low intervention birth, make sure the birth center offers that. If your pregnancy is high-risk, ensure the center can accommodate any issues that arise. The Virginia Mason Medical Center has a new birth center with a peaceful feel and personalized attention. “We try to make it look like a spa,” Dr. Anderson said. “You’re going in and you’re in a clinical setting and you have all the safety parameters there, but it’s also a little more of a boutique feel.” The team at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health uses the TeamBirth initiative to put patients at the center of decision-making and increase transparency. “The team is the patient at the center making decisions, the OB provider, the nurse, the anesthesia provider, the neonatologist,” Dr. Anderson said. “It’s all of the members of the healthcare team that they’re going to come in contact with coming in and saying, ‘Here’s what’s happening, here’s what we think is going to happen and here’s your options.’” Another program is the Washington State Blue Band Initiative. Any patient with a diagnosis of hypertension in pregnancy is identified and banded until six weeks post-partum. “We know that treating high blood pressure early can help prevent strokes and seizures and pretty severe maternal morbidity and mortality, so this is our goal to really take care of moms and parents and keep patients safe,” said Dr. Kayli Senz, obstetrician-gynecologist. Dr. Anderson says it’s important to find a provider you resonate with throughout pregnancy and who understands your needs. “Prenatal care is very important because it helps you feel you’re connected to somebody that you trust,” he said. He says outside birth support, like a doula, and making sure you’re involved in the decision-making process can allow you to feel empowered during your birth experience. To learn more about birth center options, visit the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health website. Sponsored by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.