By Amy Crelly

Jackie Belau wanted to create an online resource to help expectant moms (and dads) research their birthing options more easily. And that’s how BetterBirthSacramento.com was born. It offers information about local hospitals, classes, services and resources, plus explanations of common procedures and interventions, all at one site and all tailored to pregnant women in the Sacramento region.

The Hospital Comparison page is one of my favorite features of the website. It lets you compare amenities and services for all the local hospitals, from Sutter Roseville to Kaiser Morse to the UC Davis Medical Center and beyond.

“Depending on what parents are looking for in a hospital, this comparison may help them narrow down their choice,” Jackie explained. She added, “Also there are descriptions of common interventions and routines that happen at local hospitals during birth. It includes a description of the intervention, why it is used, the side effects and what alternatives are available. Considering the fact that over 90% of Sacramento women give birth in hospitals, we feel it is important that they know how these procedures will affect their labor.”

So, whether you want a birthing tub, you’re planning for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean), or you want to know how soon you can get your epidural, this chart, and the other info on the Hospitals page, will let you quickly and easily get the answers you’re looking for.

I asked Jackie what makes Better Birth Sacramento special. “Many groups have their individual websites that display their own members or professionals who use their method. The thing I love about Better Birth Sacramento is that it brings everything together. We show all the most popular childbirth methods along with the local instructors, all local doulas, midwives and many other professionals from different specialties… I think as more people visit, they will see it as a valuable community resource.”

Jackie’s inspiration for creating the site came from her work as a doula. “Although I am not yet a mother myself,” Jackie said, “I have assisted in many labors and births...” She is also the receptionist and doula at The Birth Center in Fair Oaks, and she manages The Birth Center Milk Bank. “Through my work, while talking to parents, I realized that many people do not know about the resources and options available in our community... Many parents, especially first-time parents, know only what they see on TV or what they learn from their friends; this can create an unnecessary fear of the unknown.”

Jackie wanted to alleviate that fear and help more parents get informed. She explained, “I had two goals when developing this website: To inform parents about the options and resources available in Sacramento, and to educate parents about interventions and routines in local hospitals so that they can make educated decisions about their birth experience.”

The Hospital Comparison page is one of my favorite features of the website. It lets you compare amenities and services for all the local hospitals, from Sutter Roseville to Kaiser Morse to the UC Davis Medical Center and beyond. “Depending on what parents are looking for in a hospital, this comparison may help them narrow down their choice,” Jackie explained. She added, “Also there are descriptions of common interventions and routines that happen at local hospitals during birth. It includes a description of the intervention, why it is used, the side effects and what alternatives are available. Considering the fact that over 90% of Sacramento women give birth in hospitals, we feel it is important that they know how these procedures will affect their labor.” So, whether you have your heart set on a birthing tub, you’re planning for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean), or you want to know how soon you can get your epidural, this chart, and the other info on the Hospitals page, will let you quickly and easily get the answers you’re looking for.

“I’ve found that birth is the most amazing experience in life,” Jackie said, adding, “I want every woman to be able to look back on her birth experience and know she made the right decisions for her.” More local professionals, classes and events are added to the website every month. Check it out!