Choosing where to give birth is a big decision, and for families in Wichita, Wesley Medical Center is a top choice for expecting parents looking for quality care and a supportive birth experience.

Choosing a Birth Location

Choosing where you give birth can be just as important as your birth plan itself. It impacts your comfort level, what options are available to you, and the level of care you and your baby receive. That is why it is crucial to choose a birth location that fits your preferences and offers quality care.

Wesley Medical Center is a top choice for families in Wichita KS, seeing more births than any other hospital in the region. With both a birth care center for low-risk mothers and a traditional labor and delivery unit, Wesley offers flexibility to meet the needs of various birth plans. I got the chance to sit down with Morgan Tracy - Wesley's Maternity Nurse Navigator. She collaborated with me to create this comprehensive guide for those looking for detailed information about giving birth at Wesley.

This guide will provide everything you need to know about giving birth at Wesley Medical Center, including details about the amenities, hospital policies, available classes, and how to schedule a tour. Whether you’re a first-time parent or preparing for your next child, this comprehensive overview will help you feel confident and ready for your upcoming birth experience at Wesley.

What's the Difference? Birth Care Center vs. Labor and Delivery at Wesley Medical Center

Wesley offers two distinct options for your birth experience: the birth care center and traditional Labor and Delivery unit. Both provide excellent amenities and care but cater to different needs based on the nature of your pregnancy and any potential medical indications.

Birth Care Center

Designed specifically for low-risk pregnancies between 37 and 41 weeks, the Birth Care Center offers a more personalized, intimate environment for labor and delivery. One of the biggest benefits is that your large labor room also doubles as your recovery room, meaning you won’t have to switch rooms during your stay. This provides a seamless, comfortable experience from the time you check in until you’re ready to go home with your baby.

For those planning a natural birth or hoping for minimal interventions, the Birth Care Center is staffed with nurses who are highly experienced in supporting natural birth plans. However, if you decide you'd like an epidural, this option is also available within the Birth Care Center. The center is equipped with a variety of labor aids to enhance comfort, including birth balls, stools, labor tubs for hydrotherapy, and wireless monitoring - all of which can support you in laboring as naturally as possible.

Despite its focus on low-risk deliveries, the Birth Care Center is fully equipped to handle emergencies with two on-site operating rooms (ORs) ready if needed. Additionally, there is an underground tunnel connecting the Birth Care Center to the main hospital, allowing for quick and easy transfers to higher-level care if it becomes necessary during labor or after your baby is born.

Labor and Delivery Unit

The Labor & Delivery unit is designed to accommodate all types of pregnancies, from routine to high-risk. It is located on the same floor as Wesley's Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), providing immediate access to advanced care if your baby requires extra support after birth.

The L&D unit offers many of the same features and amenities as the Birth Care Center, including large labor rooms and a full range of labor aids such as birth balls, stools, hydrotherapy tubs, and wireless fetal monitoring. If you're considering an epidural for pain management, this option is readily available in the L&D unit as well, allowing for flexibility in how you manage your labor.

After delivery in the L&D unit, you’ll transition to one of two dedicated postpartum floors, which provide a comfortable and supportive environment for you and your baby. These rooms are designed to look and feel very similar to the Birth Care Center's, ensuring you have a calm and relaxing recovery space.

Touring your Birth Space

Touring your birth space is an important step in preparing for your labor and delivery experience. It allows you to familiarize yourself with the environment, meet some of the staff, and get a better understanding of the amenities and options available to you. Wesley Medical Center offers free tours, both in-person and virtually, giving you the chance to explore both the Birth Care Center and the Labor & Delivery unit. Seeing these spaces firsthand can help you feel more confident and comfortable on the big day, knowing exactly where you'll be and what to expect when you arrive.
Wesley Medical Center allows you to pre-register for your delivery as early as 28 weeks into your pregnancy. By taking care of the paperwork ahead of time, you can eliminate the hassle of completing forms when you arrive in labor, allowing you to focus fully on your birth experience. Pre-registration is quick and simple, ensuring that when the time comes, you can head straight to your labor room without any delays. This preparation step helps streamline your check-in process, making your arrival at the hospital smoother and less stressful.

Hospital Policies and Procedures

Some of the most commonly asked questions I get are on the specific policies in place at Wesley. Here’s a few!

Can I video or record at Wesley?
Wesley is generally supportive of photography during labor and birth, but policies may vary depending on the OB in charge. They may ask you do not video below the waist during delivery, or wait until the baby is fully delivered to begin recording.
Can I have a waterbirth at Wesley Medical Center?
No. While Wesley does allow you to labor in the tub, when you begin pushing they will require you to come out of the water.
Does Wesley Have Midwives?
Currently, Wesley does not work with midwives. All deliveries are attended by obstetricians.
Can my partner catch the baby / cut the cord?
Depending on the OB, some will be happy to let your partner catch! I recommend asking this early on in your pregnancy, and finding a doctor who is on board. Most OB’s will be happy to let you partner cut the cord, but it’s a good idea to ask early on anyway.
How many visitors are allowed on Wesley’s L&D unit?
Four people are allowed as support at any time on the L&D unit. There may be times when this is cut down to one - usually to protect the sterile field. This includes the epidural procedure or cesareans.
Can I eat in labor at Wesley Medical Center?
Although hospital policy allows only clear liquids (broth, coffee, jello, popsicles), patients who prefer to eat during labor may be reminded of the policy but ultimately allowed to make their own choices, fully aware of the risks involved
Does Wesley Medical Center offer Nitrous oxide or laughing gas?
Currently, Neither hospitals in Wichita offer Nitrous Oxide for pain relief during labor.

You can view Wesley’s overall cesarean rate here. It’s important to remember that while the overall cesarean rate can indicate if a hospital's policies are working positively or negatively, your individual OB is the one who will call a cesarean or not.

Doulas, Birth Plans, and Evidence Based Care

Wesley Medical Center has been actively working to create a more supportive and evidence-based environment for laboring women.. Every year they have been working hard to cultivate whole team relationships from OB’S to Residents to Nursing Staff. This shift has pushed the hospital toward evidence-based approaches to birth - including giving up their “baby friendly hospital” accreditation in favor of the “high 5 accreditation”, embracing doula support, and leaning into understanding that when the patient is taken care of, the baby is too.

Wesley used to be a baby friendly hospital - a program designed to increase breastfeeding rates in the USA. This approach was well meaning, but in practice proved to alienate parents who were planning to formula feed. They saw how this was playing out in real time, and chose to give up the title in favor of a more relaxed approach. Now, families choosing formula from birth will not be asked to speak with lactation. This change allows for a more inclusive approach to infant feeding, making all parents feel supported in their choices, whether breastfeeding or formula feeding.
They did however keep some policies from the initiative - like immediate skin to skin when possible, delaying cord clamping for at least 30s, rooming in with baby, and not giving pacifiers.

Birth plans are an expected and encouraged part of delivery at Wesley Medical Center. When asked about their position on birth plans, Tracy excitedly agreed that they are an important part of your delivery. “If we don’t know what you want, we can't advocate for you.” She recommended making a one page, easy to read birth plan to provide to your care team so when things are moving quickly, they can remember all the wishes you had for your birth.

When asked about how doula care benefits laboring moms - Morgan Tracy talked about the emotional support and continuous care doulas provide.

“Some labor and delivery nurses are really, really good at making an emotional connection within the first five minutes, and some are not. Sometimes they just have bad days and aren't emotionally available - then you have a doula who you've met with two or three times. She’s already a familiar face, someone you already know and who knows what you want. When your nurse’s shift ends at 12 hours, your doula is still there. That emotional connection is a big part of labor and delivery that people don't always realize.”

Classes and Resources

Wesley offers a variety of free classes both online and in person - including childbirth preparation, infant care, breastfeeding, car seat checks, and more! You can find a full roster of classes and sign up here.

If you're ready to book a tour, you can sign up here!

Take a tour right now using the video below.

Final thoughts

Choosing the right place to give birth is the first step in an empowered, positive birth experience. I encourage every family to carefully consider the birth they want, and explore their options. Touring the spaces, knowing the policies, and pre-registering ahead of time can help eliminate any last-minute stress, so you can focus on the things that matter—like meeting your baby. Wherever you choose to give birth, I truly believe that feeling comfortable with your surroundings plays a huge role in having an empowered and positive birth experience.

Thank you to Morgan Tracy for her help in this article - it was important to me to have accurate and current information and I couldn’t have done it without her!