Intermountain Health Offers Variety of Birth Options for Expectant Mothers

CITY, UT (PRUnderground) September 18th, 2026, Pregnant mothers at Intermountain Health have a variety of options when it comes to prenatal visits, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. Intermountain Health offers a team-based approach to care, allowing patients to choose between seeing a certified nurse-midwife, an OB-GYN, or a maternal fetal medicine specialist if their pregnancy is high risk.

Angela Anderson, a certified nurse-midwife and lead for Intermountain nurse-midwives, attends births at Intermountain Medical Center and LDS Hospital in the Salt Lake City area. "However, OB-GYNs can also care for these women during pregnancy and birth. Certified nurse-midwives work in collaboration with physicians, ensuring that if a Cesarean section is required, an OB-GYN or maternal fetal medicine physician will provide the necessary surgical care."

Intermountain Health recognizes the importance of patient choice in the birth experience. The hospital offers a Patient's Choice Birth Plan for expectant parents to outline their preferences. These plans cover a wide range of options, including comfort and relaxation measures, visitors and environment during labor and postpartum, hydration options, labor positions, monitoring of the baby and contractions, pain relief options, and pushing preferences. Patients can also specify their desires for early skin-to-skin contact with the baby and newborn procedures.

"Our top goals are a healthy mom and healthy baby. Most of the time, we can achieve these goals through a vaginal birth, but it's useful to have a plan for unexpected complications."

For those considering an out-of-hospital birth, Intermountain Health advises having a plan for a smooth and rapid transfer to the hospital if necessary. The company operates a birth center in Denver, Colorado, and plans to open another on the Intermountain Spanish Fork Hospital campus in Utah County.

Intermountain Health also offers the Simply Birth program, which provides low-intervention options in the safety net of a hospital setting. The program includes options such as nitrous oxide for pain relief and water birth for low-risk women in labor at several hospitals.