Having a Baby
Having a Baby
More birth options. One connected system. Right here in North Idaho.
When you find out you’re pregnant—or start thinking about becoming pregnant—the first questions come quickly: Where do I start? What type of doctor should I go to? Where will I deliver? What kind of birth experience do I want?
Here, you have options.
Many families receive prenatal care at Kootenai Clinic OB/GYN across North Idaho and come to Kootenai Health’s Family Birth Center when it’s time to deliver their baby. The clinics and the hospital work together so your records and care plan are already in place when you arrive. You have access to a depth of expertise and access to advanced tools at Kootenai Health that make it possible to keep you and your baby together in most scenarios, even if a higher level of care is needed.
Multiple Provider Types
Explain Risks and Benefits
Level III Neonatal Care
Family Birth Center
See what it’s like to give birth here. Meet the team and learn about birth options, labor suites, recovery rooms, and newborn care.
Planning for Pregnancy
If you’re trying to conceive—or planning ahead—providers can help you prepare for a healthy pregnancy. Your provider will review your health history, talk through fertility questions, and identify any medical conditions or risk factors that could affect a future pregnancy.
If additional expertise is needed, specialists such as maternal-fetal medicine physicians can step in for testing, counseling, or treatment before pregnancy begins.
Support may include:
- Fertility evaluation and treatment options
- Family planning and contraception
- Preconception counseling for higher-risk conditions
Pregnancy and Birth
Once you’re pregnant, your provider will work with you to plan a birth approach that feels right for you. Some families prefer a low-intervention birth experience while others want or need the reassurance of additional medical support. Within Kootenai Health, both exist together.
Birth options may include:
- Unmedicated birth
- Nitrous oxide for pain relief
- Epidural
- Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) for eligible patients
- Personalized cesarean delivery
- Golden hour skin-to-skin bonding after birth
After Baby Arrives
As your family adjusts to life with a new baby, Kootenai Health is here to support you in recovery, feeding, and the emotional and physical changes that often come with the transition to parenthood. Your primary OB physician, lactation consultations, social workers, and nurses are available to help you navigate questions about topics like physical healing, infant feeding, and mental health.
Postpartum resources include:
- Feeding guidance and lactation support from certified lactation consultants
- New parent support groups led by licensed social workers
- Baby development classes led by registered nurses
- Support for concerns like insomnia, mood changes or bonding challenges
- Pelvic floor therapy and physical recovery services
Advanced and High-Risk Pregnancy Care
If your pregnancy requires closer monitoring or additional medical expertise, obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, nurses, and support staff work together to monitor both mother and baby closely throughout pregnancy.
Advanced testing, imaging, and monitoring allow many pregnancies with conditions such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, or multiples to be managed locally rather than needing to transfer to another hospital.
Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Advanced imaging, monitoring, and consultation for higher-risk pregnancies.
OB Emergency Department
24/7 care for urgent pregnancy-related concerns.
Level III NICU
Specialized care for newborns who need additional support after birth.
B3 Program
Support for substance use and recovery during pregnancy.
Explore Our Maternity and Family Support Services
One Team. Multiple Specialists. Shared Plan.
Pregnancy care can involve different types of providers depending on your health history, preferences, and the kind of birth experience you’re planning. At Kootenai Health, you can choose to work with board-certified OB/GYN physicians, certified nurse-midwives, or family medicine physicians who provide pregnancy care. When needed, additional specialists such as maternal-fetal medicine physicians, OB hospitalists, or lactation consultants will join your care team.
Each provider brings a different approach to care, but all deliver babies at the same Family Birth Center and have access to the same hospital resources and specialists when needed.
If you're unsure which type of provider is the best fit, our team can help you decide based on your health history, pregnancy needs, and birth preferences.
Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN)
Physicians who manage routine and higher-risk pregnancies and perform deliveries, including cesarean births. They also care for pregnancies that require additional medical expertise and coordinate with other OB providers when needed.
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs)
Advanced practice nurses who care for low-risk pregnancies and deliver babies in the hospital. They often have additional time during prenatal visits for questions, education, and birth planning. If surgery or more advanced care is needed, midwives work closely with OB physicians.
Family Medicine – OB & Newborn
Physicians training in family medicine who provide prenatal care, labor support, vaginal delivery, and newborn care. This model allows families to receive care for both parent and baby with continuity over time, under the supervision of experienced attending physicians.
OB Hospitalists
Board-certified obstetricians based in the hospital and available 24/7 to respond to urgent or unexpected pregnancy needs. Their presence ensures experienced physicians are immediately available for evaluation, emergency care, or rapid delivery when situations require it.
Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM)
Physicians who specialize in high-risk pregnancies and complex maternal or fetal conditions. They partner with your primary provider when additional monitoring, testing, or treatment is needed.
Neonatologists
Physicians specially trained in newborn medicine who treat babies born early or with complex medical needs. Available 24/7 in the Family Birth Center’s Level III NICU, they provide advanced monitoring and treatment that allow many newborns to remain in North Idaho rather than being transferred to another hospital.
Lactation Consultants
Our board-certified lactation consultants provide one-on-one support for breastfeeding, pumping, latching challenges, milk supply concerns, and feeding transitions—helping you find the approach that works for both you and your baby.
