My Doctor Online The Permanente Medical Group
Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Sheri Matteo, CNM
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Welcome to My Doctor Online! I value my relationship with you and know that maintaining a good relationship means being able to communicate with each other. At My Doctor Online, you can email me, check lab results, make an appointment, access our many online programs or get information about a particular health topic - all in one place, whenever it is convenient for you. The better connected we are, the healthier you are.
Quick Links
- Early Start Program
- Healthy Beginnings Prenancy Online Newsletter
- Virtual Labor and Delivery Tour
- Prepare for Your Procedure - Emmi
- The Midwife Birth Experience
- Healthy Homes, Safe Relationships
- American Social Health Association STD Information
- Kaiser Permanente Center For Reproductive Health
- Low back pain: Exercises to reduce pain
- Bladder Control for Women
- Cervical Cancer Screening Saves Lives
- Cold, Flu and Cough
- Mammograms Save Lives
- Health Guidelines for Adults
- Understanding Infertility
General References
.
The Midwife Birth Experience
Address:
Hospital Tower Building
1150 Veterans Blvd.
4th Floor (OB/GYN Department)
Redwood City, CA 94063
Telephone:
Advice (24 hours)/Appts: (650) 299-2015
Cancellation: (650) 299-2585
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| Closed | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Closed |
| Closed during lunch, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm | ||||||
The Midwife Birth Experience at Redwood City Kaiser
The Certified Nurse-Midwives of Redwood City are honored to be present with you on this wonderful and miraculous journey. “Midwife” traditionally means “with woman”. You can visit with a midwife at any time during your prenatal care. We attend approximately two-thirds of all Redwood City Kaiser vaginal deliveries and assist with most c-sections. We will work with you and, if you desire, your personalized birth plan, to keep your birth experience as close to what you want as possible. What follows is a review of the Redwood City Midwives’ Birth Experience, our “birth plan” for you, to ensure a safe delivery and wonderful memory.
Who We Are
Certified Nurse-Midwives are registered nurses with a Masters of Science in Nursing from a nationally accredited higher learning institution and a national certification from the American College of Nurse Midwives. We are widely recognized as experts in the care of healthy women. At Redwood City Kaiser we are focused on prenatal care, medically uncomplicated birth and postpartum follow up. We work closely with our physician colleagues. An obstetrician is onsite 24 hours a day for immediate consultation and/or assistance.
Our Goals, Your Rights
Our goal is the same as yours: healthy mom, healthy baby. We seek to earn your trust and want to work with you toward this goal. We believe every birth is unique and every woman and her family have the right to make informed choices regarding their care; all of which, will be treated with respect for their individuality and personal preferences. We will provide our best support and advice based on our training, knowledge and experience. We understand that it is disappointing if special circumstances arise that cannot be predicted and plans or intentions must be modified. We will work with you through all medical decisions, providing sensitive explanations and support.
Our Labor and Delivery Suite
- Our private labor/delivery rooms are comfortably appointed for the mother and her support people with the following:
- State-of-the-art birthing bed (complete with squatting bar)
- Pull-out bed (for support people)
- Rocking chair
- Private bathroom with shower
- TV with cable stations and DVD player
- Lights that dim
- Our birthing rooms are designed so that even women with an IV and those who require continuous fetal monitoring are able to change positions and move around the labor room.
(There is a kitchen with refrigerator and microwave oven near the nurses’ station.)
Midwifery Care
Certified Nurse-Midwives are in attendance seven days a week, usually for about 20 hrs a day. We have very low cesarean section rates and we are proud of that! We adhere to the following practices on a regular basis:
- We support the people who are there to support the laboring woman - family members, friends and doulas. The number of support people is limited to no more than 3 at one time, to comply with safety and privacy issues in the labor and delivery suite.
- We fully support the intention of women who would like an unmedicated birth.
- We likewise support women who desire a birth that is as pain free as possible. We provide medication to decrease the pain of labor and work closely with our anesthesia department to order epidural anesthesia at the best time.
- We strongly recommend childbirth preparation classes to help women and their birth partners understand the natural process of labor and giving birth. Classes also explain coping skills for early labor, when it is too early in the process for most to receive an epidural. In addition, they introduce some of the medical interventions that are sometimes necessary to insure a healthy outcome.
- Not every woman needs an IV, but it may be recommended on a case by case basis for medication, hydration, preparation for an epidural or as a safety precaution.
- We can monitor the baby intermittently if the baby is handling labor well, based on a review of the initial fetal heart rate, and if the woman is unmedicated and there are no other complicating factors.
- We believe most women should eat lightly according to preference and drink frequently during labor, though there are some circumstances where this may be restricted. We can provide refreshments or you may bring your own.
- Once the baby's initial status is assessed, women can walk, utilize a variety of labor positions, or try a warm shower to help labor move along. We encourage you to bring your own “birthing ball”, if you like, and your own music, to set the right atmosphere for you. Women who have an epidural are restricted to bedrest.
- We do not do routine enemas, shaves or episiotomies. We do not routinely utilize internal monitors or other interventions.
- We work with you during the pushing phase and crowning to ease the baby out and prevent perineal tearing.
- When possible, we encourage mothers to reach down and help deliver their babies if they would like.
- Unless otherwise indicated, the mother's significant other will cut the umbilical cord.
- We place the baby directly on the mother's abdomen when he/she is born so that mother and baby can maintain skin to skin contact.
Postpartum Care
Breastfeeding is encouraged to begin immediately. Unless there is a special circumstance, babies are weighed in the birthing room and given their first bath with the family present. The new family will stay together in the birthing room for approximately two to three hours after delivery. Babies and mothers are roomed together on the postpartum floor to promote bonding and successful lactation.
Lactation educators and consultants are available most days to answer questions and provide one-on-one support. We make every effort to accommodate private rooms and significant others are encouraged to stay when private rooms can be arranged. Families stay 24-48 hours after a normal delivery and up to 4 days after a cesarean birth.
Meet the Midwives
We invite you to come meet us, learn more about our services at Redwood City and ask us any questions that you have. We have an event almost every month either at the Redwood City or San Mateo office, typically from 6:30-8:30 pm where we give an informal talk, answer questions from you, and stick around afterwards to meet with you individually. Please call Health Education at 650-299-2433 to get the current Meet the Midwives schedule and register for the event. We look forward to seeing you there!
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.