A former Hoag employee, Blair has a special connection to the Fudge Family Birthing Suites at Hoag Irvine. “I remember feeling a little emotional when I first walked through the halls,” Blair recalled. “I knew it offered a unique birthing experience.”

So, when she and her husband Bobby were expecting their first baby, Blair knew where she wanted to give birth. With encouragement from her OB/GYN, she and Bobby took a meeting with the midwives at the Fudge Family Birthing Suites and walked out knowing: “This is who is delivering our baby.”

What appealed to Blair was not only a more natural birthing experience but also the support midwives provide during labor—all of which the suites were built to accommodate thanks to generous funding from local donors, including Gary Fudge, the Tsao and Hardtke families, and others. Women can labor, give birth, and recover in the same private suite, providing families added privacy, comfort, and amenities, like a modern, walk-in rain shower for laboring, birthing tub, tea service, aromatherapy, and more.

Being able to labor and deliver with a midwife in a hospital setting also gave Blair confidence should anything go wrong. “You never know what’s going to happen in the moment. It’s reassuring to deliver in a place that has all the tools you could ever need,” she said.

Luckily, everything went according to plan. The midwives executed all of Blair’s wishes, including laboring unmedicated and by candlelight. Blair and Bobby’s son August was born July 17 in a safe and calm environment that allowed Blair to birth her way.

The benefits of the Fudge Family Birthing Suites also extend outside of the delivery room. Midwives check in on patients’ mental health at two weeks postpartum in addition to the standard postpartum visit at six weeks, ensuring new moms are equipped with the right resources and referrals if needed. For Blair, access to pelvic floor therapy through the Hoag for Her Center for Wellness both prepared her for birth and helped with her recovery afterward.

These and other services—like Hoag’s BabyLine for baby care and breastfeeding support, Hoag at Home Postpartum+ for personalized at-home support, acupuncture, Reiki, and massage therapy—make delivering at Hoag women’s first choice in Orange County.

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