Alta Bates Campus Birth Center
About This Location
Congratulations! We’re excited to be by your side as you welcome the newest member of your family. At Alta Bates Campus Birth Center in Berkeley, California, you’ll enjoy spacious private rooms with showers or whirlpool tubs as well as maternity programs and services designed to make your birth experience pleasant and memorable.
With over 4,000 births annually, 22 labor and delivery suites, and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), our Baby-Friendly designated birth center is focused on family-centered care.
Book your birthing tour today and explore our classes and support groups for childbirth, breastfeeding, baby care and more — sign up online. And for practical tips — from what to pack to finding a pediatrician — see our Pregnancy, Birth & Babies guide.
Find Your Way
Contact a Patient
General Information and Patient Calls
510-204-4444
510-204-1302 (TTY)
Contact a Patient
General Information and Patient Calls
510-204-4444
510-204-1302 (TTY)
Visitor Hours and Information
Visitor hours are 5:30am-8:00pm.
Call us at 510-204-4444 for up-to-date information about visiting policies.
Parking
There are designated parking spaces near the entrances of the Health Pavilion at 5700 Telegraph and 5730 Telegraph as well as inside the parking garages across from the main entrance of our Alta Bates Campus.
Valet-assisted parking is available if the parking garage is full. Twenty-minute patient drop-off and pick-up parking is also available.
For questions, call the Parking Services office: 510-869-6993.
Public Transportation
Bus Route
For information on bus routes, contact AC Transit by calling 511, and saying "AC Transit.” You can also get information by visiting the AC Transit website.
BART Service
For information on taking BART, visit the BART website for train schedules.
Shuttle Service
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center provides free shuttle services for patients and visitors across our campuses. There’s no shuttle service on weekends or holidays. Our shuttle services include:
- Route 1: Milvia to Herrick to Alta Bates to MacArthur Bart, every 40 minutes, 5:30 am – 8:40 pm.
- Route 2: MacArthur Bart to 5730 Telegraph to Alta Bates Campus, every 20 to 30 minutes, 5:05 am – 9:10 pm.
- Route 3: MacArthur Bart to 350 Hawthorne (Summit Campus) to 30th and Summit St. to 3100 Telegraph Ave., every 15 minutes, 4:30 am – 8:56 pm.
- Summit Direct Shuttle: 350 Hawthorn to 5730 Telegraph Ave to Alta Bates, every 30 minutes, 6:30 am– 2:40 pm, when round trip is extended to 50 minutes to accommodate commute traffic delays.
On-call shuttle service for the Summit Campus, Ashby Campus, MacArthur BART station and Rockridge BART station is available 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm.
On-call shuttle service for the Herrick Campus, Milvia parking lot and Ashby BART station is available 9:00 pm – 2:00 am.
If you have questions about our shuttle service, please call 510-655-4000, ext. 2126.
Campus Maps
Plan your visit with confidence. Our maps show entrances, parking options and other helpful locations.
Food and Dining
Alta Bates Café
Located on the ground floor of the Alta Bates Campus at 2450 Ashby Avenue in Berkeley.
Cafe Hours
Monday through Friday: 6:30 am – 7:00 pm
Weekends and Holidays: 7:00 am – 2:00 pm
(Closed for cleaning from 10:30 am – 11:00 am and 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm)
Meals
Breakfast: 6:30 am – 10:30 am
Lunch: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Dinner: 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Grab-and-go food items are available at all times during hours of operation.
Gift Shop
Located on the ground floor near the N elevators, our gift shop carries baby gifts, flowers, cards and more as well as lactation supplies for sale or rent.
Lactation Support and Rentals
You’ll find both at Alta Bates. We provide lactation support services and a retail shop with breastfeeding items for sale or rent. Call us at 510-204-6546 for more information.
Register for Your Delivery
Explore This Location
Frequently Asked Questions
You can sign up online for a virtual or in-person tour of our birth center or call 800-769-1650.
Yes! Using Bedside through My Health Online allows you to find recent lab results, treatment schedules, medications, educational materials and more from your phone or tablet. If you have My Health Online, you’ll receive a message in MHO and via email when you’re admitted to a hospital. You’ll be directed to the Hospital Stay hub, where you’ll find information related to your care. If you need assistance accessing Bedside or setting up a proxy account, the MHO support team is here to help. Call 800-4SUTTER or email mhosupport@sutterhealth.org.
Come in when contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each, for 1 hour.
Come sooner if you experience any of these:
- Your water breaks
- Bleeding like a period
- Severe pain
- Decreased baby movement
- You feel something isn’t right
If you’re unsure, call us at 510-204-4444. We’ll help you decide.
Yes. If your baby needs extra medical care after delivery, a neonatal team is available at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.
Your baby can receive monitoring, breathing support or specialized treatment without transfer to another hospital whenever appropriate. Our Level III neonatal intensive care unit is located on the fourth floor.
We’ll review your birth plan when you arrive and support your preferences when safe.
If medical needs change, we’ll explain why and decide next steps with you. You can also create your preferences at the hospital if you don’t have a written plan. For help creating your plan, you can use American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologist’s sample birth plan template.
We keep you informed, ask permission before procedures and include you in decisions.
Your obstetrician, midwife and nurses at Alta Bates work together so your care stays consistent. We support comfort measures, your support person and your preferences whenever medically safe.
Yes. Your support person can usually stay during labor, birth and recovery. They can help with comfort, communication and bonding after delivery.
After delivery you’ll receive:
- Lactation support in the hospital
- Education on recovery and newborn care
- Follow-up care guidance
- Access to ongoing services at Sutter
We also provide resources for postpartum mood concerns and physical recovery, including a virtual Perinatal Intensive Outpatient Program.
Yes. Free medical interpreters are available 24/7 in person, by phone or video.
Ask any staff member when you arrive and we’ll connect you right away. We also translate important medical forms and discharge instructions.