Meet Renee Sicignano of SCV Birth Center in Santa Clarita Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Sicignano.

Renee has served the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley communities since 1999, and founded the first free-standing birth center in the area in 2010. Over the last 10 years, Renee has cultivated a community that supports growing families with love, information, and options beyond the hospital.

Has it been a smooth road?
Our biggest obstacle is educating our community on the safety of out of hospital birth. Less than 10% of families use midwives in California and of those only 1% have out-of-hospital births. As we know from other developed countries in the world, the best birth outcomes are with midwives yet, the US is sorely behind. We have the hightest infant and maternal morbidity and mortality of any developed country. See the British Medical Journal report – https://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b1616. Each day we encounter the same question – is it safe to birth out of hospital. And we know – absolutely, a resounding yes as long as you are a low risk mother.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with SCV Birth Center – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Let’s start with what sets us apart – we are the only Nationally Accredited Birth Center in the Santa Clarita, Antelope and San Fernando Valley. I have one of the longest standing birth centers in the county – opening in 2010. We are known for excellent, evidenced based care.

We are experts in normal pregnancy and birth, the care families receive during their pregnancy and in the weeks following the birth are tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of each family. We set aside 60 minutes per visit so that all questions and concerns are addressed before the birth. At each prenatal we are committed to creating a real relationship with our families. We are known for our warmth, commitment and knowledge. Everyone feels as if they are part of the family.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I think what I like least about our city is the lack of collaborative care between out of hospital midwives and obstetricians in hospital. Other states, such as Washington and Oregon have bridged this gap so that families can make a more informed decision about what is the right choice for them uniquely, vs what is the most common choice.

What I like the most is – the great hiking…. but that’s not relevant to the topic.

I love the fact that in our city we have a large number of out of hospital midwives and we have a strong community. As midwives, we support one another, attend births together at times, and meet on a regular basis. We are all passionate about serving families and staying up to date on current research so that we can help families make the best informed choices.

Contact Info:

• Website: scvbirthcenter.com
• Phone: 661-254-3000
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scvbirth/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scvbirthcenter
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/scvbirth
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/scv-birth-center-santa-clarita?osq=scv+birth+center
• Other: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/scv-birth-center/id1277942961

Image Credit:
Margaret Gruesbeck photographer for 3 pictures except the picture of the one in the bathtub where Renee has a glove on.

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.