By Joy Jernigan, Vitals Contributor

When Roxanne Beltran and her husband, Patrick Robinson, were preparing to welcome their first child in summer 2026, they approached the experience the same way they would in their work as scientists: with a focus on research, evidence and thoughtful planning.

Both are affiliated with the University of California, Santa Cruz. Beltran runs a lab at the university that studies marine mammals; Robinson is the director of Año Nuevo Natural Reserve, just north of Santa Cruz. They met at an elephant seal colony in 2013, married in 2018, and decided in 2025 that they were ready for a baby.

When Beltran became pregnant, they chose Dr. Peggy Moore at Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz as their obstetrician. Beltran described her as evidence-based and also funny, joyful and flexible.

“Friends who had delivered at Sutter all told us the same thing: you’ll be well taken care of,” Beltran said. She and Robinson looked forward to every appointment with Dr. Moore, who got to know their birth preferences well over the course of the pregnancy.

Their experience highlights an approach to maternity care that helps Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz achieve strong outcomes for birthing families. In August, the center achieved the lowest year-to-date Cesarean section rate among 110 hospitals in the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative database for healthy, first-time birthing patients.

It’s a major milestone for the healthcare team, and part of a systemwide focus at Sutter Health to reduce unnecessary C-sections. Five years ago, nearly one in three babies born at the maternity center was delivered by C-section, which is similar to the national trend. The maternity center’s leaders, together with Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group physicians and midwives, launched an evidence-based initiative to reduce the number of Cesarean births.

They hired an obstetric hospitalist, a physician whose duties include providing care for laboring patients and managing delivery complications. The team increased training, worked with providers to build trust with patients by narrating care in the delivery room, debriefed after deliveries, and celebrated recent births at monthly meetings. They focused on pre-admission patient education, practiced active labor management emphasizing movement, and implemented trauma-informed care.

“We have a dedicated internal group that has worked on this for years and closely tracks any risks to mom and baby as well,” said Stephanie Connor Kent, CEO of Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz.

For many expectant parents, avoiding a Cesarean birth when it is not medically necessary is an important goal. While C-sections can be lifesaving when complications arise, unnecessary surgical deliveries can increase recovery time and introduce additional risks.

At Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz, clinicians focus on supporting vaginal births when safe and appropriate while continuously monitoring the health of both parent and baby.

“We use labor-positioning techniques to help babies progress through the pelvis,” said Janet Windt, director for inpatient nursing at the hospital. “This involves using gravity and changing the patient’s position when the baby’s head is angled or a shoulder is slightly caught. Patients with epidurals are moved at least once per hour.”

Beltran, 34, had a strong preference to avoid a C-section, if possible, while also recognizing that circumstances can change quickly during delivery.

“We trusted the team to recommend a C-section if it was the safest option for me or the baby,” she said. “But it’s a major surgery, so we hoped to avoid it if we could. I was so grateful the doctors and nurses took our preferences to heart.”

Near the end of an otherwise health pregnancy, Beltran developed slightly elevated blood pressure. At 38 weeks, her care team recommended inducing labor to help ensure a safe delivery. Beltran arrived at the maternity center on a Friday evening. The care team induced labor, which progressed overnight, and the following afternoon, Dr. Moore delivered their son, Remy, who weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces.

“It was really important for us to understand every decision being made,” Beltran said. “Dr. Moore and our nurses, Osha Maloney and Alissa Bloch, worked in perfect harmony with our doula, Malena Sweers, to spin the baby out of a sunny-side-up position, which can make labor much harder. They calmly communicated everything they were doing, even in the most intense moments.”

After Remy was born, Beltran experienced a postpartum hemorrhage, which the clinical team quickly and safely addressed. Throughout the experience, Beltran said she felt informed and supported.

Beltran and Robinson stayed at the hospital for two days, where the team supported them around the clock with breastfeeding, newborn care and recovery before they headed home.

“As first-time parents, we had a lot to learn,” Beltran said. “Thanks to the incredible labor and delivery team, we brought our son home feeling capable, prepared, and excited for what was ahead.”

Today, the couple is enjoying life with Remy and settling into parenthood. Thanks to a quick recovery, Beltran was running again by six weeks postpartum, and the family continues to explore local hiking trails together. Beltran has advice for other families considering whether to give birth at Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz.

“Don’t think twice,” she said. “And order the breakfast burrito.”