Maternity Care That Empowers New Parents

Real-life new moms talk about the special kind of care that makes having a baby at Providence Little Company of Mary a unique experience.

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Welcoming a baby into the world is one of life’s greatest experiences. Providence Little Company of Mary offers award-winning maternity care—partnering with parents to ensure a happy, confident pregnancy and delivery. Here, three moms talk about what makes having a baby at Providence Little Company of Mary unforgettable.

Above Nell Finigan, her husband, Dan, and their daughter, Hazel, visit with doula Monique Cowan.

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Nell Seeks Emotional Support

Nell Finigan is determined to have a happier birth experience this time around. When her first child, Hazel, was born on March 18, 2020, it was the day that COVID-19 quarantine protocols went into place. The Torrance resident found herself isolated and lonely in the Los Angeles area hospital where she had delivered. She wasn’t permitted visitors except her husband, Dan, who wasn’t allowed to leave.

“I felt unprepared and overwhelmed,” Nell recalls. “This time, I want someone who can coach me through and work well with the medical team.”

Nell has chosen Providence Little Company of Mary for her delivery, and her “coach” will be veteran doula Monique Cowan from the hospital’s doula program. Monique began her training after getting invaluable support from a doula during the birth of her own daughter.

“You deserve to be treated with love and nurturing.”

Monique says she likes to start working with moms-to-be around the 30-week mark. She provides four visits pre-birth and four after, as well as being present to support the mother during delivery. She says that half of her clients are first-time mothers and half are women who have had some kind of negative experience and want to do better the next time, like Nell.

“I help clients hope for the best, not prepare for the worst,” says Monique. “You deserve to be treated with love and nurturing.”

Rená Koerner, the OB care coordinator at Providence Little Company of Mary, says that she’s seen an increased demand for both midwife and doula services. “We see about three births per week with midwives and five to seven requests per week for doulas,” Rená says. “Families are more educated now about what they want from the birth experience.”

Above Amanda Choi and her husband, Eugene, celebrate Hazel’s 1st birthday (left). Providence Little Company of Mary NICU staff became like family to Amanda and Eugene during Hazel’s stay and celebrated her birthday together. L to R: Kristin Andrade, MD, NICU nurse Kendall Burris, respiratory therapists Ryndell Roberts and Jetaime Gonzales, and occupational therapist Nicky Tenpas (right).

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Amanda Witnessed Miracles

Most mothers-to-be consider carefully where they’ll go for maternity care the way Nell did, but Amanda Choi didn’t have that luxury. After a stressful day of moving their household to Torrance, Amanda awoke her husband Eugene at midnight, saying, “Take me to the ER at Little Company of Mary!”

She could tell something wasn’t right with the baby she’d already fought so hard to conceive via IVF treatment. Against all odds, the fetus had survived what had appeared to be a miscarriage at the six-week mark. Now, at 24 weeks, pain was telling Amanda something was very wrong.

Amanda and Eugene rushed to the ER, where they were taken to the Providence Little Company of Mary maternity unit. “I was so scared, I couldn’t stop shaking,” Amanda recalls. “The two nurses who saw me were the sweetest angels ever and held my hand.”

Unfortunately, the amniotic sac around the baby was breaking, and after Amanda spent three days on bed rest, baby Hazel was born 16 weeks on August 20, 2023. At 24 weeks, she weighed a scant 1 pound, 6 ounces—a micro-preemie.

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Providence Little Company of Mary is a Level III, 34-bed, state-of-the-art facility. Staffed around the clock by neonatologists, neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, case managers and social workers, the NICU delivers high-level care for fragile newborns.

At birth, Hazel was rushed there and would ultimately spend 124 days under the care of neonatal and perinatal pediatricians Joanna Bisquera-Cacpal, MD, Shama Ambe, MD, and Jon Yamato, MD. While Hazel clung to life in the NICU, Amanda was fighting for her own survival, having hemorrhaged during delivery and requiring multiple transfusions. Ultimately she was left unable to bear children again and thus treasures Hazel all the more.

“We’re so lucky to have her,” Amanda says. “It was a full-blown miracle. The universe has bigger plans for us than we can realize in the moment.”

The Irans' daughters Elena and Celina, and baby Julian

Roxanna Chose Her Own Way

Like Nell, Roxanna Iran knew she wanted her next birth experience to be different. Her first two children, 5-year-old Elena and 3-year-old Celina, had been delivered by C-section—the first one an emergency procedure and the second one scheduled.

But this time Roxanna was determined to follow her own birth plan: The Manhattan Beach resident wanted a vaginal birth, called a VBAC (vaginal birth after C-section). To find a maternity care team that would respect her goal, she switched to Providence Little Company of Mary.

“I was looking for a provider who would work with me on a vaginal birth after two C-sections,” Roxanna says. “Julie Oates is known among the moms of the South Bay as the go-to for that. I wanted one-on-one care.”

As a certified nurse-midwife practicing at Providence Little Company of Mary, Julie says she “establishes a strong relationship of trust” with clients whose babies she’ll catch. Each prenatal visit is a full 30 minutes, so Julie and the mother-to-be discuss every step of the process and what the challenges might be.

In Roxanna’s case, it turned out to be a very long labor—24 hours—and Julie was with her the entire time. “It was effectively Roxanna’s first baby,” Julie explains. “And that takes a long time.”

Julie practices in conjunction with OB-GYN Donna Richey, MD, so if Roxanna had required a surgical intervention, Dr. Richey would have helped. But as it was, the birth of Roxanna’s son, Julian, now 9 months old, went smoothly and she has nothing but good memories.

“Julie was so supportive about everything,” Roxanna says. “I felt so grateful.”

Award-winning Maternity Care Times Three

Providence Little Company of Mary is the only hospital in the South Bay to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report in 2023 and 2024 as “Best Hospital for Maternity Care.” Singled out as a “High Performing” facility, Little Company of Mary earned the distinction for its quality of care, including fewer complications in newborns and lower C-section rates than other hospitals. It was also singled out as a “Best Maternity Hospital” by Newsweek this year.