Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital: labor and delivery in Lake Forest, IL
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital is a hospital in Lake Forest, Lake County, Illinois that delivers babies. It handled 1,595 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 20% delivered by C-section (537 such births). That is below the Illinois rate of 24% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 20%First-birth C-section rate
- 1,595Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 235Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 5 of 5Overall hospital stars
Birth services at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital
- Newborn care: NICU on site
- Private labor and delivery rooms
- Midwifery care
- Doula support
- Epidural and pain relief options
- VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) support
- Lactation consultants
- Birth center tours
- High-risk pregnancy and maternal-fetal medicine care
Tour, class and care-team details are on the hospital's maternity page.
Address and phone
1000 N Westmoreland Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Lake County
Call (847) 234-5600 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Other
How Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 20% | 24% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 235 | 314 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 71 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%.
In Illinois, Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital has the 8th-lowest first-birth C-section rate of 78 hospitals that report one.
The first-birth C-section rate counts first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby. Complication rates are adjusted for patient risk. Our data explains each number.
What patients say
- Patient survey summary: 3 of 5 stars
- 79% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 74% of patients rated this hospital 9 or 10 out of 10
Survey results cover all patients at the hospital, not only maternity patients.
Birthing-Friendly designation
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital holds the federal Birthing-Friendly designation. Hospitals earn it by taking part in a perinatal quality collaborative and following maternal safety practices.
Other hospitals that deliver babies near Lake Forest
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advocate Condell Medical Center | Libertyville | 4.6 | 21% | 1,430 | Yes |
| Northwest Community Hospital 1 | Arlington Heights | 15 | 21% | 2,096 | Yes |
| Advocate Lutheran General Hospital | Park Ridge | 15 | 22% | 3,709 | Yes |
| Northshore University Healthsystem - Evanston Hospital | Evanston | 16 | 20% | 5,178 | Yes |
| Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital | Barrington | 16 | 27% | 860 | Yes |
| Amita Health Resurrection Medical Center | Chicago | 19 | 31% | 521 | Yes |
More in Lake County
- Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital (Barrington)
- Advocate Condell Medical Center (Libertyville)
All hospitals in Lake Forest · Lake County · All Illinois hospitals