Northwestern Memorial Hospital: labor and delivery in Chicago, IL
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is a hospital in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois that delivers babies. It handled 11,454 deliveries in 2025. Of first-time mothers with a full-term, single, head-down baby, 20% delivered by C-section (4,966 such births). That is below the Illinois rate of 24% and below the U.S. median of 26%.
- 20%First-birth C-section rate
- 11,454Deliveries in 2025
- YesBirthing-Friendly designation
- 368Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries
- 3 of 5Patient survey stars
- 5 of 5Overall hospital stars
Birth services at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
- Newborn care: NICU on site
- Private labor and delivery rooms
- Midwifery care
- Epidural and pain relief options
- VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) support
- Lactation consultants
- High-risk pregnancy and maternal-fetal medicine care
Tour, class and care-team details are on the hospital's maternity page.
Address and phone
251 E Huron St
Chicago, IL 60611
Cook County
Call (312) 926-2000 Directions
- Emergency department: Yes
- Hospital type: Acute Care hospital
- Ownership: Nonprofit, Private
How Northwestern Memorial Hospital compares
| Measure, 2025 | This hospital | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-birth C-section rate | 20% | 24% | 26% (median) |
| Severe complications per 10,000 deliveries | 368 | 314 | 285 |
| Severe complications, not counting transfusion-only cases, per 10,000 | 113 | – | 68 |
Severe-complication ranking among U.S. hospitals: Middle 50%. Not counting transfusion-only cases: Bottom 25% (most complications).
In Illinois, Northwestern Memorial 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
- 81% of patients would definitely recommend this hospital
- 77% 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 Memorial 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 Chicago
| Hospital | City | Miles | First-birth C-section rate | Deliveries, 2025 | Birthing-Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago | 2.8 | 28% | 2,511 | Yes |
| Presence Saint Joseph Hospital - Chicago | Chicago | 2.8 | 26% | 574 | Yes |
| University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics | Chicago | 3.1 | 28% | 1,932 | Yes |
| John H Stroger Jr Hospital | Chicago | 3.1 | 25% | 1,081 | Yes |
| Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center | Chicago | 3.2 | 48% | 393 | Yes |
| Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center | Chicago | 3.2 | 30% | 1,319 | Yes |
More labor and delivery in Chicago
- Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
- Advocate Trinity Hospital
- Amita Health Resurrection Medical Center
- Humboldt Park Health
- John H Stroger Jr Hospital
- Loretto Hospital
- MT Sinai Hospital Medical Center
- Presence Saint Joseph Hospital - Chicago
- Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center
- Roseland Community Hospital
- Rush University Medical Center
- Saint Anthony Hospital
- Swedish Hospital
- The University of Chicago Medical Center
- University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics
More in Cook County
- Northwest Community Hospital 1 (Arlington Heights)
- MacNeal Hospital (Berwyn)
- Alexian Brothers Medical Center 1 (Elk Grove Village)
- Northshore University Healthsystem - Evanston Hospital (Evanston)
- OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center (Evergreen Park)
- Ingalls Memorial Hospital (Harvey)
- St Alexius Medical Center (Hoffman Estates)
- Loyola University Medical Center (Maywood)
- Advocate Christ Hospital & Medical Center (Oak Lawn)
- Franciscan Health Olympia & Chicago Heights (Olympia Fields)
- Palos Community Hospital (Palos Heights)
- Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (Park Ridge)
Hospitals in Chicago that do not offer labor and delivery: St Bernard Hospital, Thorek Memorial Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital, Insight Hospital and Medical Center Chicago, Jackson Park Hospital, South Shore Hospital, Methodist Hospital of Chicago, Community First Medical Center, Provident Hospital of Chicago.
All hospitals in Chicago · Cook County · All Illinois hospitals