Our Story

Austin Area Birthing Center Celebrates 24 Years

Austin ABC has been providing safe, compassionate care to expectant mothers and their babies for 24 years. We are pleased to tell how our business has grown leaps and bounds since it first opened in the spring of 1987.

"Since our first year, it's unbelievable what strides we have made with our facilities and our clientele," says Jean Stokes, owner and founder of Austin ABC. Jean was born in San Marcos and has lived in Austin since middle school. "We started out being a one-woman operation so to speak; I was the midwife, there was one front office person - my cousin who took phone calls - and I had one student midwife. We now have a team of outstanding people that includes three certified nurse midwives, four certified professional midwives, a full-time insurance specialist, a front office administrator, a receptionist, and a medical assistant working together in our two beautiful facilities. We also have seven part-time nurses who assist with births and postpartum care."

Austin ABC is a place where a mother can experience the joy of natural childbirth in a well-equipped and comfortable home-like setting. Since 1987, Austin ABC has delivered more than 4,000 babies. Our practice boasts an extremely low rate of transport to the hospital: only ten percent of first-time mothers.

The inception of the birthing center began with founder Jean Stokes' idea to begin her own viable business after having a successful career as a registered nurse in Austin. She had become what she calls a "nurse friend" to many existing midwives back in the '70s after she graduated from UT School of Nursing and worked in Labor and Delivery at Brackenridge Hospital. She found the entire practice of midwifery to be fascinating, so she acquired her midwife certification by becoming licensed by the state as a CPM, then began her career by driving to clients' homes for their prenatal checkups and deliveries. That small operation grew into a thriving business of her own; she was so busy that at times she was attending several births consecutively, and driving to all corners of Austin to deliver. "One time I had to attend four births back to back; I had to drive to South Austin, to the Lakeway area, then all the way to Round Rock and back into Central Austin again in a matter of a few hours to deliver these babies all in a row. It was crazy! I knew I had to make some decisions right away, and having a single location for my clients to come and see me at seemed to be a great solution," Stokes says.

The first location that she opened in 1987 was known as the Austin Birthing Center on Shoal Creek and Steck Ave. When she outgrew that facility and needed to expand, she rented a space for 15 years at Cima Serena and Mopac. But in 2005, Austin ABC's dream came true when they were able to move to a location that had been built and designed from scratch. "We found this North Austin location and were able to work with an architect and a designer to really create the right kind of rooms for our business; we have plumbing in every room, deep birthing tubs and lots of space, but we still have kept each room warm and inviting for labor and delivery."

The new facility on Duval Road was opened in July of 2005, and since moving there six years ago, business has been booming. Stokes is still excited about her role in the world of midwifery, and after nearly 25 years she is thrilled that many a growing number of people are now taking midwives seriously and are much more positive about it. "From dignitaries to dreadlocks, we have worked with many different and unique people at Austin ABC," says Stokes. And the most exciting part of her business, she explains, is "getting to know the people - knowing what really makes them tick and seeing what we can do to guide them emotionally, and spiritually through pregnancy and then the delivery of their baby. It's truly amazing." People have put their trust in Austin ABC and one of the most special moments in Stokes' midwife career happened recently., "I had the honor to sign up a young lady with Austin ABC who was only 18 years old, and I had delivered her! Her mother had been my client at the center years ago; I couldn't believe it! It was such a great feeling that she returned to me to deliver her grandchild in a delicate situation that involved her daughter having an unplanned pregnancy. She totally trusted me and my team. It was a compliment to the work I have spent my entire lifetime career doing."

"The gift of motherhood is magical, and it's the mothers who make it happen. The power of women is phenomenal and I am so proud to be a part of it everyday," Stokes says.

As her practice grew, Stokes felt the need to add a second facility to better serve clients living in central and south Austin and points beyond. In late 2009, the developer of the Duval Road location approached her about buying space in his new Class A, medical-zoned Stonegate II complex in south Austin. The whole Austin ABC team was so excited to learn that this project met all their needs and was in a fantastic south-central location easily accessed from IH-35, Lamar, Loop 360 and Mopac.

Austin ABC opened its second location at 2500 W. William Cannon, Suite 503 (between Manchaca and Westgate) on Labor Day 2010. The new 4,300 square foot facility doubled the company's birthing room capacity to six by adding three large water birth suites, each decorated in a distinctive South Austin vibe. Austin ABC South also has two exam rooms, a comfortable family waiting area with full kitchen, and an on-site lab.

Stokes says, "We're in the middle of the fastest-growing part of Austin and we can see that growth by how many South and Central Austin women choose Austin ABC to provide safe, natural care during and through their pregnancy. Opening this new center put us closer to these clients and enhances their experience with us."

She added, "We wanted to celebrate South Austin's art and culture in our new birthing suites. So we have an Austin Art Studio, an Austin Music Scene Room, and a cool, rustic Folklife Room. It's definitely more edgy than the more traditional suites at our Duval Road center."