Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns

09/23/2025

🌟 Celebrating 5 years of walking for a cause! 🌟

Earlier this month, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital's Women's Surgery team proudly joined the Teal Steps Ovarian Cancer Walk in Coronado for the fifth time in honor of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

With over 50 participants, our largest group yet, we came together to honor, support and remember those affected by ovarian cancer.

Every step we took was filled with love, hope and the determination to make a difference. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated and supported our team. 💙

09/08/2025

Our annual NICU Read-A-Thon has officially begun!

Hosted by Babies With Books in partnership with Sharp Mary Birch, this friendly reading competition between NICUs across the country is hosted to celebrate and encourage family reading, enhancing the NICU experience for everyone involved.

👶 Why Read to Babies During Their NICU Hospitalization? 👶
Reading to babies is essential for brain development, fostering language, literacy, and social-emotional skills. It also provides a valuable bonding opportunity, especially for families in the NICU and those facing prolonged hospitalizations or socioeconomic challenges.

If you are interested in donating a book (or two!) to the read-a-thon and NICU library, you can choose a book from our book lists below:
1. Sharp Mary Birch NICU Book Drive at Warwicks: You can purchase from their booklist and they will gather the books for us—no need to ship. Use code “NICU” in the ‘coupon code’ box. https://www.warwicks.com/wishlist/512

2. SMB NICU Read A Thon Amazon Book Drive:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2AQZ3I3ARUKS1?ref_=list_d_wl_lfu_nav_3

Let's make a difference, one story at a time! 📖❤️

08/14/2025

We were thrilled to have such a wonderful turnout at our annual Breast Milk Drive last week with recognition by local media.

Due to the publicity, we have received many requests on how to donate after the event, and we are happy to announce that you can still donate at our New Beginnings Boutique on the bottom floor of Sharp Mary Birch.

Call 858-939-4127 to learn more about how to continue to donate throughout National Breastfeeding Month.

08/12/2025

A huge thanks to the amazing donors and volunteers who made last week's Milk Drive a success! We collected 3,535 ounces of milk from 19 generous donors. 🎉

If you weren’t able to stop by, call Sharp Mary Birch’s New Beginnings Boutique to learn how you can still donate.

08/06/2025

Vanessa Jankowski from Sharp Mary Birch’s New Beginnings Boutique joined FOX 5 San Diego to spotlight Breastfeeding Awareness Month and share the excitement about tomorrow’s Breast Milk Drive!

🍼 If you have frozen breast milk to donate, come by Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns on Thursday, August 7.

08/06/2025

🚨 It’s happening TOMORROW!
Our Breast Milk Drive is back at Sharp Mary Birch! We need donor milk to support our tiniest NICU babies. 💕

🍼 Have frozen breast milk to spare?
Drop by August 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and make a life-saving impact.
Just 3 oz = up to 12 feedings!

🎁 Enjoy raffles, giveaways, and kid-friendly fun!
✅ Pre-register now: http://spr.ly/61864AbBQ
📖 FAQs + more: http://spr.ly/61874AbBv

Every ounce makes a difference. Let’s show up for our NICU families! 💗

08/01/2025

Havyne Cooper learned she had breast cancer when she was only 33 years old. She discussed with K**I News about her cancer treatment journey and her oncologist, Dr. Kristen Rice, who is affiliated with Sharp Memorial Hospital, spoke about breast cancer treatment options. Watch the interview below to learn more.

07/31/2025

Sharp Mary Birch is hosting our annual Breast Milk Drive next Thursday, August 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We’re facing a donor milk shortage, and just 3 oz can mean up to 12 life-saving feedings for a NICU baby. 💗

Got extra frozen breast milk?
Join us for raffles, giveaways & kid-friendly fun!
Pre-register here: http://spr.ly/61864AbBQ
Learn more: http://spr.ly/61874AbBv

Help us give San Diego’s tiniest patients their strongest start. 💕

07/30/2025

Did you know umbilical cord blood is rich in life-saving stem cells and often gets thrown away?

Dr. Anup Katheria, a Neonatologist affiliated with Sharp Mary Birch explains on FOX 5 San Diego how cord blood can be used to treat over diseases, including certain cancers like leukemia, and how families can choose to donate or store it. It’s safe, painless and could change a life - maybe even your own child’s.

Watch the full clip to learn more in observance of !

07/30/2025

Earlier this month, Sharp HealthCare represented at Petco Park during the Sunday tradition sponsored by Sharp Mary Birch, the Baby Race. 👶

Five families from across the Sharp Metropolitan Medical Campus and their crawling babies joined to race to the finish line! 🥳

Check out each of the racer and watch the race that aired during the game on the last slide. Go Padres! ⚾️

07/29/2025

This year in support of common questions we receive during our annual Milk Drive, lactation expert Lisa Simpkins of Sharp Mary Birch answered your top breastmilk storage questions: from fridge life and freezer tips to milk color and the safest ways to share.

Don’t forget to stop by our Breast Milk Drive to donate your excess frozen breast milk for babies in need on Thursday, August 7 from 10am to 2pm. Learn more at http://spr.ly/6180frVCo

An educator at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns shares everything you need to know about storing your breastmilk to safely feed your baby.

07/28/2025

For the past 20 years, Roseana Monsen has been a lactation and perinatal educator by day and has transformed each year into a homemade costumed character for San Diego's famous Comic-Con. This past weekend, she traded in her scrubs for the florals and vines of Te Fiti from the movie, Moana. 🌺🌴

She has personally made the costumes for her (and her children) for 17 years but has enjoyed the festivities of Comic-Con for 30 years, remembering when tickets were not required.

The same way Roseana is hands-on and creative with her costumes is how she helps her patients as they navigate their personal journey with breastfeeding and introducing a newborn into their life.

Check out some of her favorite costumes from the past years. 🥸👏