Are Birth Centers Safe?
A lot of families who are deciding between a hospital and a birth center might be primarily concerned about the safety aspect. While a birth center is known to provide a more comfortable, home-like environment, is it safe enough to birth a baby in?
Let’s talk about it!
Are Birth Centers Actually Safe?
Yes, birth centers are safe because they have knowledgeable, professional midwives who are trained and certified to provide excellent quality care for the mother and the baby. The relatively slow-paced environment of a birth center allows midwives to focus on the mother and baby’s best interests.
“The National Birth Center Study,” a multicenter study of over 17,000 women seeking birth center care published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that birth centers offer a safe and acceptable alternative to hospital birth for select women and that birth center care leads to fewer cesarean sections.
Some people who desire a low-risk, low-intervention birth have misconceptions that a birth center is not as safe as a hospital, but for most women it is a great option for them.
There are times where a birth center birth might not be suitable for every person. High-risk pregnancies are better suited to a hospital since they are better equipped to monitor and care for a mother in case of emergencies.
People are often concerned about what happens in case of emergencies and how we manage it at the birth center. While we don’t offer epidurals or emergency C-sections at the birth center, we have the clinical capability and skills to determine when things could start to go wrong.
At that point, we make the necessary arrangements quickly and efficiently for a transfer to a hospital setting.
What are the benefits of giving birth at a birth center?
You might want to opt for giving birth at a birth center for the following reasons:
- It provides a home-like environment with a lot of freedom to customize your birth suite and bring whoever you want to it.
- Birth centers aren’t as fast-paced as hospitals. Midwives can provide more individualized care to all their clients.
- There are minimal examinations and interventions during labor.
- You can choose to have a water birth if you want.
- The use of unnecessary medication is limited.
- You can drink, eat, and move as you wish during labor.
- You don’t have to stay for a long time after the birth and will be discharged the same day if you and the baby are doing well.
- You can continue your postpartum care with the midwives of the birth center.
What are some disadvantages?
Midwives are the primary care providers at a birth center. While they are well-trained in the holistic aspect of birth, there are certain limitations to their expertise.
Some disadvantages of a birth center birth include:
- You can’t opt for medical pain-relief options such as epidural during labor.
- They can’t cater to high-risk or multiples pregnancies (twins or triplets, etc.)
- In case of an emergency before or during labor, the care needs to be transferred to a hospital.
- They can’t perform emergency C-sections.
- They don’t have expert pediatric care available for your baby right after birth.
That said, birth centers are generally considered safe for low-risk pregnancies and have amazing outcomes for families desiring a birth that is unmedicated and allow a person’s body to do what it knows how to do.