Why Should I Consider an Out-of-Hospital Birth?

Why Should I Consider an Out-of-Hospital Birth?

 

There are a lot of decisions that mothers need to make when having a baby. Choosing a care provider and birthing place is probably one of the most important ones. 

You might have heard of other mothers in the community choosing to give birth at a birth center instead of a hospital. This might be a good choice for a lot of different reasons. A birth center is an excellent birthing place for mothers who want an all-natural birthing experience.

 

Why might a birthing mother choose to give birth at a birth center rather than a hospital?

A birth center has Certified Nurse Midwives and Certified Professional Midwives as the primary care providers. They are trained and specialize in various aspects of women’s reproductive health including labor and birth.

A birth center can provide prenatal care, well-woman care, and any other form of care associated with women of reproductive age. It follows the midwifery model of care, which is a holistic approach to healthcare rather than the allopathic approach seen in hospitals.

Their idea of birth is to encourage the natural progression of pregnancy and labor, with minimal interventions. They are trained to employ medical expertise where required so they can prescribe tests and medicines as necessary, but they don’t offer interventional obstetrics such as epidurals, C-sections, etc.

Choosing a birth center for your baby’s birth allows you to experience labor in a more home-like environment where you can actively take part in decision-making. Birth centers allow more freedom to implement your birth plan and rely on natural techniques of care to the fullest extent so you don’t have to get any sort of interventions if you don’t want to.

 

What are the advantages of a birth center?

Here are some of the main advantages of a birth center:

1. Holistic Care: Birth centers take a more holistic and patient-centered approach to childbirth. They give more importance to the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of the birthing process.
2. Unmedicated Birth: Birth centers help promote an unmedicated and low-intervention birthing experience rather than the protocol-driven birth a hospital offers.
3. Comfortable Environment: Birth centers provide a homier and more comfortable setting than hospitals. You can choose to have your favorite things, music, and people around. 
4. Personalized Care: Midwives, who are the primary care providers in birth centers, can offer a more personalized care experience compared to hospitals. This helps ensure that all of your needs are heard and met accordingly.
5. Reduced Costs: In many cases, giving birth at a birth center can be more cost-effective than a hospital birth. This is partly due to the lower intervention rates and shorter stays.
6. Postpartum Care: Birth centers often provide comprehensive postpartum care and support, including lactation support, newborn care education, and help with the transition into parenthood.

 

What are the disadvantages of birth centers?

While birth centers offer many advantages, they may not be the right choice for everyone. Here are some reasons some may not choose a birth center:

1. Lack of Intensive Care: Birth centers typically offer fewer medical interventions than hospitals. If you have a high-risk pregnancy or complications arise during labor, you may need to be transferred to a hospital..
2. Lack of Pain Medication: If you are considering pain relief options like epidurals, they are not typically available at birth centers. While birth centers do offer certain natural methods of analgesia, those might not be enough for some mothers.
3. Insurance Coverage: Some insurance plans may not cover birth center births, or they may have limited coverage. 

 

If you have any questions about choosing a birth center and our care, send us a message!