If you’re thinking about where to give birth but don’t want the clinical setting of a hospital and don’t want to give birth at home, an authorized special Delivery birth center may be a viable alternative.
For many women, a birth center provides the perfect mix: skilled assistance, few medical interruptions, and comfortable lodgings. The following guide will give you a better idea of whether or not giving birth at a special birth center is right for you.
What is a special delivery birth center?
The birth center is a health care institution that provides midwifery and wellness care during childbirth. It is not a hospital but rather a self-contained facility.
Integration with the healthcare system and adherence to the ideals of prevention, sensitivity, proper medical treatment and cost-effectiveness are the guiding principles of the birth centers in the United States. When it comes to maternity care, a birth center is the only place where midwives may practice and support natural delivery and baby transitions.
In the birth center, a woman’s right to make rational choices regarding her health care is respected and facilitated. Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period are all appropriate times for the woman’s family, as she sees it, to be there.
Differences between hospital and special delivery birth center
Midwives are generally in charge of care in birth centers, however they may collaborate with OB-GYNs, pediatricians, and other healthcare experts if the need arises.
When it comes to giving birth, there are some differences between giving birth at an outpatient clinic and giving birth in a medical facility. A birthing center’s birthing rooms are far more upscale than labor rooms in hospitals. And at a birthing center, procedures that are normal in a hospital environment (such as continuous fetal observation, routine IVs, and inducement of labor) aren’t.
It’s also worth noting that epidurals aren’t commonly available in birthing centers. Opting for non-pharmacological ways to alleviate their discomfort is becoming commonplace. Nitrous oxide gas is another option available at some facilities.
Benefits of Special delivery birth center
Better security. Pregnant women at birth centers may expect to have private rooms, however at the hospital, you’ll be transferred to a semi-private room unless your insurance pays for a private room (which many don’t).
Enhanced liberty. You may be as lively as you desire and wear anything you want while you’re here. Even during and after labor, you’ll be able to have a small meal or snack and a cup of coffee or tea (no food or drinks during the pushing phase though).
If you give birth in a hospital, you may expect to be denied any food and drink (with the exception of ice chips), have your movements restricted (because of the prevalence of regular electronic fetal tracking), and most likely give birth on your back on a hospital bed.
Comfortable lodgings. In most birthing facilities, you’ll find dim lighting, a queen or double bed, a tv, a rocking rocker, couches for visitors, a shower, a Jacuzzi tub, and even a kitchen. Personalizing the room with photos, candles, or music is welcomed in many care homes.
When you give birth in a hospital, your baby will be moved to a different room for his initial checkup and a few further procedures. If your baby is born at a birth center, he or she won’t be hurried away to another room for any reason other than an emergency (and family and friends won’t be moved away unless you specifically want it). It’s all done in the same place, from the vitamin K injection through the baby’s first wash and examination.
C-sections are less likely to occur. Women who choose to give birth at a birth center have a 6% chance of having a C-section.
Fast birth delivery process. As a result of the decreasing usage of drugs and medical procedures, recuperation time is reduced. In contrast to the 24-48 hours spent in a hospital, most couples leave the center four to eight hours after the baby is born. You may also save money by staying for a shorter period of time.
List of special delivery birth centers in the United States
- A New Story Birth Center: 16802 145th Avenue, P.O. Box 116, Milaca, MN 56353.
- A New Story Birth Center: 117 Gillis Avenue NE Brainerd, MN 56401.
- Alaska Family Health and Birth Center: 2054 30th Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701.
- Alma Midwifery: 1608 SE Ankeny Street, Portland, OR 97214.
- Anchorage Birth Center: 3730 Rhone Circle, Suite 103, Anchorage, AK 99508.
- Andaluz Waterbirth Center: 3323 SW Naito Parkway, Portland, OR 97239.
- Astoria Birth Center: 1406 Marine Dr, Astoria, OR 97103.
- Atlanta Birth Center: 1 Baltimore Place NW, Suite 105, Atlanta, GA 30308.
- Auburn Birthing Center: 1915 Wesley Road, Auburn, IN 46706.
- Austin Area Birthing Center: 4100 Duval Road, Bldg # 2, Suite 101, Austin, TX 78759.
- Austin Area Birthing Center: 2500 West William Cannon Drive, Bldg # 5, Suite 503, Austin, TX 78745.
- Babymoon Inn Phoenix: 215 E. Lexington Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85012.
- Babymoon Inn Tucson: 2802 N. Alvernon Way, Suite 100, Tucson, AZ 85712.
- Beginnings Birth Center: 9475 Briar Village Point, Suite 100, Colorado Springs, CO 80924.
- Bella Vie Gentle Birth Center: 13160 Jerusalem Hill Road NW, Salem, OR 97304.
- Bellingham Birth Center: 2430 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225.
- Best Start Birth Center: 3630 Enterprise Street, San Diego, CA 92110.
- Birth Care & Family Health Services: 1138 Georgetown Rd, Bart, PA 17503.