There is more than one birth location option! You do not have to deliver in a hospital if you do not want to! You can delivery out of hospital, sometimes called Community birth.
Your out of hospital delivery options are:
- Free-standing Birth Center
- Home
- Decreased risk of c-section
- Decreased use of medical interventions
- Decreased use of pain medications needed
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Birth Location Options:
Choosing Your Birth Location
There are a few factors to take into account when choosing your location
- Risk level of pregnancy: Are there any complications that have developed during your pregnancy that make you “ineligible” for a community birth.
- The current recommendation is having a “Low risk” pregnancy is considered the best when having an out of hospital birth.
- “Low risk” can mean something different to different providers.
- For some that means no complications or diagnoses at all, and others there are certain ones that they know are not a reason to not be “low risk”
- Are the any Free-standing Birth Centers in the Area? Are there Home Birth Providers in your area?
- If yes, Do they have availability in their schedule for you? Especially Home Birth Providers, sometime they will book up VERY quickly months out.
- If yes, What are their credentials? Are they licensed in your state? Some states Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) are the only licensed midwives to attend births. Where other states, Certified Professional Midwives (CPMS) are also licensed to attend birth!
- Joining Facebook or other groups on home birth can help find a provider to support your birth
- Is the birth center a reasonable drive away from your home for you? Some will be a drive away that will make them not a viable option for you. Before it closed, the only birth center available near us in NC is 1.5 hours away, which for me was not a reasonable option for birth.
Free Standing Birth Center
Free-standing birth centers are different than a Birth Center attached to a hospital. Some hospitals will even call their hospital birth unit a “Birth Center.” This is not the same thing!!
A Free-standing Birth Center is:
- Birth Center not attached to a hospital unit
- Run by Midwives most commonly, can be Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) or Certified Professional Midwives/License Midwife (CPM/LM)
- Unmedicated birth, but some may offer nitrous oxide as pain relief option
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- Limited Medical Interventions available – No Operating Room, limited medications, and resuscitation capabilities
- Will have policies on when and how to transfer for safety
- Each birth center may have different capabilities than others, asking their emergency response capabilities at first tour if that’s important to you!
- Stay in the Birth Center for 4-6 hours on average after birth before being discharged home. Will then have a 24-hour follow-up at home or in the birth center, dependent on their policy.
Home Birth
Home birth is exactly as it sounds, you deliver in your home and your birth team will come to you! This team can include your provider, doula, and birth support person/family!
Providers who attend home births is usually a midwife but some Doctors will attend home births!
Home Birth is:
- Done in your home or someone else’s home
- All necessary supplies are purchased by you (usually with recommendation by your midwife) before the birth – if you want a pool you will rent or purchase a birth pool
- resuscitation capabilities limited due to the midwife not being able to carry it all to your home in their car. Will have oxygen and some medications. Asking what exactly they can respond to can be helpful!
- Transfer policies in place for when and how to transfer in different circumstances
- After birth, the midwife and birth team will stay in the home for 4-6 hours, or until you are stable. Then will come back around 24 hours to do a follow up assessment.
Similarities and Differences between the two
Similarities
- Unmedicated birth with minimal interventions, most of the time no interventions!
- Both are attended until 4-6 hours after birth and then have 24-hour follow-ups after birth.
- There are also more postpartum visits with the provider until 6-8 weeks postpartum! The timing may be a little different depending on their practice.
- SAFE option to deliver your baby!!
Differences
- Level of resuscitation for baby and you – Home birth cannot provide as many resuscitative efforts due to limited ability to bring it to your home. Some Birth centers will have more availability, but some offer the same as a home birth provider. Asking what they can provide is recommended if this is important for you!
- Need to travel to birth center vs. staying at home
- Not all follow ups are in the home for birth center births, asking this during tour can be helpful if you want home visits
Conclusion
Choosing an out of hospital/community birth is not the norm in today’s society, but it is a completely valid and SAFE option to bring your baby earthside that many more are choosing each year!
Your reason for choosing one may not be the same as someone else, and THAT IS OKAY!