Birth Center Birth

Some of you choose a birth center birth. There is an organization that sets the standard for and accredit the birth centers (American Association of Birth Centers) Birth Center is a homelike setting designed for laboring women's comfort and safety. Some of the Birth Center is staffed by Certified Nurse-Midwives, and often prenatal care is provided at the same site.

Advantages of Birth Center birth:

• In a birth center, pregnancy and birth is considered a natural and healthy process.
• During pregnancy and birth, women arc encouraged to take charge of their own health care.
• It provides an alternative to parents not comfortable with home birth, yet do not want to give birth in a hospital.
• It has many of the same advantages as home birth, such as greater parental control, non-interventive obstetrical care, freedom to eat and move during labor, and to give birth in any position, and to have any number of family and friends attend the birth.
• It offers personalized care at much lower costs than traditional hospitals.
• The discharge time after birth is normally measured in hours, not days.

Disadvantages of Birth Center birth:

• Screening criteria for safety eliminates some mothers. i.e.; TOLAC, mother with hypertention, diabetes etc.
• The mother is still moved to birth center during labor, and still labors away from the home environment.
• Mother may have to be moved during labor, i.e.; prolonged labor, ruptured membranes, desire for pain control.
• There are usually no pediatricians on staff if the baby has special needs after the birth.
• The mother cannot remain at the birth center for a long rest; discharge is usually within four to 24 hours.