Childbirth Choices :: Choosing a Birth Place
Birth Center | Hospital | Home Birth
A freestanding birth center is a maternity care facility that is not attached to or affiliated with any hospital. While some hospitals call their maternity service a “birth center,” this is not the same thing as a freestanding birth center. Most birth centers are staffed by certified nurse midwives (CNMs). CNMs are registered nurses (RNs) who have received graduate training in midwifery and have been licensed by the American College of Nurse Midwives. Midwives are experts in facilitating normal birth, and are appropriate care providers for most women. Most birth centers provide normal well-woman (non-pregnancy) care in addition to prenatal, birth, and postpartum care.
Birth centers are a good choice for women who are planning on birthing without an epidural, and for those who want a more intimate, personal environment for their birth. Typically, birth centers have just a few birthing rooms and plenty of one-on-one attention from nurses and midwives. Birthing moms may also bring a doula for continuous labor support. There is often no limit (within reason!) on the number of family members or friends a woman may include in her birth, and many women choose to have their older children present. Birth centers are typically equipped with spacious bedrooms, large living rooms, and kitchens for the use of clients and their families. Most have large whirlpool tubs, birth balls, and birth stools for upright delivery. Sometimes, narcotic pain relief may be available if a woman requires it.
One of the biggest differences between birthing at a birth center and at a hospital is how long you will spend away from home; while you will likely be at a hospital for two days after giving birth, you will go home from a birth center within 12 hours after birth! Many women appreciate the opportunity to quickly return to their own quiet house, without the frequent interruptions and noise of the hospital. Birth center nurses typically visit you at home soon after your birth, and keep in close touch with you by phone to keep track of your recovery. Of course, if there were any sign of a problem, you would stay at the center or go to the hospital if necessary.
Accredited birth centers always have a back-up arrangement with a nearby hospital, in case a situation arises during labor where more intensive medical care is required. In our area, the Women’s Birth and Wellness Center in Chapel Hill (a Triangle Birth Network member, and endorser of the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative) has transfer arrangements with UNC Women’s Hospital, and the midwives from the Birth Center retain practice privileges at the hospital. In other words, if you are giving birth at the Women’s Birth and Wellness Center (WBWC) and you need to go to the hospital for any reason, the midwife caring for you will accompany you to the hospital AND will continue to be your primary care provider, consulting with physicians if necessary.
To learn more about the only free-standing birth center in the Triangle, visit The Women’s Birth and Wellness Center.