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Birth center: An option for pregnancy care
Birth centers are an option for many pregnant women. Find out what a birth center offers and how to choose the right facility for you.
By Mayo Clinic staffDuring pregnancy, you have many decisions to make — often beginning with the selection of a health care provider or facility. If you wonder whether a birth center might be right for you, here's what you need to know.
What is a birth center?
A birth center is a facility that provides care for women throughout pregnancy, including labor and delivery. A birth center typically has a relaxed, homelike atmosphere. A birth center can be free-standing or located within a hospital complex.
If you choose to use a birth center, during your prenatal care you'll become familiar with the setting where you'll give birth and, in most cases, the health care providers who'll handle your labor and delivery.
What services does a birth center offer?
Birth centers offer standard prenatal care, including prenatal tests, as well as care during and after labor and delivery.
Birth centers not located within a hospital complex are typically staffed by midwives, rather than doctors. If you experience complications during pregnancy or labor that require medical or surgical intervention, the birth center's providers will consult a doctor — typically a specialist at a collaborating hospital. During your prenatal care, the birth center's providers will review a list of conditions that would require treatment by a doctor. They'll also review challenges that can occur during childbirth and how the birth center — in comparison with a hospital — would handle them. You may be asked to sign a consent form stating that you understand the risks and benefits of giving birth in a birth center.
Are there certain situations when using a birth center isn't recommended?
Birth centers not located within a hospital complex aren't for every pregnant woman. You'll be carefully screened before enrolling at a free-standing birth center and during prenatal visits for possible health problems that may cause pregnancy complications. You may not be able to receive care and deliver your baby at a free-standing birth center if you:
- Have diabetes, chronic hypertension, a seizure disorder or any chronic medical condition
- Previously had a C-section
- Are obese
- Use tobacco or illegal drugs
- Develop a pregnancy complication, such as preeclampsia, preterm labor or significant anemia
- Are pregnant with multiples or your baby doesn't settle into a position that allows for a headfirst delivery
(1 of 2)
- Where women give birth. American College of Nurse-Midwives. http://www.mymidwife.org/give_birth.cfm. Accessed Feb. 23, 2010.
- ACOG statement on home births. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr02-06-08-2.cfm. Accessed Feb. 23, 2010.
- Ernst EKM, et al. Birth centers. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 23, 2010.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 16, 2010.
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