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Birth center: An option for pregnancy care
What happens during labor and delivery at a birth center?
During labor at a birth center, you may be able to wear your own clothes, take a shower or bath, and eat, drink and move around freely. You may also be able to control who's in the room and your labor position. Your baby's heart rate will be intermittently — rather than continuously — monitored. Some birth centers, particularly those located within a hospital complex, offer narcotics for pain relief during labor. Epidurals, however, typically aren't offered in free-standing birth centers because of the need for intravenous infusions, a urinary catheter and continuous electronic fetal monitoring.
After delivery at a birth center, you'll be close to your baby. The newborn exam may be done on your bed and used as an opportunity to discuss your baby's health and behavior. You'll also be given information on how to care for a newborn. Follow-up care from a birth center may include phone calls and home visits, lactation support and an office visit within two weeks of delivery.
How do I choose a birth center?
If you're interested in using a birth center — whether it's the free-standing type or a birth center located within a hospital complex — look for a facility that's accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Also, check with your insurance provider for coverage details.
Before you begin care at a birth center, attend an orientation and take a tour of the facility. Make sure you're comfortable with the environment, the staff members and the facility policies. Ask about the consulting doctor, the credentials of the care providers and, for free-standing birth centers, the backup hospital and how often women are transferred to the hospital during labor. What you find out can help you make an informed decision about where you give birth.
What else do I need to know about birth centers?
Pregnancy is a normal part of life. Typically, healthy mothers and babies don't require special medical attention. Choosing a free-standing facility that doesn't provide emergency services carries a small risk, however, since serious or life-threatening problems are possible during pregnancy or labor and delivery. In those cases, the need to transfer a mother and baby from a birth center to a hospital can delay care.
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- 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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