36+ weeks and switching to a birth center

oasis16

I did a lot of research early on in this pregnancy - found our doula before I hit 9 weeks, researched hospital c-section and intervention rates, found a midwife practice I was comfortable with, etc. I really thought I was setting myself up as much as possible for the birth experience I wanted.

In the last few weeks, DH and I have become increasingly uncomfortable with our hospital's policies on various issues, including giving Pitocin to deliver the placenta in almost 100% of cases and not allowing us to take the placenta home with us for encapsulation. After considering a home birth, we're now planning on transferring my care to a birth center.

I'm definitely nervous about transferring so late in my pregnancy and also because the birth center is 45-60 minutes away (depending on traffic). Has anybody here transferred late in pregnancy, or traveled in the car for an hour while in active labor?

Any encouragement/advice would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks!

JLG95

MD doesn't have too many birth centers, so I suspect we may be patients of the same practice.  I can speak specifically about my experiences regarding the practice.

Anyway, I live 26 miles from the birth center.  That's a 35 minute drive with no traffic.  With traffic, it's 45 - 60 minutes.

I originally planned to have DS at the birth center, I went into labor early at 36 weeks and had him with my midwives at the hospital.  When I arrived at the hospital, I was about 9 cm and it was a somewhat uncomfortable drive, but not the end of the world.  I delivered my son about 1.5 hours later.  I had a completely natural delivery with the midwives, no interventions. 

After giving birth I had minor interventions that didn't bother me.  I bled heavily immediately after giving birth and my umbilical cord broke and then the placenta broke up so I couldn't deliver it normally.  The midwife gave me pitocin to help stop the bleeding and used her hands to manually remove the placenta.  Basically, she scraped my uterus out.  I suspect the same thing would have happened if I had delivered at the birth center.

If I had given birth at the center, in theory, I could have taken the placenta with me.  But that didn't interest me.

Anyway, PM me if you want to talk about the midwife practices/birth centers available  in Maryland.

MawrtyrB

I haven't transferred but we had to drive home 1+hour from the beach when I went into labor the first time. Not fun! Go earlier rather than later since you're going to a birth center and don't have to worry about "the clock" so much. 

stahlop

I had a friend switch to a midwife and home birth at 39 weeks.  She had the baby at 41 (almost 42).  You have to do what is comfortable for you so you can have a good birth.  I say go for it if that's what you want.

moxie9

I called a birth center when I was 7 weeks pregnant--they said they had no availability for my due date/month. However, my state only has one birth center, so you may experience a different level of supply and demand. (But it turned out to be a good thing--my home birth was great.)

JustSomeChick

I'm pregnant with my first baby, so I can't say anything about traveling while in labor, but I did transfer to a MW and decided to deliver at an out of hospital birth center at 31 weeks. My MW has taken women as late as 38 weeks so I wouldn't think you'd be a strange circumstance or anything.