Birthing Center or Hospital?

MrsTinMKE · June 2014

I was having a good conversation Saturday with my SIL about birthing options and she was telling me about the dula and midwife she had during her labor and how amazing they were. I had not given any thought to having a midwife or dula and giving birth at a birthing center. My immediate thought was going to the near by hospital.

Wondering if any STM or TTMs have experience with a dula/mid wife and what are your thoughts.

FTMs - What is your plan, birthing center or hospital.

I plan on doing more research. I didn't think it would hurt to look a ALL options before committing to something. Curious to see what others experiences have been.

NavyFlyer · June 2014

I'm going to a hospital but plan on laboring at home for the most part. The hospital is very very close. Hoping to "show up to push" so I can dictate the majority of my labor :0)

DreadGamerWife · June 2014

I am also planning on laboring mostly at home but going to the hospital for transition (hopefully) and 2nd/3rd stage. Being high risk, most birth centers/midwives wouldn't accept me.

MrsTinMKE · June 2014

That was my initial reaction, I would feel safest at the hospital, but it got me thinking. I may check out the birthing center, but at the end of the day I am not sure that I will be 100% comfortable with it.

yella726 · June 2014

Our birthing center is part of the hospital, and I will be giving birth with a midwife and a doula! I will be staying at home for as long as I can stand it (in the comfort of my own surroundings -- we're 7 minutes from the birthing center/hospital) and then heading in when things really start to progress.

MrsTinMKE · June 2014

yella726 said:

Our birthing center is part of the hospital, and I will be giving birth with a midwife and a doula! I will be staying at home for as long as I can stand it (in the comfort of my own surroundings -- we're 7 minutes from the birthing center/hospital) and then heading in when things really start to progress.

@Yella - does your insurance cover your midwife and doula?

wildflower75 · June 2014

Sometimes you can find a hospital that offers a birthing center.
St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in NYC does this! That way if you do have complications they just take you to the L&D floor (2 floors up).

yella726 · June 2014

MrsTinMKE said:

yella726 said:

Our birthing center is part of the hospital, and I will be giving birth with a midwife and a doula! I will be staying at home for as long as I can stand it (in the comfort of my own surroundings -- we're 7 minutes from the birthing center/hospital) and then heading in when things really start to progress.

@Yella - does your insurance cover your midwife and doula?

Because the birthing center (which, as I mentioned, is part of the hospital) staffs both midwives and OBs, all services are charged under an OB's name (which is covered by my insurance). That said, our doula is NOT covered but was something I knew I wanted so we are paying OOP for her services. But she will be there with me at home when labor starts and stay with me all the way through labor in the birthing center and a bit after.

asarem93 · June 2014

I'm delivering in a freestanding birth center with a midwife. I switched from my ob last week, and couldn't be happier. This is my first birth and they have taken me from being scared to excited in one visit.
My OB treated me like a customer rather than a patient, and the hospital was very strict about not letting you walk around or anything. Just the thought of laying in bed for hours in pain while my Husband could do very little to comfort me, scared the crap out of me.
My midwife has made me feel so relaxed and DH will be my labor coach. I'm very excited for my birth, and that's how it should be.
I honestly recommend at least looking into a birth center. Also check out The Business of Being Born on Netflix. It's an eye-opening documentary about how hospitals treat birth.

Maggie6424 · June 2014

I live near metro Denver, and several of the birth centers have a doctor on site or on call and the capability to handle everything short of a cesarean. I'd just do your research. How do they handle emergencies, how far are you from a hospital, etc. I'd also see what your insurance covers. Some won't cover a birthing center.

yella726 · June 2014

asarem93 said:

I'm delivering in a freestanding birth center with a midwife. I switched from my ob last week, and couldn't be happier. This is my first birth and they have taken me from being scared to excited in one visit. My OB treated me like a customer rather than a patient, and the hospital was very strict about not letting you walk around or anything. Just the thought of laying in bed for hours in pain while my Husband could do very little to comfort me, scared the crap out of me. My midwife has made me feel so relaxed and DH will be my labor coach. I'm very excited for my birth, and that's how it should be. I honestly recommend at least looking into a birth center. Also check out The Business of Being Born on Netflix. It's an eye-opening documentary about how hospitals treat birth.

This. This is exactly how I feel. Our midwife (and doula) is AWESOME. It's a bonus that the birthing center is so close to us and, even though it's a hospital birthing center, I'm still excited that that's where everything will be going down! The Busiess of Being Born is such an amazing documentary, too! As well as Ina May Gaskin's book, Guide to Childbirth.

wildflower75 · June 2014

I'd also like to mention that I would have wanted a doula at my birth (at a hospital) but they only allowed 2 people in the room with me and it was important for me to have my mother and DH.

MrsTinMKE · June 2014

asarem93 said:

I'm delivering in a freestanding birth center with a midwife. I switched from my ob last week, and couldn't be happier. This is my first birth and they have taken me from being scared to excited in one visit. My OB treated me like a customer rather than a patient, and the hospital was very strict about not letting you walk around or anything. Just the thought of laying in bed for hours in pain while my Husband could do very little to comfort me, scared the crap out of me. My midwife has made me feel so relaxed and DH will be my labor coach. I'm very excited for my birth, and that's how it should be. I honestly recommend at least looking into a birth center. Also check out The Business of Being Born on Netflix. It's an eye-opening documentary about how hospitals treat birth.

I am going to check out the video! My SIL recommended this as well. That was one of the comments I did hear about hospital or some.... is that they are not as flexible as a midwife/birthing center when it comes to things like walking around, showering etc. That worries me a tad.

yella726 · June 2014

MrsTinMKE said:

asarem93 said:

I'm delivering in a freestanding birth center with a midwife. I switched from my ob last week, and couldn't be happier. This is my first birth and they have taken me from being scared to excited in one visit. My OB treated me like a customer rather than a patient, and the hospital was very strict about not letting you walk around or anything. Just the thought of laying in bed for hours in pain while my Husband could do very little to comfort me, scared the crap out of me. My midwife has made me feel so relaxed and DH will be my labor coach. I'm very excited for my birth, and that's how it should be. I honestly recommend at least looking into a birth center. Also check out The Business of Being Born on Netflix. It's an eye-opening documentary about how hospitals treat birth.

I am going to check out the video! My SIL recommended this as well. That was one of the comments I did hear about hospital or some.... is that they are not as flexible as a midwife/birthing center when it comes to things like walking around, showering etc. That worries me a tad.

I just found it here!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvljyvU_ZGE

igotaprettyring · June 2014

I'm a FTM, and I'm planning on having a home birth. It wasn't a hard decision for me; my mother had me and all my siblings at home, so I am used to it and totally comfortably with the idea of birthing at home. I know this is not for everyone. For me though, I'm 22 years old, and I have no health issues. I'm low-risk, so I'm an ideal candidate for home birth. If I had any health issues I would be birthing at a hospital. My ideal arrangement would be a birthing center located in a hospital, staffed with midwives and doulas, but that is not an option where I live. I was also considering birthing at a birthing center, but they don't have enough space for my waterbirth tub, which is the main reason I'm going with a home birth over birth center birth. My goal is to stay out of the hospital (I have many reasons for not wanting a hospital birth), but if my midwife sees signs of distress, I will be transported to the hospital, which is about 6 min from my house.

irisheyes317 · June 2014

I'm planning to give birth in a hospital with both a midwife and a doula. Personally, I feel more comfortable knowing that I'm at a hospital and doctors are only minutes away if anything goes wrong. Plus, I know my midwife and doula are both very familiar with and comfortable with the hospital -- if it were a less midwife-friendly hospital, I might feel differently and look into birth centers. I'm also planning to labor at home for as long as possible.

yella726 · June 2014

Nicb13 said:

MrsTinMKE said:

asarem93 said:

I'm delivering in a freestanding birth center with a midwife. I switched from my ob last week, and couldn't be happier. This is my first birth and they have taken me from being scared to excited in one visit. My OB treated me like a customer rather than a patient, and the hospital was very strict about not letting you walk around or anything. Just the thought of laying in bed for hours in pain while my Husband could do very little to comfort me, scared the crap out of me. My midwife has made me feel so relaxed and DH will be my labor coach. I'm very excited for my birth, and that's how it should be. I honestly recommend at least looking into a birth center. Also check out The Business of Being Born on Netflix. It's an eye-opening documentary about how hospitals treat birth.

I am going to check out the video! My SIL recommended this as well. That was one of the comments I did hear about hospital or some.... is that they are not as flexible as a midwife/birthing center when it comes to things like walking around, showering etc. That worries me a tad.

You just have to ask. Not all hospitals are awful and treat people like crap. Keep an open mind and do what you feel comfortable with.

I agree with @Nicb13. Each hospital is different, just as each birthing center is different. It's up to what makes you feel comfortable -- and confident that you will be well taken care!

LightBright515 · June 2014

That documentary is so outdated. A lot of hospitals are natural birth friendly now. I recommend touring your local hospital L&D unit and ask them questions to see how they do things.

MrsTinMKE · June 2014

LightBright515 said:

That documentary is so outdated. A lot of hospitals are natural birth friendly now. I recommend touring your local hospital L&D unit and ask them questions to see how they do things.

I will definitely be touring the original hospital DH and I were considering. I will be sure to ask all of those questions.

yella726 · June 2014

LightBright515 said:

That documentary is so outdated. A lot of hospitals are natural birth friendly now. I recommend touring your local hospital L&D unit and ask them questions to see how they do things.

Outdated or not, it's incredibly great food for thought. I think it's up to each woman to entertain all choices and find which one she feels most comfortable with. I have no problem with someone laboring in a hospital if that's what she feels the best with!

Lele74 · June 2014

I'm a FTM and I'll be delivery at a free standing birth center as long as I stay healthy and low risk. I see an OB and she'll be there and/or the midwife and my doula. And my husband. I'll be doing a lot of the labor at home with the doula.

Definitely do your research and do what you feel most comfortable with, like pps have said. Where I'll be at has a lot of the emergency equipment at the birth center. The hospital is minutes away. Plus, my doula is also and labor and delivery nurse at a different hospital and has been for like 15 years. She has a lot of skills in case there's an emergency and I'm still at home.

Not all hospitals are bad but around where I live, it's a business. They aren't that accommodating even when they say they are. Some nurses are totally wonderful but I don't have those connections to make sure I get a good one.

My prenatal appointments are covered by my insurance but because the birth center isn't at a hospital, I have to pay OOP when I deliver. My insurance might reimburse me for my doula service but I have to double check. I would definitely recommend a doula and/or midwife no matter where you deliver. My husband feels more comfortable having a professional help us rather than too excited family members.

melszum · June 2014

The one person I know that delivered at a place other then a hospital had to be emergency rushed to the hospital because of hemoraging after delivering. The husband had to drive the just born baby to he hospital. Not something I would want to go through. Personally I wouldn't take that risk.

ADH0906 · June 2014

yella726 said:

LightBright515 said:

That documentary is so outdated. A lot of hospitals are natural birth friendly now. I recommend touring your local hospital L&D unit and ask them questions to see how they do things.

Outdated or not, it's incredibly great food for thought. I think it's up to each woman to entertain all choices and find which one she feels most comfortable with. I have no problem with someone laboring in a hospital if that's what she feels the best with!

Agree, but it should be noted that the 'documentary' is also incredibly biased and does not represent all hospital births by a long shot.

I'm seeing a midwife at an OB clinic and will deliver in a hospital with my midwife and a doula. I will have access to birthing balls, 24 hour lactation consultants, a laboring tub, the hospital is certified Baby Friendly, etc. any hospital that tells you that you can't walk around for labor is horribly outdated...that is not what you're going to find at most hospitals. Just make sure you explore your options and figure out what's right for you, OP.

Liss1481 · June 2014

Nicb13 said:

MrsTinMKE said:

asarem93 said:

I'm delivering in a freestanding birth center with a midwife. I switched from my ob last week, and couldn't be happier. This is my first birth and they have taken me from being scared to excited in one visit.
My OB treated me like a customer rather than a patient, and the hospital was very strict about not letting you walk around or anything. Just the thought of laying in bed for hours in pain while my Husband could do very little to comfort me, scared the crap out of me.
My midwife has made me feel so relaxed and DH will be my labor coach. I'm very excited for my birth, and that's how it should be.
I honestly recommend at least looking into a birth center. Also check out The Business of Being Born on Netflix. It's an eye-opening documentary about how hospitals treat birth.

I am going to check out the video! My SIL recommended this as well. That was one of the comments I did hear about hospital or some.... is that they are not as flexible as a midwife/birthing center when it comes to things like walking around, showering etc. That worries me a tad.

You just have to ask. Not all hospitals are awful and treat people like crap. Keep an open mind and do what you feel comfortable with.

I second this. Our hospital was awesome. I was allowed to walk as much as I wanted. They also had a tub, shower, yoga ball, squat bar, etc. definitely check policies before writing them off as constricting.

asarem93 · June 2014

Yes, definitely check ALL your options before committing to one. Many women feel like the have to deliver at the nearest hospital and never get to explore other options. If you are unhappy with something you always have a say. It's YOUR birth, and YOU decide what you want. Even if it means just switching hospitals.
I was unhappy with my OB and hospital, so I switched. Now I couldn't be happier.

golfingdarwinfish · June 2014

LightBright515 said:

That documentary is so outdated. A lot of hospitals are natural birth friendly now. I recommend touring your local hospital L&D unit and ask them questions to see how they do things.

It's also incredibly biased.

golfingdarwinfish · June 2014

theresat858 said:
I might be open to a birthing center if it were AT a hospital (some of them are), but I would not be comfortable giving birth somewhere that would require an ambulance trip in the case of something going wrong. A hospital near me has a birthing center on the floor above the maternity ward.

--------
AHHH!! STUCK IN A BOX!!!

I agree with this sentiment. My MFM practices out of one of the top children's hospitals in the country and that helps calm my nerves quite a bit. I will be allowed to walk around, use a birthing ball, etc. as long as there are no medical issues precluding me from doing so. Each L&D suite also has a tub & shower, which is a nice addition.

BeanNut · June 2014

VCGolfNYC said:

LightBright515 said:

That documentary is so outdated. A lot of hospitals are natural birth friendly now. I recommend touring your local hospital L&D unit and ask them questions to see how they do things.

It's also incredibly biased.

Seriously. Although I liked the idea of the documentary, some of the info in it is just not true.

asarem93 · June 2014

BeanNut said:

VCGolfNYC said:

LightBright515 said:

That documentary is so outdated. A lot of hospitals are natural birth friendly now. I recommend touring your local hospital L&D unit and ask them questions to see how they do things.

It's also incredibly biased.

Seriously. Although I liked the idea of the documentary, some of the info in it is just not true.

Obviously you shouldn't hang on every word of the documentary, just as you shouldn't for any one-sided documentary *cough*Blackfish*cough* I just liked being able to see the side of birth that no one really shows women in the U.S. because, wether or not it's 100% factual, It does show how most depictions of birth are fear-based and shouldn't be.

Emerald27 · June 2014

I will be giving birth in a birth center adjacent to a hospital (kind of like an additional ward of L&D). I have a doula and am currently with an OB, but since he doesn't deliver at this hospital anymore (this JUST changed), I'm looking to switch to a midwifery practice, if they'll take me, or another OB.

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