- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
May 2016 Moms
Knottie64278661
member
Birth Center tips/advice
Knottie64278661
member
Since attending our natural child birth classes and researching natural child birth stories I have almost completely made my mind up about switching to delivery my baby at a birth center instead of the hospital in my town. The birth center is down the street from the hospital so very close in the case of an emergency. Do any mothers with natural birth stories have experience delivering at a birth center? It is such a cheaper option when it comes to finances and the midwife at this center is very experienced and has delivered many babies of family and friends of mine. Basically, I want to deliver my child in an environment that supports my desire to have a natural child birth. My research has made me believe that delivering in a hospital gives you more chances of interventions happening and your birth plan changing (not always because of medically necessary reasons).
Re: Birth Center tips/advice
I just recommend not cutting the hospital short unless you know that your specific hospital is big into interventions- they all have different philosophies.
I totally support the birthing center route, just giving you something to consider.
I like my current OB but he is also very busy. I could see him pressuring me to interventions if I end up having a long labor. Long labor I am okay with as long as LO is safe. Plus this hospital only has 1 tub for the entire dept which means I probably wont be able to use it and I really would like to deliver in water.
Cost is another huge factor. I'm in CA and at the birth center my total cost is $2,300 (insurance included), at the hospital it is a minimum of $5,000 plus if there's any interventions. Cesarean would bump it up to $7,000-$10,000.
I think even though hospitals are great and some are very natural birth minded, you do have to look at the overal philosophy of the establishment. My birth center believes that natural holistic birth is the best way, and most hospitals have a more "get the baby out at all costs" philosophy.
In terms of costs, my insurance covers 100% of all costs above deductible. My doctor charges a lump sum of $2-3K depending on whether natural birth or C section, including the birth and follow up appointments. My deductible is $4K, so the max I'll be charged for the hospital itself is just under $1-2K (due to other family medical expenses paid out of pocket this year).
We don't have any birthing centers near where I live, but the hospital I'm delivering at is very open to natural births. When you arrive in L&D, you discuss what you'd be open to in terms of interventions and they put these specific decals on the doors of the rooms to let everyone on the staff know each patient's requests. (Not that you can't change your mind during labor, but it's nice to know that they won't be coming in bothering you about an epidural if you've specifically stated that you don't want one.)
DS: 9/18/12 - 40w5d // DD: 05/17/16 - 40w
So my husband and I toured the birth center last night and met the midwife (who runs the center) and doula. We really liked them. We felt very comfortable and ended up talking with them much longer than we expected. I absolutely love the homey environment of the center and the lack of restrictions on me during labor. They have a kitchen where I can eat/drink and an amazing huge tub hubby and I can labor/deliver in. The other big factor for us is that they will let my husband be very involved which I do not see happening as much in a hospital. We'll have the privacy we want as well which I do not think you get as much in a hospital. We're doing it! I'm just waiting on approval from my insurance to accept the birth center as an in-network referral.
To be honest, the thought of delivering in a hospital was freaking me out a little. My husband and I are not huge fans of hospitals and do not feel as comfortable trying to achieve a natural labor there. Another huge factor is the fact that this birth center doesn't have any drugs so I am forced to get through my labor in other ways to deal with the pain. This option is very attractive to me. I won't have the temptation to ask for drugs and I will have to resort to more natural ways to get through my discomfort in labor. This is exactly what I wanted :-)