Natural Birth
MrsFL2015
member
Birthing Centers
MrsFL2015
member
I'm currently TTC and I'm trying to educate myself on all things pregnancy related. I love the idea of using a birthing center when the time comes and I'm just trying to get as much information as I can. Can you please share your experiences using a birthing center during your pregnancy, delivery and post care. Is a birthing center something you'd recommend to your family/friends? Also, did insurance cover your the cost? That's my biggest concern. How much did it cost out-of-pocket?
When did you initially contact the birthing center? How far along were you? Before you were pregnant, did you use a regular OB/GYN?
Thanks, I know this is random but I'm trying to get as much info possible.
When did you initially contact the birthing center? How far along were you? Before you were pregnant, did you use a regular OB/GYN?
Thanks, I know this is random but I'm trying to get as much info possible.
Re: Birthing Centers
Best wishes to you.
New Bundle of Joy- EDD 10/27/16
The Birth Center care was SO much better. I got to spend almost an hour with my midwives at each appointment and they actually seemed to care about me and always took plenty of time to ask how I was doing and if I had any questions. The appointments were similar than my OB (meaning they did the same "tests". Other than them not doing ultrasounds, they did everything else that I needed. They checked the heart rate. Did the occasional bloodwork if I needed it. They checked urine when needed. I had done my ultrasounds with my OB before switching over.
The delivery was amazing. It was a picture perfect birth. I labored at home for about 7 hours before arriving there, and I labored for 3 hours in their beautiful birth tub and then pushed for 45 minutes and out came my daughter! We hung around for about 2-3 hours so I could get cleaned up and take shower and such and then we were off to go home. Since it was med-free there wasn't a need to stay around. (If you had a much longer labor you might have hung for 6 hours). We were happy to get home.
Postpartum care was great. Again, my midwives just seemed to care about me. They came to my house (WOOHOO) at 24 hours to check on my daughter, and then again at 6 weeks I went to them for my last appointment. I was really sad to see them go.
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend a birth center - or my birth center specifically if you are in Los Angeles - to friends and family, hence this very long essay.
Insurance - it probably depends on your plan. I have a PPO. Insurance DID cover my birth, but it was considered "out-of-network" so it will probably be whatever your out-of-network coverage is. If you have an HMO I do not think they will pay for a birth center, but it my change depending on what state you are in. For me that was 50%. The total for everything - my prenatal appointments, birth itself, and postpartum care came out to about 6K out the door. It was very affordable. Without insurance, my birth center lowers the price, so it probably wouldn't have been much more than that anyway. I believe paying cash my birth center charges around 7K for everything. The best part was that you know the cost ahead of time. My birth center even has you take a class on insurance where they give you an estimate, so the price is NOT a surprise (unlike a hospital). The ONLY caveat with the prices is that it for some reason you do end up at a hospital, you will still have to pay your midwives, PLUS whatever the hospital charges (which will be WAY more).
-Take a tour, as soon as you want. We took our tour of the birth center months before we conceived, and though we may have felt a little odd, the staff was amazing and excited we were so excited.
-Read reviews. There are other birth centers in my area, and the reviews are horrifying. Also, I've heard from people that the "other" birth center was bad.
-Find out what's important to you in a birth center, and make sure the birth center near you has those things vs. the hospital doesn't. In my area, there are a couple hospitals that are awesome about natural births and have large rooms with tubs.
-Look into insurance and pricing. For us, the birth center is actually cheaper than a hospital. Most birth centers you aren't there as long. Plus, theoretically, you use less resources (i.e. no medications?) We have great insurance, and would have been fine going to a hospital if we'd chosen that, so it just worked out that the birth center was very economical. It might be cheaper, it might be similar, it might be more, but it depends on the place and your research.
-Keep being open. Listen, and even if you "make up your mind", know that it might change throughout your pregnancy. For example, if your pregnancy becomes high risk a birth center won't take you. Have a back up plan, just in case.
Good luck!
I found out I had GBS with my son, and the process for them dealing with that was simple and they also helped calm my nerves about it. I picked up the prescription and handed them the antibiotics and they stored it there for me for when I would go into labor.
My labor is another story, it was a bit odd because the contractions were 3 mins apart from the beginning, so whoever was answering the phone (it was a Sunday morning-the birthing center wasn't actually open so I don't know who answered the phone that day) told me it was probably false labor. She wasn't exactly the best lady to deal with on the phone, but she wasn't bad either. When I actually delivered at the center with the midwife, she was very quick on her feet and knowledgable. She's an older woman and my husband still to this day doesn't know how she moved so quickly when we had an emergency with my son. When he came out, the cord was around his neck like 2 times, maybe 3. He wasn't breathing. She worked so quickly, I didn't even understand what was going on til later, and she was so experienced I never had the opportunity to freak out. She quickly stuck a tube down his throat to get out all the fluid in his chest and she was like flicking his feet trying to get him to cry. I want to say a good 30 seconds might passed before he took his first breath, but he did, Thank G-d.
They handled everything smoothly there and I loved that I wasn't actually in my HOME but I was in a homey environment. I also tore and she handled the stitches perfectly. They typically let you leave within a few hours but because I gave birth at 10 pm and didn't want to leave at like 3 am, we all slept there that night and I went home early the next morning. After that for the first 6 weeks my son had all his checkups with them and theyd follow up with me too and ask me how much I was bleeding etc.
It was a pleasant experience all in all. I don't think hospitals give you the same attention or empowerment. It's more like you have a medical emergency and less like you are going through a beautiful natural thing. But being at the birthing center itself made it less daunting to have a natural birth.
My sister in law almost died after birthing twins (naturally) in the hospital because they FORGOT to massage her uterus after the delivery. My best friend went in a little too early for her labor so they broke her water, then when she didn't progress quick enough for them they forced her to take pitocin and then an epidural (she had really wanted a natural labor). Then when the baby was coming out they cut her open VERY deep, for a SIX POUND BABY and she's been on like percocet (sp?) and high doses of motrin just to deal with the pain. And THAT wasn't even helping. Also, while I was there, the nurses were acting kind of stupid and the whole process was angering me. I never felt that way at the birthing center.
Another thing, and I know this is long and probably full of info that you don't even care about (lol), the birthing center had free classes (for anyone to attend!) to help you understand the process of labor etc and to educate you and your significant other.
Hope all that babbling helped some! haha! Good luck. :-*
The care was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Appointments were not rushed and they truly wanted you to be informed and aware of everything. They gave me a book at my first appointment with tons of information and charts that when I come in I would weigh myself, take blood pressure, etc and I would mark all of my information in my book so I could keep track for myself. I also HATE going to a doctor but I had zero anxiety about my appointments, I actually looked forward to them.
The education was unbelievable. Towards the middle of the pregnancy they combined my appointments with a prenatal plus class with other moms expecting around the same time. Each class was about 2 hours and went over something different and was open for discussion. It was great to get experiences from other moms and dads. Husbands were welcomed and it was very informative for my husband. He wasn't kept in the dark and was very educated. Something to this day he still raves about.
Delivery was awesome. By this point I had so much knowledge and was so comfortable with being at the BC that I was not scared about labor. I really think that me being relaxed coupled with being able to move around freely during the birth helped me to deliver relatively quickly. I got to the BC around 11 am at 2 cm. They said I could go have lunch or walk around the mall and come back if I wanted but I opted to stay only because we had an hour long car ride there and I really did not want to get back into the car. I had my son by 6 pm. I was able to labor however I wanted. I ended up spending a lot of time just standing in the shower or sitting on the toilet. I could not imagine being confined to a bed especially if you were having a natural birth. It was too painful to even sit down.
Postpartum care was great. The nurse saw some things at one of my follow up appointments that concerned her not medically but she had me come back to just make sure that I was ok. I greatly appreciated that she saw me as not just a patient or now someone's mom but as a person.
I am SO excited to have my next baby at the bc. My first appointment still isn't for about 5 weeks but I am stoked.
This board is very dead, may have more luck on birth month board.