What are your experiences with birthing centers as opposed to hospitals?

Question

I would like a water birth but the hospital only allows you to labor in water not deliver. Of course I’m scared of not being in a hospital in case something goes wrong but there is a nice birthing center right down the street from the hospital which is a level one trauma center. What are your thoughts and experiences?

Answer

I just had a water birth at a birthing center and it was amazing. Zero complications, and I’m not some magical unicorn - when you don’t interrupt the natural flow of labor, the chances of something going wrong become much less. It’s good to be near a hospital just in case, but the chances that you will need to transfer are very low. 
Talk to the midwives about your concerns, they will be sure to ease your mind.

Answer

I too am going to a birth center! I couldn’t be more EXCITED! I’m an investigative journalist and I’ve seen my share of all types of medical miracles. I feel like there’s two groups of people when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth: 
Group one: They believe in the over medicalization of birth. They believe that by hospital birth a mother and baby are “safer”. 
Group two: They believe women have been able to give birth forever with the support of women and now with the medical training that midwives are required to do to work at a birth center that’s been accredited through the commission of accredited birth centers (CABC) this group feels confident that should something unplanned develop during the labor or birth process these trained professionals will be able to identify that and transfer the expecting mom to the nearest hospital. 
That said, trust your GUT! I couldn’t be happier with my midwife and doula support system as my heath care givers and touring the birth center and having parenting classes there has further made me feel confident in my choice! At the end of the day you have
to do what feels right for you and your baby! Choosing how you want to bring your baby into the world should be your first major choice as a new mom! 
Best of luck in whatever path you choose!

Answer

I’m doing a birthing center this time. I’m so excited and confident with my choice. I want a vbac and I don’t want to risk the hospital pushing a csection and not giving me the best opportunity possible.
You’re just down the street from the hospital so go for it! It’s so much more beautiful and intimate and personal. I’m so excited.

Answer

I've read so many positive experiences with water births! I wish I had gone with midwives and a birthing center but I was already seeing an OB for unrelated issues and decided to just keep going to her (she delivered my first baby so I figured why not). I wasn't happy with my first experience in hospital but went with it this time out of convenience. Regretting it now and SO wishing I had done things differently. I've had zero complications this pregnancy but I'm past my due date and my OB is already talking about booking an induction. Hoping when she sweeps membranes tomorrow it will get things going and I can labour naturally this time. If I have more children I'm 100% going with midwives and possibly a birthing center+water birth next time (provided there are no complications).

Answer

I was set on giving birth (water birth) at the birthing center but after being there for almost 24 hours, he was just not coming out :( so we went down the street to the hospital. got a c section sadly. he was 10 pounds 8 oz.

Answer

There are two types of birthing centres, stand alone and hospital affiliated. I’m giving birth in a hospital affiliated one because I want to go completely natural if possible but also want to have easy access to a hospital if I need it. With a hospital affiliate birthing Center they just have to wheel you to the maternity ward instead of doing a transfer to a different location

Answer

I’m using a birth center.  Ask them what their emergency transfer time is and how often and for what reasons they have to transfer.  The time from my birth center to the OR for an emergency csection is actually exactly the same as fromL&D in that hospital to the OR.  They call ahead and doctors are scrubbed up and ready and they take you right in.  They’ve only had to transfer TWO babies out of 547 and they were due to undiagnosed birth defects with moms that had refused ultrasounds.  
I don’t plan to deliver in water but it’s an option should baby decide to show and I don’t feel like getting out of the tub.

Answer

I'm hoping that I'll qualify for the program at the birthing center in-hospital that's only about 30 minutes away (it's the second one to exist in my state), I get to do a meet and greet with one of their midwives when I get back from Canada and am so excited! I read about birthing centers during my education in Child Development and hoped that I would be able to find one in or attached to a hospital, so this would be ideal for me. This is the furthest I've made it in a pregnancy and I want as natural a birth experience as possible, but also have the assurance that should we need a top-tier NICU or go into theater, we'll just be a hallway away. 💗

Answer

Of course if everything is smooth flowing as natural as possible is best. But as we all know birth is unpredictable. The idea that anything can happen led me to decide on a hospital with a verrrrry specific birth plan that was honored well. I delivered naturally and in a calm supportive environment. 
Also baby's heartbeat dropped to 50 three times. I cant imagine what would've happened had we not known and had i needed an emergency c section.

Answer

I’m ftm and my plan is to labor in the tub at my hospital. I am hoping for no complications that could make that impossible. I looked into midwives and birthing centers and I really liked this one place but I ended up with obgyn and have had some complications already so I am just hoping I can have the natural birth experience I am hoping for.

What are your experiences with birthing centers as opposed to hospitals?

Let's Glow!

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey