Why birth center as a compromise for home vs. hospital?

[smeep]

I never understood that. It always sounds like it's just a way of tricking dh/dp/whoever into being okay with birthing out of a hospital. I mean, there's 0 difference in regards to equipment, safety, etc., between home and a freestanding birth center. The only difference that I can understand is if the center is closer to a hospital than the individual's home for transfer reasons. I always point out that my giving birth in the center was exactly the same as a homebirth, only it wasn't my home. Am I missing something, or is it normally just purely the fact that it's a place MADE for birthing babies that does the trick?

Of course, that said, if I was planning a center birth regardless and my partner was iffy, I'd totally use that non-existant aura of near hospital-esque safety thing to rope him in. Just because it doesn't exist (to my knowledge) doesn't mean I can't use it. Haha.

[Kidzaplenty]

Well, the birth centers I have seen were sort of attached to a hospital, or like right beside one. So it was not exaclty like a home birth, more of a "homey" birth in a near hospital like setting.

[Emmeline II]

My dh did not understand, despite myself and my mw explaining it to him, that a birthcenter has NO medical equipment and is NO way a hospital environment--until he saw it for himself.

Some people just believe that one has to GO somewhere to give birth.

[akind1]

the birth center in our area (columbia, sc) is totally freestanding and run by licsenced mw and her apprentice. The main advantage to it, rather than home, is it's about 7 minutes closer to the hospital, and has fabulous tubs. no blow up pools! the only medical equipment I saw was a baby warming tray and we defo do not have this at home. (but it's not a neccesity either)

I think also some people either live to far away or just don't have homes that would work well for HB; too small, lots of stairs, etc. Or lack of HB midwives too. I'd love to birth in the local birth center, but her fees are a bit too much to shoulder out of pocket.

-Katrina - due 11/7/09

[Evergreen]

I gave birth in a free standing birth center with one of my children. We live in a state where CPMs are not licensed/legal and CNMs must have doctor backup. My CNMs did have doctor backup but could only attend hospital or bc births, not home births. They also accepted both of our insurance plans including state Medicaid. I graduated college 8 months pregnant with no job prospects- who is going to hire a hugely pregnant woman- so we couldn't have afforded to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for a home birth. So for us it was a compromise. Now so much in convincing dh but with the whole screwy system.

However, it was designed for birthing despite the fact that it was beautiful and immaculate (unlike my house). The tubs were much better designed than a regular bathtub or even most birth tubs. There was some of the same equipment as in a hospital, but I guess nothing that wasn't portable. Hmmm, now that I am trying to justify how it was not like a home birth I guess it really was!

It was only a block from the hospital though.

[skylarsmom08]

I had my first in a birthing center. For me, it was more of a fear of the unknown. I had no experience with birth yet, so I didn't feel like a homebirth would be comfortable for me.
The birthing center for me was great because I had all my prenatal care there so I was familiar and comfortable with it. I think it can help make you feel more secure knowing that tons of babies are born there so it seems safer just from it's track record.
I'm due in 6 weeks with my 2nd and we're doing a homebirth. Now that I know how it all works I can see that there's no difference. But, if I hadn't done the birthing center first, I don't think i would have felt comfortable with a homebirth now.

[birthgreeter]

In the free standing birth centers I have worked in (3) -and helped from their beginnings, yes, you are right. A free standing birth center is no different than a home birth.

I tell everyone all you are doing is paying someone else to deliver in their bed or tub. save your money! Stay home!

[jtrt]

I gave birth to my first at a freestanding birth center in Dallas 9 years ago. To tell you the truth-and this is gonna sound crazy-it never occurred to me to have a baby at home. I am a RN and I knew hospital birth was NOT for me but the thought of a home birth never crossed my mind. I had read Spiritual Midwifery but I didn't think people "did that" anymore. I did not know anyone who had birthed outside of a hospital, much less at home.

We loved our CNM and our birth center birth was lovely. A whole new world opened up to me after I had my first. I met lots of neat mommas through an AP group we joined and I began to learn about home birth from the internet.

Our last two babies were born at home with the same CNM. This baby will be born here too. I am happy I had an introduction to alternative birthing through the birth center. I found a life-long friend in my midwife and all of our births have been gentle miracles.

So, the short answer for me is ignorance. I didn't know about home birth!

Amy

[Raene]

For me, I lived out in the country with my first and thought a birth center would be safer b/c it was really close to a hospital just in case.

And avoiding a mess at home sounded good.

That said, I had my birth center experience and now I'm excited to have a home birth

[mama to 2 girls]

double post

[mama to 2 girls]

Originally Posted by birthgreeter

In the free standing birth centers I have worked in (3) -and helped from their beginnings, yes, you are right. A free standing birth center is no different than a home birth.

I tell everyone all you are doing is paying someone else to deliver in their bed or tub. save your money! Stay home!

Sorry I just had to laugh because I had my last 2 with the same m/w but with dd2 I used her FSBC and with ds I had him at home and it ended up costing us more to do a homebirth! We had to get the thermometers (I only had temporal ones) chucks pads, waterproof mattress covers, had to rent a birth pool, drop cloths, and all the other little things like peroxide, alcohol, a container for the placenta...etc.....When I had dd2 at the FSBC all I had to bring were clothes for me and dd2 and diapers and something for me to eat and drink during labor and before I went home. Plus the tub at the FSBC was sooooo nice.

But all that being said if we had anymore kids I would definitely do it at home again! It's just something about being at home and not having to go anywhere or forgetting anything (dh forgot the camera when I had dd2 so I didn't get any pics! ).

[Raene]

Originally Posted by mama to 2 girls

Sorry I just had to laugh because I had my last 2 with the same m/w but with dd2 I used her FSBC and with ds I had him at home and it ended up costing us more to do a homebirth!

Agreed. My birth center birth was $2,200. My homebirth is $3,700 + birth kit + pool and supplies.

[mum2row]

Just like you were thinking, that the birth centre was closer to the hospital. With dd we had decided for midwifery care but dh wasn't sure of the homebirth idea. Originally we agreed to the birth centre because it was 2minutes to the hospital rather than 30min. After more education and seeing my confidence dh agreed to a homebirth. This time there was no discussion, a planned homebirth from the begining.

JRT : I am a RN too and I knew I didn't want to be in a hospital if I could avoid it!

Mum2row,, dd 3yo, :expecting baby #2 Oct 09

[LaurenAnanas]

In my case, I did not want to give birth in my home. I am the kind of person who fixates on little things- I "knew" that if my messy kitchen was out of sight, it would also be out of mind. Also, we live next door to my ILs, and they have boundary issues and are not very supportive of natural birth. I just didn't want to deal with them. I felt much more relaxed at the BC than I did at home.

Also, the FSBC's backup hospital is much more...better? than my local hospital. I really had a major, major fear of having to transfer to the local hospital in an emergency. They take all healthy babies to the nursery for the newborn exam (I have heard of it being delayed, but never avoided) and the NICU policies are truly archaic when it comes to breastfeeding.

Now that I've got one birth under my belt, though, and I know that I won't be worried about the dishes while I'm in labor , I'm already considering a HB if we have another baby. Also, the ILs are planning to move across town.

[billikengirl]

Originally Posted by smeep

I never understood that. It always sounds like it's just a way of tricking dh/dp/whoever into being okay with birthing out of a hospital. I mean, there's 0 difference in regards to equipment, safety, etc., between home and a freestanding birth center. The only difference that I can understand is if the center is closer to a hospital than the individual's home for transfer reasons. I always point out that my giving birth in the center was exactly the same as a homebirth, only it wasn't my home. Am I missing something, or is it normally just purely the fact that it's a place MADE for birthing babies that does the trick?

In the case of the fearful DH I think most of it has to do with cultural beliefs (birth is dangerous, doctors will save you) and deep seated need to hand over responsibility to "the professionals." It's not a rational thing, so telling the proverbial iffy DH that there's no difference between home and a FSBC isn't going to change his beliefs.

[ShwarmaQueen]

I think it also boils down to the feeling, in our culture, that institutions are somehow safer than homes.

[elmh23]

My son was born at free standing birth center. The reason we chose that over a homebirth was the proximity to the local hospitals. At home, we're 30-40 minutes away without traffic. The birth center was maybe 10 minutes away.

[smeep]

Originally Posted by jtrt

I gave birth to my first at a freestanding birth center in Dallas 9 years ago. To tell you the truth-and this is gonna sound crazy-it never occurred to me to have a baby at home. I am a RN and I knew hospital birth was NOT for me but the thought of a home birth never crossed my mind. I had read Spiritual Midwifery but I didn't think people "did that" anymore. I did not know anyone who had birthed outside of a hospital, much less at home.

We loved our CNM and our birth center birth was lovely. A whole new world opened up to me after I had my first. I met lots of neat mommas through an AP group we joined and I began to learn about home birth from the internet.

Our last two babies were born at home with the same CNM. This baby will be born here too. I am happy I had an introduction to alternative birthing through the birth center. I found a life-long friend in my midwife and all of our births have been gentle miracles.

So, the short answer for me is ignorance. I didn't know about home birth!

Amy

Is your mw Dinah, by chance? Just off the top of my head, she's the only CNM that I'm aware of with a solo birth center AND homebirth practice.

[smeep]

Interesting responses. I chose a birth center because my house was NOT in good shape. I.e., literally falling apart. And I was living with my parents, had a twin size bed (cosleeping was hard on that thing), liked the tub the bc had, etc. The next time I hope to be in a house or apartment that I can give birth in (my current place is a fourplex with THIN walls, a passive agressive neighbor and it's TINY). I like her new center and the tub is better but it's not quite like the old one, and I want a homebirth regardless.

[HappyMommaBear]

Some people just have a real hang up about giving birth (or letting their loved one give birth) at home. As has already been said, there is a deep cultural belief that an institution of some sort is better and safer than home, and some people will need time and experience to come out of that (if they do at all)
In my opinion and for my own comfort and safety, there isn't any real difference between a free standing birth center and home, except that you actually have to pack up and go somewhere else, and then come home. Which doesn't appeal to me at all! But, it's just enough to make those people comfortable who want something different from the pushy hospital atmosphere, but don't quite want to do it at home.
For one thing, the facilities are often nicer. Homey rooms with huge birth tubs - the tub that my SIL gave birth in was almost enough to make me want to go to a birth center! (but not quite)
Also, the birth kit and everything is taken care of. Home birthers have to shop and get their birth kit, make sure their homes are ready for birth (things moved out of the way, cleaned up enough for the extra people attending birth, food ready for everyone to snack on, etc. Then, we also have to use our own towels, washing machines, etc etc etc. It takes more effort and planning, which can be a pain.
And, usually, even a free standing birth center that isn't associated with a hospital, is closer to a hospital than home would be. Easier transfer - just in case.

It is not for me but if, for instance, DH would be more supportive of a birth center birth than a home birth, I would do it because I need his support above all.
I can see why some people would try it, though I wouldn't. Sometimes, you just can't explain why something makes you more comfortable.