A question for those who choose a birth center - Page 2

[aisraeltax]

i havent read other responses...but this was my situation.

i had 2 c/s's (both emergency c/s). the town in live in has a hospital with an outgrageous c/s rate. i did NOT want to end up there in case anything "went wrong".

my MW has 2 free standing b/c's and one is about an hour away from our home. there is an ambulance service next door and the hospital i would be transferred to in case of an emergency has a great rep. for natural birth, bf'ing, etc. i wanted to go to that hospital instead.

i am very picky. i get very upset if my house is not in perfect condition when friends come over. I had a lot of problems with my preg. and was basically bedridden for a large part of it (not all the time, but it hurt to walk, climb stairs, etc.). The thought of hosting my MWs at my house was just too overwhelming to me. Plus, my house is very busy with 2 boys (at the time) and friends, etc. I have very long labors (more than 30 hours) and needed to be in a place where there was no distractions ( i could sooo see my teenager coming into my room and asking for $$ while i was trying to push his brother out! lol!).

so, those are the reasons i can think of right now.
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[MsElle07]

I went to a BC for my second birth because A) My DH wasn't comfortable with HB B) It seemed more convenient than having to prepare your home for the birth C) It was completely covered by my insurance, HB was not. D) Insurance paid for it. E) My insurance was cool with it. F) The proximity to the hospital G) Insurance reasons.

This time we are doing a homebirth. My DH is still not completely comfortable, but it's my birth. It's not his birth -- he doesn't have to feel comfortable, I do. And yes, my insurance is paying for it.

[Reha]

Originally Posted by MsElle07

This time we are doing a homebirth. My DH is still not completely comfortable, but it's my birth. It's not his birth -- he doesn't have to feel comfortable, I do. And yes, my insurance is paying for it.

has he mentioned to you specific reasons why he is uncomfortable with a Homebirth but not a BC? Is it just the idea that we need to "go" somewhere to have a baby?

[umami_mommy]

i agree wiht you lennon. there is a perception of a birth center being "more safe." the one woman i know who chose a birth center birth said it was because she was too scared to birth at home.

she went back to them again for her second birth even though the birth center was closed and they were at a hospital.

i have heard it said that a birth center (free standing) may be a poor compromise, since it offers none of the comforts of home (except for the big tubs) and none of the emergency technology of a hospital.

[Reha]

Originally Posted by honeybeedreams

i have heard it said that a birth center (free standing) may be a poor compromise, since it offers none of the comforts of home (except for the big tubs) and none of the emergency technology of a hospital.

This is my thought too, but I do respect that for some women it is the choice they feel good about.

[MsElle07]

Originally Posted by Lennon

has he mentioned to you specific reasons why he is uncomfortable with a Homebirth but not a BC? Is it just the idea that we need to "go" somewhere to have a baby?

Yes, I do think that's part of it. It seems more official. They have all the equipment there. Despite the fact that I explained that they have nothing there that a MW wouldn't bring to the house, it still feels better to him.

Also, the idea that birth centers have to go through an accreditation process to become licensed vs. nearly anyone being able to call themselves a MW and show up at your house to deliver the baby. For him, that made a difference. (And for insurance companies, doctors, and the general public too.) I got almost no negative reactions from saying I was having my baby at a birth center, but mention you're having a homebirth, and that puts you in an entirely different league for many people.

[Robin926]

I chose a birth center for one of the reasons mentioned in the OP. DH and I had just moved cross-country and were living with my mom and trying to get moved into our own place. Homebirth wasn't really an option when living in someone else's house. So we went to a BC that is 2.5 hours away from here to avoid a hospital birth.

[mlsantarem]

I chose a birth center for my first birth because I had arrived in this new country 7month pregnant (almost 8). We stayed in a number of places before we settled into the home we were renting. It didn´t feel like my home. Actually the clinic was more ´a constant from me´. It was a wonderful choice for my first, home visits by the midwives during labor, very fast birth, leaving after a good night sleep, family doctor coming to the house a few ours after we arrive back to the house. For me it was a great choice for a first birth. Able to create confidence in an atmostphere that is much more condusive to birth but for those not ready for a homebirth. I did have a homebirth with my third.