Mothering › Forums › Archives › Pregnancy Archives › May 2009 › Anyone considering a birth center?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Anyone considering a birth center?  

post #1 of 27
9/9/08 at 11:29am
Thread Starter 
DH and I are looking into one in town that looks to be a fantastic birth center, the only in SW PA. I looked at their website and the registration info, and I can't wait to have an appointment there! A couple of our friends gave birth there and loved it. They also take our insurance

http://www.midwifecenter.org
post #2 of 27
9/9/08 at 11:35am
I had a great birthing center birth. It felt very private because we were the only ones there that night. The whole place was dark and calm. I labored in the tub and could scream whenever I wanted without fear of anyone hearing me or being afraid for me. I was able to ask a lot of questions after the birth and make slow, thoughtful decisions about tests, eyedrops and vit. K drops. We relaxed and filled out the birth certificate and the midwife looked up the name and told us what it meant. Within 4 hours, we were loading up into the van and heading home. It was so nice to recover at home with my own heating pad and my own kitchen.

Good luck with your decision.
Lisa
post #3 of 27
9/9/08 at 11:38am
Thread Starter 
I'm glad you had a great experience!

There are only three birth suites at this place, which is nice. There are jacuzzis in the bathrooms. I'm not sure how other centers are, but there is discharge 12 hours after delivery (insurance reasons?).
post #4 of 27
9/9/08 at 11:42am
ha - we tried to move home and were looking into the SAME place. buuuut due to the DC market we're stuck here for awhile longer.

I can't wait to hear about your experience as i'm sure we'll be considering the same place for #2....if we're not at home

oh and the discharge thing is no biggie. You'll WANT to be home asap. its the best place in the world to recover.

Do they do home visits the day after?
post #5 of 27
9/9/08 at 11:43am
oh and the discharge thing is no biggie. You'll WANT to be home asap. its the best place in the world to recover.

Do they do home visits the day after?
post #6 of 27
9/9/08 at 11:48am
I always wanted to go to a birth center, but unfortunately, the closest one is across the driveway from a hospital I've had some unpleasant experiences with, particularly the obgyn department, so I don't think I'd be relaxed enough to enjoy the experience there, especially since I've heard they're fairly strict in who gets transferred...

Most likely I'll go for a hospital midwife practice at a different hospital, or I might even convince dh to try for a homebirth, we'll see...
post #7 of 27
9/9/08 at 11:57am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenair View Post
ha - we tried to move home and were looking into the SAME place. buuuut due to the DC market we're stuck here for awhile longer.

I can't wait to hear about your experience as i'm sure we'll be considering the same place for #2....if we're not at home

oh and the discharge thing is no biggie. You'll WANT to be home asap. its the best place in the world to recover.

Do they do home visits the day after?
they do 1st and 3rd day visits by an RN!

I'm sorry you won't make it back! I talked to one friend weeks ago before being pg about her experience there and she loved it. I am calling another friend from church who has 6 kids and gave birth there with at least the last one.

I am wondering what my mom will think...I think she's open to it but will probably voice concern about it being our first, you never know, etc. It's ont her decision though . But it's close to hospitals being in town. Their 06 c-sec rate was 16.5%.
post #8 of 27
9/9/08 at 11:58am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by zejh View Post
or I might even convince dh to try for a homebirth, we'll see...
I'm sure that may be tough...
post #9 of 27
9/9/08 at 12:13pm
my mom & dad were HORRIBLY against it.

my dad didn't talk to me practically my entire pregnancy. Perhaps it was due to the whole my baby has sex bit ~ or perhaps he was just that pissed / scared.

my mom thought i was nuts and chose to talk about it to everyone but me. But then her neighbor's daughter had a out of hospital birth with a midwife and the grandmother raved about what a great experience it was.

so a few months later my mom ended up coming down to DC for my daughters birth and was 'hands on' helpful. She's now a convert and never wants to see a baby born under bright lights in a cold hospital again.
post #10 of 27
9/9/08 at 12:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenair View Post
my mom thought i was nuts and chose to talk about it to everyone but me. But then her neighbor's daughter had a out of hospital birth with a midwife and the grandmother raved about what a great experience it was.

so a few months later my mom ended up coming down to DC for my daughters birth and was 'hands on' helpful. She's now a convert and never wants to see a baby born under bright lights in a cold hospital again.
Aww that is great. I think I might just give my mom a copy of The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, haha, which thankfully, I read this summer before falling pregnant! I know exactly what I want and don't want from that book, and from reading tons of birth stories on here.
post #11 of 27
9/9/08 at 12:17pm
We don't have a birth center in my area.

As far as husbands and home births. My husband was more open to it after he read about attachment practices and how baby and mama bond in that time immediately after birth. Also once we interviewed some L&D staffs at different hospitals about their standard care VS. our birth plan and desires.

He says if he was looking at it all over again, seeing The Business of Being Born is very informative when looking at home birth too.
post #12 of 27
9/9/08 at 12:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CookAMH View Post
I'm sure that may be tough...
I had thought it would be an uphill battle, but I'm slowly warming him to the idea... he was a pre-med for most of college*, so I've basically been handing him various research articles and such. He's gotten to the point where he trusts his old EMT skills more than his driving skills in the event of a fast labor, and he'd also want to avoid hospitals if there were any active mrsa outbreaks.

*he gave up for non-academic reasons, since he pretty much aced the MCAT.
post #13 of 27
9/9/08 at 12:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by zejh View Post
I had thought it would be an uphill battle, but I'm slowly warming him to the idea... he was a pre-med for most of college*, so I've basically been handing him various research articles and such. He's gotten to the point where he trusts his old EMT skills more than his driving skills in the event of a fast labor, and he'd also want to avoid hospitals if there were any active mrsa outbreaks.

*he gave up for non-academic reasons, since he pretty much aced the MCAT.
My husband grew up in a medical family (gpa was a dr.) so he is predisposed to trust the conventional medical field...where I now distrust it. He also started EMT training back in college but changed direction (now to be a pastor, haha). He has seen though the dangers of vaccines and modern childbirth and realizes that financially, a home birth might be in our future with subsequent kids. I'm totally fine not pursing a home birth for our first and would be more interested for later pregnancies if this first one goes well.
post #14 of 27
9/9/08 at 12:51pm
I have birthed both of my kiddos at a Birthing Center. It was awesome. They are like our extended family now! We discharged between 4 and 6 hours after delivery and I have yet to me a mama and baby who wasn't ready to head home you feel that good afterwards.

Mil was leary of it until she she realized a women she worked with sister was a midwife there I took her to my second appt and she was fine after that. Hubby wouldn't of had it any other way. especially after visiting a friend shortly after our first in the hospital. He was like. "People birth here" Just so diferent. btw not judging anyone for hospital births. just his reaction to him never seeing a L&D ward after seeing me give birth basically in a bedroom in a house ( its how our birth center is set up)

I would highly reccomend it. If a homebirth is not an option for you.
post #15 of 27
9/11/08 at 5:30pm
I am but DH is against it. He is so afaid I will rupture or something and the OR will not be right there. I would actually prefer to birth at home but that would really probably not go so well with DH.
post #16 of 27
9/11/08 at 6:30pm
I'm in PGH and looking at the midwife center too! We are attending an orientation class on the 29th. It's between the midwife center and the midwives at Magee for us and we have a tour scheduled there as well. I've heard great things about both places!
post #17 of 27
9/11/08 at 6:41pm
Hopefully we will birth Here If you click "patient stories" the first one is about a 'natural' birth I just hope that it goes down the way I have it in my head. I'm really worried about birth and being bothered during said birth. I may to tell anyone it's time to go to the hospital
post #18 of 27
9/11/08 at 10:20pm
oooh I want to add the link for "my" Birth Center go here
: Just wanted to share
post #19 of 27
9/12/08 at 8:06am
I will add the link to where I would like to/plan on birthing:

http://www.mothersownbirth.com/
post #20 of 27
9/12/08 at 9:35am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pleasantlyfurious View Post
I'm in PGH and looking at the midwife center too! We are attending an orientation class on the 29th. It's between the midwife center and the midwives at Magee for us and we have a tour scheduled there as well. I've heard great things about both places!
Hey cool! We are not scheduled for the tour until the 6th. Our first appt is Oct 16. You?

I''d be interested in what you learn about natural births at Magee. Have you learned much yet as far as them pushing interventions?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: May 2009
This thread is locked  
Mothering › Forums › Archives › Pregnancy Archives › May 2009 › Anyone considering a birth center?