Why I Chose a Birth Center Delivery

I was going to do my next post tonight after my prenatal appointment but it got canceled (again). Both of the midwives were at births so I have to go back at 8am tomorrow.

Since I don't have anything to update I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about Health Foundations Birth Center where I will be delivering and what led me to my decision to go there instead of a hospital.

(Just a little preface: The term "Birth Center" can be used for both a hospital and a free standing facility. At Regions Hospital where I worked it was referred to as a Birth Center, but that is a lot different than an independent facility. Health Foundations Birth Center is where I will be delivering which is a house on Grand Ave. in St. Paul that has been remodeled to be a birthing facility. That is where I go for my prenatal appointments. They have two "Birthing Suites" where women deliver and there are two Midwives that service all of the women that go there. There are also places in the US that have a sort of hybrid of both, where there is an independent Birth Center that runs more similarly to an independent facility but is still attached to the hospital for easy and quick transfer. I don't believe we have any of those in Minnesota though.) 

For most of my life I always just assumed I would deliver in a hospital; either because I didn't know my other options or because I wasn't brave enough to be one of the women who deliver at home. I worked in a hospital Birth Center for 4 and a half years and absolutely loved my job. I would often times imagine the day when I would no longer be the Nursing Assistant, but the patient in the bed with my very own baby.

I first heard about Health Foundations from one of the nurses I worked with who also worked on call for Health Foundations. I was very curious about it the more I heard so I started doing my own research because I was extremely interested in what I was hearing.

I never had anything against hospitals. I wasn't one of those women who think hospitals are horrible institutions and that all hospital personnel are just there to make money. I worked with countless nurses, doctors, and others who I saw on the daily basis serving their patients because it was truly their passion. Granted, there will always be those people that just do it for the money or don't treat the patients quite right, but overall after working at Regions I have a positive outlook on the people that work there.

I wasn't necessarily apposed to delivering in a hospital, but after hearing about the other option and also after watching a series of documentaries I really started to reconsider what was best for me and my family. (Documentaries I watched: The Business of Being Born, More Business of Being Born, and Pregnant in America) For me, the main reason I chose an independent Birth Center was because it just made sense.

It made sense that if my pregnancy was low risk and I had no reason to believe that anything would go wrong, then I could deliver in a place that is designed to handle normal pregnancies and births. Hospitals are necessary, but I don't believe that women should be made to feel that they have to deliver in a hospital just because that's what everyone else does. I don't judge women who choose to do so, because I totally understand the thoughts of, "what if something goes wrong." I do have those thoughts myself.

So what is different about an independent Birth Center like Health Foundations? One of the main differences is prenatal care. I get to meet with one of the midwives at the center for about an hour each appointment. They sit down and ask all the important questions and there is ample time to ask any question without having to feel rushed. I did a week long internship in an OB clinic so I got to see what going to a regular OB doctor for prenatal appointments would look like. Short and rushed was my main observation. I don't put the blame on the doctors, since it's really not their fault. They just have way too much to do to spend an hour with each patient.

As far as the actual birth, there are no pain medicines offered; no epidurals or IV meds. This was another reason I chose to deliver here. I know I am strong enough to have this baby naturally, but I was afraid that in the midst of the pain I wouldn't be able to say no to an epidural if I was in a hospital and knew I could get one. I am a lot more likely to do this naturally if I don't even have that option in front of me, and I really want to do this naturally. No invasive procedures or checking my dilation unless necessary. I will be able to move around as much as I want and not be strapped to monitors. The Midwives will check the baby's heart rate periodically with a doppler.

 I can eat, and am encouraged to eat throughout labor. I can choose to go in the birth tub whenever I want. I can choose which position I want to labor in. I can have whomever I choose to be in the room when I deliver. I will be in a room that looks more like a luxury hotel suite than a sterile uncomfortable hospital room.

Once she is born she will be put directly into my arms and (unless there is any health reason preventing) will stay there until I let her get checked and weighed etc. I will breastfeed right after she is born for however long she needs/wants. I will actually only stay there for 4-6 hours after she is born. The Midwives will come to my house to check on me periodically throughout the week after the birth.

Like I stated before, it's not like I never have thoughts about "what if" something bad happened. Health Foundations has a great relationship with the Regions hospital Birth Center and if anything were to happen they could get me and the baby to the hospital in mere minutes. This is also comforting knowing that I would be going to a place that I trust and am familiar with in case of an emergency.

There are so many other things I could talk about regarding this subject but this post is already super long. If you have any other specific questions about my "birth plan" or the Birth Center than you can ask and I will do a subsequent post.

Here is a link if you want to see a tour of where I will be delivering: Health Foundations Birth Center Tour