Birthing centers offer a relaxed atmosphere for healthy women with low-risk pregnancies to give birth, but are not suitable for high-risk pregnancies or those requiring medical interventions. They provide prenatal care, encourage natural birth, and offer options such as water birth and the services of a doula.
A birthing center is a health facility where healthy women with low-risk pregnancies can give birth in a more relaxed atmosphere than a hospital. Birthing centers offer more safety than home births if unexpected problems arise, while also offering a natural and familiar environment. A birthing center is often an independent facility affiliated with a midwife or hospital and is sometimes located on the premises of a hospital. Delivery centers are equipped to handle infant resuscitation and some emergencies until the mother and/or baby can be transferred to hospital, but are generally not equipped to offer C-sections, epidurals, care for at-risk newborns, or delivery of technical services issues may require.
Women expecting multiple births or who have medical conditions such as diabetes, toxemia, or hypertension are not considered good candidates to give birth in a birthing center. Also, if antenatal care determines that the baby may be at risk, a birthing center is not an option and the pregnant woman will be advised that she must deliver in a hospital equipped with the necessary technology and expertise to achieve the best outcome. . The birthing center offers antenatal care and monitors the mother’s health throughout the pregnancy to ensure that the woman and fetus remain low-risk and good candidates for delivery outside the hospital setting.
Nurses and/or midwives at a birthing center provide information about pregnancy, prenatal care, and the birth process. They provide prenatal care and deliver and encourage the woman to have a natural birth. Women who desire a natural birth and who would rather have more control over their birth experience than in hospitals can often opt for the birth center alternative.
Many hospitals forbid the mother from eating or drinking, while a birthing center allows her to eat or drink if she wishes. Some hospital rules insist that a woman give birth in one position while birthing centers allow her to move around, and some centers offer the option of a water birth. Some birthing centers also offer the services of a doula. This is a non-medical person trained to coach a woman through pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum. A doula is not a medical provider, but she is knowledgeable on topics related to pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding, newborn care, and self-care.
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