Would you choose a Hospital Lobor & Delivery or a Birth Center?

Question

Birth Center has the option of birthing in a large bathtub, also I can eat & drink to keep my strength up & I can walk around & use gravity to aid delivery they also have a birth stool, birth balls & other aids to deliver naturally. They do not use epidurals, they can’t enduce labor & if anything should go wrong I would have to be sent to the nearest hospital anyway. Hospital L&D will have me lying on my back hooked up to an IV Not allow me to eat or drink (just in case) I will not have as much control or options as to how to deliver my child. But if the pain gets too much there is an epidural (I don’t know if that is good or bad as once I get it I probably wont be able to push or feel properly & the idea of having a catheter scares me) If anything does go wrong they have people on hand to deal immediately & after the birth they keep you in for 24 hours, the birth center only keeps you for 4 hours but they send a midwife to your home the day after & again a week after birth.

I have already visited both hospital and birth center in my area, the hospital does not have a birth pool and is stricked abound no food until the baby is born. If something did go at the birth center the nearest hospital is only 5 blocks away.

Answer 1

OK I'm a mom of 5. I've had hospital, birth center and homebirth.
If you limiting yourself to a choice between hospital and birth center...TAKE BIRTH CENTER!!!! Hospitals are for sick people. Birth isn't an illness...it's an act...it's the job of women to birth her baby. Hospitals are great if you are sick during your pregnancy and you need specail meds and procedures for you or your baby's well being. Otherwise, they are a huge mass of interventions that you don't need. The tub is WONDERFUL!!! And honestly labor doesn't last forever. Talk with the midwives, hire a doula, take good childbirth education, read all the right books, watch "house of babes" and talk with other women who have birthed outside of the hospital. By the time your baby is ready to make his/her arrival, you'll be ready.
FYI a few of the right books are
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin, Pregnancy, CHildbirth and the Newborn by Keppler (I think), Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin, The Complete book of Pregnancy and Birth, The Thinking woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer, Immaculate Deception by Susanne Arms, and The Birth book by Dr. Sears. There's tons of great web sites too. Mothering.com, gentlebirth.com, birthwithlove.com, cappa.com, spinningbabies.com, homebirth.com, waterbirth.com and many many more!!
Good Luck with whichever you decide! I hope you have a beautiful birth!

Answer 2

If you are having a low-risk pregnancy, especially if this is not your first, it sounds like the Birth Center might be right for you. My hospital has "the birth place" which is a birth center without the birthing tub, though they do have whirlpool/hot tubs for comfort, just not actual water delivery. & if something goes wrong, or if someone decides they want an epidural, they just send you down a hallway to the regular L&D or the OR.

Have you actually spoken to the nurses at the hospital about any of this? Their answers may surprise you. It depends on where you live and what their practices are, but you may be told that contrary to what you believe, you won't be flat on your back, although they may have already told you about the food & drink stuff. The nurses at my hospital told me that once you hit active labor food is the last thing on your mind unless you're wanting crackers for an upset stomach, in which case the nurses will often break the rules and "sneak" you what they can without the doctors knowing.

Most hospitals also have birthing balls, stools & chairs, as well as private showers (especially if they don't have bathtubs) which can help a lot. Very few hospitals in the country won't allow a woman to walk around & allow gravity to "do it's thing" when she's in labor unless you've had an epidural. If you get one of those you may not be able to feel your feet, and if you can you may not trust your legs to hold you up without major support. That's the main reason why they give catheters, because you can't support yourself on the trip to the bathroom and a catheter totally beats peeing yourself!

The effect an epidural will have on you depends on the dosage (you can ask them to start small and step it up later if you need it) and you can usually ask them to have it start to wear off within a certain amount of time...if you're pushing by then, great, if not they can give you another dose to help you get through the pain and have it wear off again in a certain amount of time.

Personally, I would be a nervous wreck if I had to give birth somewhere that there wasn't emergency care RIGHT THERE just in case, which would defeat the whole purpose of the birth center for me. If you're like that too, even if you're low risk, don't deal with the stress...go to the hospital, and ask them to make as many exceptions as possible. The followup care is also really important, 4 hours sounds just plain dangerous! The BirthPlace I mentioned keeps you for 24 hours, L&D keeps you for 48-72 (less if you request it, and more if you request it and the doctor says okay...otherwise your insurance won't pay & you pay out of pocket) 72 or more hours if it's a c-section, planned or emergency.

It sounds like we're from two very different places, and I'm sorry you don't have the options available to you that I do. Maybe you should look at other hospitals in the area (if there are any) and see if their practices are any more lenient?

Good luck!

Answer 3

If the hospital in your area really is that different from the one in mine, I would use the birthing center.

My hospital did not allow food, but they did allow some drink (water and fruit juice, I believe) and they did have a birthing tub in one of the birthing suites (there were 3 L&D rooms, and they called them 'suites' to make them sound better).

Also, are you sure that you would have to have an IV right away? From what I understand, pretty much every dr and nurse understands that lying flat on your back is pretty much the worst position for labor, and they only make you lie there if you are having medication or some sort of complication. I'm sure they'd let you up and moving until you decided to get the IV or until they had you start pushing(even then, it's more of a sitting position that lying flat).

And even though I chose a hospital, I was still able to use a midwife instead of a regular OB. The midwife was like your birthing center, unable to administer an epidural or other medications, and couldn't do anything like an emergency cesarean, but she worked with a team of 3 OB's who took turns being on-call in case any of her patients needed their help.

Maybe you could see if your hospital has an option like that?

The way you've decribed things, it sounds like you've pretty much made up your mind already, though, in favor of the birthing center. But just in case, you might want to see if there isn't a way that you can pre-register at the hospital, too, in case you would have to be transferred. You wouldn't want to spend time while you're in great pain filling out a dozen forms, or worse, filling them out when all you want to do is hold your new baby and rest!

Good luck and congratulations!

Answer 4

I would choose a birth center. unfortunately I don't have that choice in my town. (small town Colorado) It sounds like you already know what you want. But I understand feeling a little hesitant. (especially when other people make you start to doubt) If the pain gets too bad you can always go to the hospital. I delivered in a hospital, but with a nurse midwife. they were not strict about not eating (I got pizza delivered to my room lol) so it wasn't too bad. I did end up having to be induced though, and therefor got an epidural. (my water was broken for around 15hrs and I was only 2cm so they had to induce) I would have liked to at least try in a birth center though. Go for it, and don't let anyone scare you, women give birth in birthing centers all the time!!! And if the center is that close to a hospital, you will be fine!! Good Luck!!

Answer 5

I think I would love to try the birth center, but I don't think there even is that option around where i live. I would definitely be worried about if something went wrong, but you said the hospital is only 5 blocks away, which would make me feel more at ease. The deciding factor for me though, after all that you said, is the length of your stay. I think it's crazy to expect a woman to just "jump up" and head out the door 4 hours after giving birth. That alone would make me opt for the hospital.

Answer 6

Hospital. Both of my kids were born in a hospital. First child I had an epidural, couldn't feel a thing which was WONDERFUL, pushed twice and she slid out on her own. Second child came really quickly - went from 4cm - 10cm within 25 minutes so no time for an epidural. There aren't any birthing centers here in Atlanta anyway so I guess I don't have a choice do I? :)

Answer 7

Hospital

but yours must suck at my hospital where i am going to deliver we have Whirlpool Tubs that we can spend all the time in up until we have to push . We also have the use of showers and birthing balls. And are hospital will allow us to walk up and down the halls to ease and make it go faster. Were even allowed to have water, juice or ice chips if we choose. And with epidural your not given a catheter unless your having a c section.

Answer 8

I would go to the birthing center. They will get you to the hospital in time. You'll be so much more relaxed and comfortable in the birthing center.

Birthing Center all the way!

Answer 9

Hospital

Answer 10

I would of chose a birth center. I was born in one, but unfortunatly, I had complications and had to have my son 2 months early. I think a birth center would be a wonderful experience! My mother enjoyed hers!