How Does a Birth Center Differ from a Hospital?
If you haven’t had the experience of giving birth at a birth center yet, you probably have a lot of questions about how it differs from hospital birth care. To start, a birth center is centered around the idea of providing a more home-like environment for birth with care that is holistic and collaborative.
Here are some other differences to give you an idea:
Birth Centers Offer Midwifery Care
Midwifery care specializes in providing a holistic approach to pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care in general. It focuses on the promotion of health and encourages the development of autonomy in health care and shared decision-making regarding one’s health.
At birth centers, midwives are your primary healthcare providers. They see you on every prenatal visit and guide you through labor and birth. They are state-certified healthcare providers that have completed their training in midwifery.
When working with a midwife, you will receive a special level of care that is not always present in other healthcare settings such as hospitals.
Midwives believe in creating a birth experience that will be valuable to you and your family. The idea of care revolves around the idea that pregnancy is a healthy, meaningful experience and should be treated as a natural process with minimum intervention. During your appointments, midwives ensure that they honor and respect your wisdom, dignity, and personal preferences.
Midwives often spend extra time listening to your concerns and addressing any active issues that you might be facing. Our Certified Nurse-Midwives are authorized to prescribe medication and order certain tests for you depending on state regulations.
They may provide education and suggest resources for you to gain credible knowledge.
In addition to this, midwives can always refer you to additional healthcare providers if needed. A midwife aims to be your partner in care, instead of just being your healthcare provider. It is a collaborative practice that involves everyone including the mothers, their families, and additional healthcare providers. This may include obstetricians, pediatricians, and any other specialists if need be.
Birth Centers Offer A Comfortable Environment
With hospitals, you need to stick to certain rules and protocols when you’re in labor. For example, certain hospitals may limit the number of people you can have at your birth.
However, with most birth centers you have the option of bringing in your birthing team and whoever else you’d like to accompany you during this very special time!
In addition, birth centers give you the option to make yourself at home by adjusting the setting of your birthing suite to your liking. You can bring in your favorite blanket, your preferred aromatherapy scents, snacks, and whatever else you like!
You can also play music, move around, practice yoga, or do whatever makes the entire experience better for you.
In summary, there is a lot more flexibility and personalization when it comes to birth center care than hospital birth care. If you have a healthy pregnancy and have no contraindications to having a natural delivery, opting for a birth center like Sacred Roots Birth & Wellness Center might be more beneficial for you!
