Finding out you are pregnant is one of the most exciting things that will happen to you in your life. You have been dreaming up adorable ways of announcing to your loved ones that you are expecting (maybe even planning how you will tell your partner). And you begin to look at your household in a different light, thinking of what the baby's room will be like, how your kitchen will look with a high chair sitting in, and how your pets will react to a baby crying. But have you considered where you will actually HAVE your baby? Because you do have options!
Now is a good time to consider where you would like to receive prenatal care and where you are going to give birth your child. This is also a good time to consider what type of birth you would like to ideally have, such as a medicated or a natural birth, so that you can educate and prepare your self and your partner. So let's look at options and the pros and cons of each.
Hospital Route: Typically care is overseen by an OBGYN, but depending on your hospital, you might have the option of choosing a Certified Nurse Midwife. Either way, the labor rooms are quite nice, and are well equipped for your comfort measures. Many hospitals are offering birth balls to sit on and the option of using a tub or shower for hydrotherapy. Some hospitals even provide birth tubs for water birth. There is the added benefit for many mothers of having pain relief as an option, such as stadol, morphine, or an epidural anesthetic. The typical stay in a hospital for a vaginal birth is 2 days. The down side of having a baby in a hospital (for some parents) is the baby being separated from mama while being examined in the nursery. Hospitals are the only option for high risk pregnancy patients.
Birth Center Option: This is a nice happy medium option for parents seeking a natural birth and midwifery care but who still want the easy access to a hospital if the need arises. Care is overseen either by Licensed Midwives, Certified Professional Midwives, or Certified Nurse Midwives, although some OBGYNs actually own or practice in birth centers. Although the goal at a birth center is natural birth, some offer Nitrous Oxide for pain management. Most offer water birth. All offer early discharge. Birth Certificates and Social Security numbers are applied for and most birth centers are regulated through state health agencies for quality assurance. The down side to having a baby at a birth center is the possibility of transferring (although possible but not probable) can be traumatic, as it is a change of plans during the birthing process. One of the benefits to the birth center option is that if want or need to transfer to a hospital, the option is available.
Home Birth: While this can be the most comfortable option, it isnÕt always the safest. There can be issues with distance to a hospital in the case of an emergency, the distance your midwife has to get to your residence, or by chance if she has another birth occurring at the same time. Home births are most often overseen by Licensed or Certified Midwives but some are unregulated or unlicensed.
Regardless of which route you and your partner decide to go, interview your healthcare providers, ask lots of questions, and go with your heart! A good rule of thumb is that if you are considering a natural birth, if you start at a home birth or birth center setting, you can always move up to the next level of care if necessary. The most important aspect is having your baby where you feel safest and most comfortable.
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