Deciding Where To Have Your Baby Born
There are many decisions along the road of pregnancy and birth. Toward the end of pregnancy, you will make some final decisions on delivery options. Certain questions need to be addressed such as how comfortable you want to be, how much medical intervention is preferred, and how natural you want the birth to be. The type of facility utilized can be important depending on your answers to the questions above.
Hospital delivery
As many can imagine, hospitals are the most common birthing facility. Many individuals choose to go through a hospital because they like have quick access to skilled medical professionals and technology. This may the best option for higher risk pregnancies.
There are multiple advantages of utilizing a hospital. One of those being that a hospital is equipped for serious complications. As many may know, it is hard to predict what can happen during labor. Having prepared and skilled medical staff can be useful and lifesaving. Secondly, since the birth occurs at a hospital, patients don’t need to be transferred to another facility. Lastly, having certain pain intervention medications available are something other facilities aren’t able to do.
The number one priority of the hospital is safety. Not all hospitals are the same, though. Different facilities have different resources which make it important to tour the hospital beforehand.
At South Denver OBGYN and Midwives, we deliver at Littleton Adventist Hospital and Castle Rock Adventist Hospital. Both our midwives and doctors deliver in these facilities and provide the comprehensive care that our mothers are looking for.
Birthing center
Some hospitals offer birthing centers within their facilities. This can be an option for those who are seeking a more relaxed birthing experience. Other birthing centers are free standing facilities and are usually staffed by midwives, nurses, and sometimes an obstetrician. This could be a great option for those who are seeking to compromise on a birthing location. Birthing centers are able to give more individualized care for those not comfortable with home birth.
Considering birthing centers do have midwives and nurses, they are able to perform certain interventions if need be. Due to nature of the staff, birthing centers are best for pregnancies that are considered low risk and expecting few or no complications. An advantage of birthing centers is that the staff is able to give continuous physical, emotional, and information support not always available at hospitals.
Just as hospitals can vary in policies, restrictions, options, and procedures, birthing centers can be different from one another. This variation makes it important to evaluate your needs and options.
Home Delivery
Many individuals seek to introduce their new addition to the world in a comfortable and relaxed environment which is the goal of home deliveries. Many women want to deliver in a familiar and comfortable environment. Although less than 1% percent of births occur at home, this number has been growing over the last 10 years.
Home deliveries are highly tailored to the individual. Home deliveries also avoid the use of interventions and rely more on the woman’s physiology than technology. Home deliveries are best for healthy, normal pregnancies. Ideally, this would be the mother’s second time giving birth. Mothers who have an at home delivery with no previous birthing experience are 25% -35% more likely to experience complications. It is also important that parents should be educated about the risks and have a plan in case of emergencies.
Deciding on how to deliver your new addition can include multiple different aspects. Be sure to consult with your health provider and evaluate all your options. All three methods can be great options, but each poses their advantages and disadvantages. As you become more aware of preferences, needs, values, and feasibility you will be able to pick a method that is best for you.
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