Thoughts on hospital vs birthing center

Banned-Krista · #1 November 19th, 2006, 10:46 AM

I am strongly considering a birthing center with a midwife for my next birth. I'm not pregnant, yet, but we are trying, so I'd like to have a decision made. My first birth was a natural birth in the hospital. The more I look back and think about it, the hospital birth was not the way I envisioned my labor and delivery to be. I would love to hear some opinions from those of you that have used a birthing center. What are the benefits? Did you have a good experience?

**Jenn** · #2 November 20th, 2006, 06:03 AM

Wow Krista! I'm in the exact same position! I thought my natural hospital birth was wonderful but after thinking back on it for a while I realized it wasn't quite what I had in mind. I've done research on birth centers in my area and actually found a great one I love (now I just have to get pregnant again

) so I'm definitely going that route the next time. It just seems like a much more relaxed, less invasive, positive environment. Plus I'd really like to do a water birth next time. What does Coy think of not going to the hospital next time? I know it took quite a bit of convincing for Ian to be on board with all of it.

Banned-Krista · #3 November 20th, 2006, 09:31 AM

Jenn, Sounds like we are in the exact same boat! I have also found a birth center that I really like the looks of. I am going to make an appointment to meet with the midwife that runs it. Coy is fine with whatever I want to do, he said it was completely up to me. He even wants to go with me when I meet her.
I have a list of questions and also a list of things that I did not like about the hospital, I'm just hoping I can get some more advice on what to ask, etc.

Mommyof2Girls · #4 November 24th, 2006, 08:45 PM

Both my daughters where delivered all natural and I had the worst hospital experience! I really want to deliver either at home or in a birthing center my next pregnancy. I have one friend who gave birth at home and later that night she was able to get up and make herself something to eat. I hated being confined to a bed during labor and post. I wanted to be in my own bed! WHo the heck can get any rest in a hospital?

Kelllilee · #5 November 24th, 2006, 10:26 PM

With my DD I had an all-natural midwife-attended hospital birth. I thought about going with the birth center, but I was scared, it being my first time and all..

but my hospital experience was actually wonderful! They allowed me to do what I needed to do. Up until the point of actual delivery I had only one nurse who only came in a few times briefly. The food was good and it was actually quite peaceful. They had a nice jacuzzi tub I labored in (but they didn't allow a waterbirth, so I had to get out

).

I was actually given the choice to go home that same day (she was born at 1pm), but I opted to stay overnight (can't remember WHY now...). I was up walking around a few hours after she was born. I ended up leaving at around 5 pm the next day.

BUT this time around I will be using the birth center, doing a waterbirth. So we'll see how it goes and whether I like it better.

LaLa · #6 November 25th, 2006, 08:26 PM

Well, I delivered my first in a hospital and my second at home, so i cant really speak on a birthing center experience. What I do know is that i *almost* made the decision the second time to go with a birthing center and would have done it that way if I hadnt found a homebirth midwife. And even then, we had to debate a bit, and decided with the homebirth since we probably wouldnt be having anymroe & wanted to go for the gold with this one in case we didnt have another chance at it lol.

BUT - that said, i did have a fairly decent hospital experience. It didnt turn out how i would have liked, as far as all the details (end result was fine lol), but for a hospital - it was about as good as they go. I also didnt have the baby naturally, either, so perhaps if I had i might have a different opinion.

I do know this - a birthing center is GENERALLY like a homebirth away from home. I would definitely do a homebirth, definitely do a birthing center birth, but i would be hard to convince to go to a hospital after it. Just b/c YES, there are some great hospitals who are willing to "let you" do things the way you want. But thats just it - they "let you". You run the risk of a nurse who had a bad day, and Ive yet to hear about coming upon a MW who had a bad day & took it out on you. You know who youll be getting - down to every single attendnat. No nurses that youve never met before, no on call doctor. Its a comfy REAL bed, not a hospital bed. Theres just fewer concerns, fewer potential battles to be concered with, etc.

The great hospital births might as well be birthing cetner births, but you rarely see it flipped the other way u know?

JMO of course

Lala...

stowers2k3 · #7 November 28th, 2006, 06:09 AM

? for ya ladies:
I don't know much about birthing centers cause I only really assumed there was home and the hospital to choose between.
In the birthing centers are they usually only run by midwives or are there drs too? I think that when the time comes I would prefer a dr to a midwife just cause if anything could go wrong it probably would happen to me.
So do drs deliver in birthing centers too?

Kelllilee · #8 November 28th, 2006, 07:36 AM

Quote:

? for ya ladies:
I don't know much about birthing centers cause I only really assumed there was home and the hospital to choose between.
In the birthing centers are they usually only run by midwives or are there drs too? I think that when the time comes I would prefer a dr to a midwife just cause if anything could go wrong it probably would happen to me.
So do drs deliver in birthing centers too?[/b]

Generally they are run by Midwives. But almost all have a physician back-up that is on-call during delivery in case of problems.

The birth center I am going to is literally 4 blocks from the hospital so I'm not too concerned about possible problems (though I was the first time around, that's why I wen to the hospital instead).