With my first pregnancy I had no idea where I wanted to deliver. I just assumed I’d give birth in a hospital with a standard OBGYN. 

After our first doctor’s appointment, however, everything changed.  They whisked us in and out of the office in just ten minutes and everyone, from the receptionists to the physicians, seemed tired and overwhelmed.  The hospital tour depressed me even more.  From the generic pastel wallpaper to the cramped rooms, I knew I didn’t want to deliver there. 

Finally, I had the good fortune to find out about our local Nurse Midwifery Birth Center, a clinic housed in a vintage house with six wonderful midwives, antique furniture and a more homey atmosphere for birth.  This ended up being the room in which our son was born!

Still, when I first found out about the clinic, I was a bit resistant.  Here were just a few of my concerns:

Will it cost more than a hospital birth?

Luckily our midwife center is covered by our insurance program.   Insurance companies realize that a midwife assisted birth is far less expensive than a hospital birth and since our midwives work closely with OBGYN’s, the liability costs stay under control. 

Will it be safe?

In over thirty years of operation, the Nurse Midwifery Birth Center has never lost a mother or a baby.  They refer high risk pregnancies to a team of OBGYNs and only allow low-risk pregnancies to deliver at the clinic.  If there is a possibility that the mother or baby will need more support because of medical issues, the midwife will accompany the mother to the hospital for the birth.

What if I can’t handle the pain?

It’s up to the patient to decide where she wants to deliver.  Pain medications can’t be administered at the midwifery center, but patients can be transferred to the hospital if pain meds are needed.    The truth is, I found that being able to move while at the birth center, use the crouch bar, sit in the tub, and try a variety of positions without being confined to a bed was extremely helpful.

If you’d like to see some photos of real families who used the midwifery clinic and plans for our new clinic to open up sometime in the next few years, check out this online video.  I have to warn you that it made me weep within minutes, but I’m pregnant so you may not have such an emotional reaction. 

I have LOTS more to say about the benefits of using a midwife so stay tuned next week for more details!