Hospitals Hospital births are the most common in the US. Although great strides have been made to make hospital birthing more “home-like” with the popularization of less clinical labor, delivery and recovery suites, birth is still viewed and treated more as a medical procedure rather than a natural process in hospital birth situations. Common procedures, such as continuous electrical fetal monitoring and routine IVs tend to limit movement, thus inhibiting the natural progress of labor and a laboring mother’s ability to cope with labor by changing position and staying mobile. Medical interventions are, of course, more commonly used in hospitals, due to the unfortunate perception that any birth is inherently dangerous and needs to happen as quickly as possible. The cesarean rate is much higher in hospitals, which can be contributed by an overzealous and premature use of labor inducing and augment medication, and other unnecessary procedures. Of course, the technology to synthetically manage pain (namely epidural anesthesia) and to handle an emergency situation is readily available, and this might be comforting to some women. Birth Centers Freestanding Birthing Centers have become much more popular in the last decade because they provide a more natural environment and more freedom for the birthing mother. Natural, self-directed birthing is definitely encouraged, but most centers have pain relief available if requested. Birthing centers have the technology to handle the most common emergency situations, but they are most often located in close proximity to hospitals so, if complications arise that are not able to be treated on the premises, emergency care is easily accessible. Birthing is a freestanding center is usually limited to “low risk” cases and is not usually covered by insurance. For More Information on Birth Centers: Birth Centers Online Homebirth Homebirthing seems to have become less common in recent years, perhaps due to rise in number and accessibility of freestanding birth centers. Those who choose homebirth usually do so after careful consideration, due to an unfortunate misconception that it is unsafe to give birth anywhere other than a hospital. This perception is ironic considering that fact that most hospital births are manipulated with unnecessary intervention, thus increasing the risk of further complications, including fetal distress and the need for surgical delivery. Parents who choose homebirth, as well as the midwives who attend them, usually have very firm beliefs in childbirth as a natural, family-centered process that should be allowed to occur with minimal intervention, and feel that the home is the most appropriate place to welcome new additions into a family. It is extremely rare for homebithing to be covered by insurance, however the cost is minimal compared to the cost of birthing in hospitals or birthing centers and is usually limited to the fee of the birth attendant. In my opinion, the cost of a homebirth is well worth the comfort and assurance that a women will be able to achieve the birth she wants, without the pressure to make decisions she is not comfortable with that I have seen too many times in hospital birth situations. For More Information on Homebirthing: Is Homebirth for You? From the Gentle Birth Archives The Homebirth Choice From Midwifery Today Homebirth Haven Informed Consent Questions Here is a list of questions to ask when interventions or unplanned procedures are proposed at any point during your pregnancy or the birth of your child: Is this an emergency or do we have time to talk? What are the benefits of doing this? What are the risks of doing this? If we do this, what other procedures or treatments might we need as a result? What else can we try first or instead? What would happen if we waited before doing this? What would happen if we didn’t do this at all? Click HERE for my list of what to look for in a prospective birthing place! | Choosing a Care Provider | Choosing a Birth Environment | Building a Birth Plan | | Your Labor Support System | Pain Management | VBAC | Common Interventions & Procedures | | Breastfeeding | Birth Stories | Recommended Reading | Doula Services (Denver) Hosting by WebRing. Navigation by WebRing.