Birth centers aren’t always what they seem. It’s common for women to choose a birth center for all the things the homebirth has to offer without being at home, but then they get a kind of typical hospital birth experience. In this episode I go over the big differences between homebirth, birth centers and the hospital in terms of what is the most supportive of physiologic birth.

Summary

I posted  the other day on IG a warning for moms watching homebirth videos on IG. The purpose was for you to be prepared and not blindsided by the true environment and birth differences between the hospital birth and the homebirth.

Let’s take a closer look…

Homebirth

This is the gold standard, pending that you have a supportive midwife that aligns with your goals. But if we are going to talk about how each location supports physiologic birth- home is your best bet to support the low risk mom wanting an undisturbed, unmedicated, physiologic, natural, powerful birth experience.

Pros of home birth:

No driving

No unnecessary interventions

Privacy and comfort

Your own food

Being in your own bed postpartum

There are many reasons a mom may want a homebirth and chose one of the other options, and I get it, that was me too! That’s why inside Unmedicated Academy I teach you how to have a homebirth style hospital birth by explaining all the hospital routines and how the homebirth does it. So that you can feel confident in choosing an alternative when sometimes the hospital may make it seem unreasonable. With the goal of having a more positive birth experience, that;s really important to you right? Me too!

Birth Center Birth

Thinking of homebirth and hospital birth being 100 miles apart, birth centers are somewhere between that. And each location can vary greatly on how far or close it is to a home birth or a hospital. For example, a freestanding birth center that is run by home birth midwives outside the system is going to be really close to a homebirth.

A free standing birth center that is run by hospital midwives, is going to be more closely run like a hospital. In fact, many of these birth centers are affiliated or even attached to hospitals. In my experience, those will drop you as a client in a heartbeat.

Birth centers aren’t always what they seem and this is the big mistake I see many women who want homebirths making. They want all the things the homebirth has to offer, but they feel more comfortable with a birth center than a hospital birth, but then they get a kind of typical hospital birth experience. 

Of course a birth center IS going to be better than the hospital in most cases, there are no surgical experts there. But I just want you to know that if you truly want those benefits of a homebirth and homebirth IS available to you- go for it mama.

Pros of birth centers:

Natural birth is the goal

No OBs

Some are really similar to a homebirth

Hospital Birth

Okay so of course the hospital isn’t all bad. Some hospitals have wonderful staff that are supportive and don’t violate your rights, others have coercive staff who will manipulate you into doing birth their way. And the hardest part is not knowing what you are going to get, especially because at your prenatal appointments they all seem so nice. 

Pros of hospitals:

Usually lower cost and covered by insurance

Immediate access to emergency care

All interventions available for the more at risk mom

And this episode is not meant to make you fearful that you won’t get the birth you want if you choose a hospital. But it IS meant to empower you to be in control of your birth because if not you will fall into the go with the flow routine of the hospital which looks nothing like the birth videos you see on IG. In fact most hospital do not even want you to film during your stay because they don;t want you recording anything that could be used in litigation later. The hospital is heavily motivated by keeping their liability low, however we know this isn’t always in line with how birth works of what mothers want. And I could go on an on about this for hours, and if you;ve had a baby in the hospital you know what I am talking about. From one mom to another, just make sure you know your stuff! And if you are wanting an unmedicated natural birth in the hospital, get into my DMs and let’s see if Unmedicated Academy is the right fit for your birth education option. I promise it will be the most support you’ll get from a $300 birth course.

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