About Birth Centers and Midwives
Birth centers and midwives play major roles in many births in today’s society. The two can go hand-in-hand, or you can have a preferred midwife to help you choose a birth center. You may even have a midwife to help you with a home or hospital birth. Here are some things you may want to know about how birth centers and midwives affect your baby’s birth.
Natural Births
Most midwives at a birth center provide more guidance than intervention during birth. Usually the role of the midwife is to encourage and coach a mother during birth, and sometimes to administer natural pain control methods. Many of these methods are provided by properly equipped birth centers. Some of these methods include a jet tub or pool for water births or a medicine ball for opening the birth canal and relaxing the cervix.
Prepare for Emergencies
It is common for a midwife to recommend a natural birth in a birth center when a pregnancy is not high risk and comes to full term. Many parents opt for natural birth because of the lowered risks it is said to present to babies. But there is one disadvantage to giving birth in this type of facility; it may be necessary to transport mother and child to a hospital if there are complications during birth, because birth centers are not generally equipped for major emergencies.
Comfortable Environment
Some parents enjoy the ambiance and comfort offered by the casual rooms and bigger beds in a birth center. Often the environment is much more casual and more family and friends might even be allowed to visit. It is typical to have your own room and a bed that you and your partner can sleep in together. You might even be able to use a midwife you are more comfortable with, rather than the one of the facility's staff; however, usually you will be interacting with the birth center throughout the pregnancy, so being comfortable with the staff is not an issue.
Safety and Accreditation
The Commission for Accreditation of Birth Centers monitors the safety and sanitation of birth centers and their staff. The safety of the facility is measured against standards set by the ABC in order to provide the best care to parents and babies. All healthcare providers and support staff are required to be licensed and registered, however, each state has its own standards and you should check into the requirements in your state before you choose your birth center.
Work Together
Both you and your midwife or doctor should be aware of the benefits and risks of a natural birth and using a birth center. You should feel comfortable with the rest of the staff and know the layout of the facility. You should also go over what will happen in case of an emergency and when you need transport. This way you and your midwife will be prepared for anything, and you will have less to stress about when your big day comes.