Home Birth, Birth Center, or Hospital? An Expecting Parent’s Guide

Home Birth, Birth Center, Or Hospital?

Navigating Your Birth Choices: Understanding Home Birth, Birth Center, and Hospital Birth Options

Welcoming a new life into the world is a profound and deeply personal journey. As an expecting parent, you are presented with several paths for this momentous event. The choice between a home birth, birth center birth, or hospital birth is not just about location; it’s about finding the environment and support that aligns with your values, health needs, and vision for your little one’s arrival. Each option offers unique benefits and considerations, which can shape your birth experience differently.

The importance of informed decision-making in this process cannot be overstated. Your baby’s birth is a pivotal event with lasting implications for the health and well-being of both the birthing parent and the baby. Understanding the nuances of each option empowers you to make choices that resonate with your personal health circumstances, preferences, and expectations. It is also about becoming educated on how to create a birth experience that feels safe, respected, and aligned with your personal vision.

As a midwifery student, my perspective is rooted in a deep respect for the natural process of childbirth and a commitment to supporting parents in a way that honors their individuality and autonomy. My journey in midwifery has exposed me to a variety of birth settings and philosophies. From the serene intimacy of a home birth to the supportive environment of a birth center, and the care available in a hospital setting, I have witnessed the beauty and challenges of each path. 

This article draws on these experiences to provide a balanced and comprehensive overview of your childbirth options, aiming to guide and inform your journey to parenthood. 

Want to learn more about my student midwifery journey? Click Here. 

Home Birth: Embracing the Intimacy of Birth in Your Own Space

OKC home birth
Jenni Jenkins-Sekine holding her newborn after birthing in a birth pool at home supported by midwives.

A home birth is defined as the act of giving birth to your little one in the comfort of your own home rather than in a hospital or birth center. This option is chosen by parents who desire a more natural birthing experience, one that is typically less medicalized and more in tune with the body’s innate and physiological processes. Homebirth is often supported by Midwives, specialized health care providers trained specifically in caring for out-of-hospital pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Wondering if home birth is a safe option?

Planned home births were associated with fewer maternal interventions including epidural analgesia, electronic fetal heart rate monitoringepisiotomy, and operative delivery. These women were less likely to experience lacerations, hemorrhage, and infections. Neonatal outcomes of planned home births revealed less frequent prematurity, low birthweight, and assisted newborn ventilation” (Wax et al., 2010).

Characteristics of Home Birth:

  • Familiar Environment: Home birth happens in your personal space, where you may feel most comfortable and at ease. This familiar setting can provide a sense of calm and control that many find lacking in more clinical environments.
  • Personalized Care: Those who choose home birth often do so under the care of a midwife or a team of midwifery professionals who provide one-on-one support throughout the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period.
  • Family-Centered Experience: Home birth allows for the presence of family members in a way that is often more relaxed and inclusive than in hospital settings. Siblings, partners, and other loved ones can participate in the birth to the extent that the birthing parent wishes.
  • Less Intervention: Home births tend to have lower rates of medical interventions such as epidurals, inductions, and cesarean sections. The emphasis is on natural birthing methods, though safety remains a priority. Yet, if something in the birth changes and the birthing person or baby need to be in a hospital setting for care, the birth team will facilitate a transfer of care to the nearest hospital with a labor and delivery unit. This is something you can discuss with your midwifery team to understand in more detail.

Advantages of Home Birth:

  • Autonomy and Empowerment: Parents have more autonomy in making decisions about their birth process, including freedom of movement, choice of birthing position, and who is present during the birth. For example, home birth families can plan a midwife supported water birth at home while most hospitals cannot provide this option or do not allow it. 
  • Continuity of Caregiver: Typically, the same midwife and midwifery team provides care throughout the prenatal period, birth, and postpartum, fostering a trusting relationship.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: In many cases, home births can be more economical compared to hospital births, especially when considering the costs associated with medical interventions. Some midwifery care can be reimbursed by insurance providers as well. This discussion would need to be had with potential midwives to understand if and how their care can be covered by insurance in more detail.

Considerations for Home Birth:

  • Safety Measures: While home birth is considered safe for low-risk pregnancies and is much more common around the world, it requires careful planning to ensure that there is a plan for hospital transfer if necessary. Your midwife will review a plan for emergent and non-emergent transfer in your third-trimester prenatal appointments. Yet, you can initiate this discussion even at consultations to be sure you understand how individual midwives handle transfers.
  • Risk Assessment: It’s crucial for expecting parents to work with their midwife to determine if home birth is a safe option for them, considering factors such as health history, the pregnancy’s progress, and proximity to a hospital. Additionally, if your midwife is licensed, she may have to follow particular guidelines on who they can and cannot provide care for.
  • Insurance Coverage: In some regions, insurance may not cover home births, so it’s important to investigate this aspect early on.

Home birth represents a return to the roots of childbirth—honoring the body’s natural ability and the birthing person’s preferences. It is a deeply personal choice that can be a fulfilling and empowering experience with the right preparation and support.

Birth Center Birth: Combining Comfort with proximity

OKC Birth support at the OKC Birth center
The Oklahoma City Birth Center Jewel Room.

Although most women in the United States give birth in hospitals, a substantial body of research suggests that planned home birth or birth in freestanding birth centers have equally good or better outcomes for low-risk women. Out-of-hospital birth often facilitates mother-friendly care.(Leslie & Romano, 2007)

A birth center is a facility that offers a bridge between the home birth experience and a hospital setting. It is designed for low-risk births and is often run by certified midwives. The philosophy behind birth centers is to provide a supportive environment for natural childbirth, focusing on minimizing unnecessary medical interventions while still providing professional medical care.

While birth centers are not equipped to perform cesarean deliveries, statistics show that approximately 6 percent of women initially under birth center care are transferred to hospitals where they may undergo a C-section. This rate is considerably lower than the national average of 26 percent for low-risk pregnancies that result in cesarean births. Additionally, the expense associated with delivering at a birth center is typically about half the cost of an uncomplicated birth in a hospital setting. pregnancies over all that are delivered by C-section. Plus, the cost of a birth center delivery is roughly half that of an uncomplicated hospital birth (Callahan, 2018). 

As a doula and student midwife, I have attended births at local birth centers in Oklahoma including the Oklahoma City Birth Center, Community Midwifery Services in Norman, and the Edmond Birth Center (No longer open). I also shared my experience at the Oklahoma Birth Center in a previous blog, here

Characteristics of Birth Center Birth:

  • Homelike Environment: Birth centers are often designed to feel more like a home than a hospital, with private rooms that may include comfortable beds, birthing tubs, and space for family members.
  • Medical Tools: While the setting is homelike, birth centers are equipped with the midwives’ medical equipment necessary for safe delivery and initial newborn care. This equipment is often the same tools midwives would bring to a home birth.
  • Natural Birth Focus: There is a strong emphasis on allowing the natural process of childbirth to proceed with minimal intervention, such as continuous fetal monitoring or labor induction.

Pros of Birth Center Birth:

 

  • Homelike Environment with Medical Facilities: Provides a comfortable setting with the reassurance of medical equipment and expertise on hand.
  • Focus on Natural Birth with Fewer Interventions: Encourages natural birthing techniques and typically results in fewer interventions like episiotomies, forceps deliveries, and cesareans.
  • Possibly Closer to a Transfer Hospital: Midwives often open birth centers minutes away from a great transfer hospital in case birthing families need to transfer emergently or non-emergently. This can be really beneficial for families who live rurally and want to give birth in a home-like setting closer to a hospital in case a transfer is needed.

Cons of Birth Center Birth:

  • Emergency Care Limitations: While birth centers and midwives are equipped to handle normal labor and delivery, they may be unable to provide comprehensive emergency care that can only be found in hospitals, like a surgical unit. This is why they are often located very close to a hospital with 24/7 labor and delivery support.
  • Limited Pain Relief Options: Options for pain relief may be more limited than in hospitals; for example, epidurals are usually not available.
  • Safety Considerations: Although birth centers are safe for low-risk pregnancies, it is important for expecting parents to understand the protocols for handling complications that may arise during labor and delivery. Expecting parents can discuss these details with their midwife and the birth center owners to understand what they are purchasing and planning for.

The Role of the Birth Center:

  • Birth center midwives support the physiological process of childbirth, providing evidence-based care for the birthing individual’s wishes.
  • They offer comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care, including educational resources for new parents.

In summary, a birth center is an option for those who wish for a less medicalized birth experience but value the proximity of a transfer hospital’s care. The balance of a nurturing, homelike environment with the safety net of clinical support can make birth centers appealing for many families.

Hospital Birth: Comprehensive Care for Diverse Needs

hospital birth

Hospital birth remains the most common choice for childbirth in the United States, offering a setting equipped to handle a wide spectrum of medical needs with the expertise of various healthcare professionals. Having a physiological birth experience in a hospital – one that is unmedicated and with minimal medical intervention — can be more challenging in a hospital setting due to several factors.

First off, hospitals are designed for efficiency and managing complications, which can create a more clinical atmosphere that may not be conducive to the natural birthing process. They also have protocols that include routine interventions such as continuous fetal monitoring and IV fluids, which can restrict movement and impact the natural progression of labor. 

There is a tendency for higher intervention rates, including inductions and cesarean sections, which can be driven by hospital policy, convenience, or liability concerns rather than medical necessity. Hospitals may adhere to certain timelines for labor progression, which can put pressure on the birthing individual and lead to further interventions such as labor augmentation with Pitocin. Their policies often prioritize protocol and the management of risk, which can sometimes be at odds with the spontaneous nature of physiological childbirth.

For those desiring a physiological birth within a hospital, creating a birth plan, taking a comprehensive child birth education class, choosing a supportive healthcare provider, hiring a doula, and advocating for one’s preferences can help navigate hospital protocols and support a more natural birthing experience.

Characteristics of Hospital Birth:

  • Medical Expertise: Hospitals employ a diverse team of healthcare professionals including obstetricians, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, and nurses, ensuring care for both routine and complex births.
  • Advanced Facilities: A hospital setting provides immediate access to advanced medical equipment and facilities, including operating rooms and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
  • Emergency Readiness: With resources to manage unexpected complications, hospitals are well-equipped to handle emergencies and high-risk pregnancies.
  • Pain Management Options: Hospitals offer a range of pain relief options, including epidurals, which can provide significant comfort during labor.

Pros of Hospital Birth:

  • Comprehensive Medical Care: The availability of specialized medical staff and technology in hospitals can provide peace of mind for expecting parents.
  • Emergency and High-Risk Pregnancy Care: The capacity to immediately address emergencies and manage high-risk conditions is a strong advantage of hospital births.
  • Variety of Pain Relief: From epidurals to other medical interventions, pain management options are more varied and readily available in hospitals.

Cons of Hospital Birth:

  • Higher Intervention Rates: The medicalized environment of a hospital can lead to a higher likelihood of interventions, such as inductions and cesarean sections.
  • Less Personalized Environment: The hospital setting may not provide the same level of personalization and comfort as home or birth center options.
  • Induction of Labor: The practice of inducing labor is more common in hospitals, which can increase the risk of requiring a cesarean section.
  • OBGYN vs. Midwifery Care: The hospital setting typically follows the OBGYN model of care, which can be more clinical and less holistic than the midwifery model.

Safety Considerations:

Hospitals are designed to offer a safe environment for births that encounter complications, yet their routine use of interventions and policy can create problems that need to be managed rather than prevent them in the first place.

Hospital births provide a highly medical environment equipped for a range of childbirth scenarios. While this setting offers unmatched resources for emergencies and pain management, it also comes with a higher likelihood of medical interventions. For many families, the decision to opt for a hospital birth is centered around the need for reassurance that comes with immediate access to comprehensive medical care.

As a doula and student midwife, I have attended and supported over 50+ families at hospital births. You can read about my experiences and opinion on local Oklahoma hospital, OU Children’s Here

Comparing Childbirth Settings: Home, Birth Center, and Hospital

When expecting a baby, one of the most significant decisions to make is where to give birth. Research has shown that the choice that has the most significant impact on what kind of birth you will have is who your health care provider is and where you give birth. Each birth setting offers distinct experiences, and understanding these can help you decide the best environment for welcoming your little one.

 

Home Birth: Comfort and Intimacy Home births supported by a midwife are a wonderful option for those seeking a warm, intimate experience in a familiar environment. The emphasis is on natural birthing methods, which significantly reduces medical interventions. Midwives provide personalized care, and the family can be involved to the extent desired. Home births may offer greater autonomy and continuity of care, often at a lower cost. However, they require careful consideration of safety protocols for emergencies and may not be suitable for high-risk pregnancies.

 

Birth Center: Homelike Setting with Clinical Backup Birth centers serve as a midpoint between home and hospital births, providing a homelike atmosphere with a preferred transfer hospital nearby. Birth center midwives support natural birth processes with a philosophy that leans towards minimal intervention just like in a home birth. Birth centers are often strategically located near hospitals for quick transfers if necessary. They can offer a balance of comfort and safety, though they may lack some advanced pain relief options and the full spectrum of hospital emergency services. 

Birth centers could be a great option for families who live rurally and want an out-of-hospital birth but would like to be closer to a hospital if a transfer is necessary. Birth centers are also wonderful options for families who would like an out-of-hospital birth but would like to keep the possible mess out of their home environment.  

Hospital Birth: Full-Spectrum Medical Support Hospitals are equipped to handle the widest range of scenarios, from low-risk to high-risk pregnancies. They offer access to various pain relief options and medical professionals specializing in different areas of maternity and neonatal care. Hospitals are best prepared for emergencies, providing immediate interventions when necessary. The trade-off can include a less personalized environment and a higher likelihood of medical interventions, which might not align with those desiring a physiological birth.

Making Your Decision: Factors to Consider

  • Medical History and Pregnancy Risk: Evaluate your health and pregnancy for any risk factors that might necessitate medical intervention.
  • Personal Comfort and Birth Philosophy: Consider where you will feel most comfortable and what kind of birth experience you desire.
  • Distance to Medical Facilities: Consider how far you are from a hospital should a transfer become necessary.
  • Insurance Coverage and Cost: Check what your insurance covers and the costs associated with each option.
  • Desired Level of Medical Intervention: Reflect on your feelings towards interventions like epidurals or cesareans.
  • Support System: Determine who you want to be present during the birth and the level of support you’ll need.

Conclusion

No single option is universally the best; each family must weigh the benefits and considerations of each setting in light of their circumstances. A home birth may offer a more natural and intimate experience, a birth center can provide a blend of homeliness and reassurance, and a hospital offers a full range of medical care. Discussing these options with a healthcare provider, visiting the different settings, and reflecting on your preferences can guide you to the birth experience that best suits your family’s needs.

Want to learn three more ways to have a positive birth? please click here

References

Callahan, A. (2018). Should You Give Birth at a Birth Center? The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/25/well/family/should-you-give-birth-at-a-birth-center.html

Leslie, M. S., & Romano, A. (2007). Appendix: Birth Can Safely Take Place at Home and in Birthing Centers: The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services:. The Journal of Perinatal Education, 16(Suppl 1), 81S. https://doi.org/10.1624/105812407X173236

Stapleton, S. R., Osborne, C., & Illuzzi, J. (2013). Outcomes of care in birth centers: demonstration of a durable modelJournal of midwifery & women’s health58(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12003

Wax, J. R., Lucas, F. L., Lamont, M., Pinette, M. G., Cartin, A., & Blackstone, J. (2010). Maternal and newborn outcomes in planned home birth vs planned hospital births: A metaanalysis. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 203(3), 243.e1-243.e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2010.05.028

Jenni Jenkins Sekine Student Midwife

Jenni Jenkins – Sekine is an Oklahoma Student Midwife, Midwives Assistant, Birth & Postpartum Doula, and Child Birth Educator who serves her Central Oklahoma  community. She began her journey as a student midwife in 2022 at the Midwives College of Utah.

To learn more about Jenni, please click here.

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