Place of Birth

Choosing the place where you feel most comfortable giving birth is really one of the most important decisions you will make during your pregnancy. This decision will be heavily influenced by the type of provider you wish to have at your birth. In the United States today women with normal pregnancies have several safe options available. The majority of births today take place in a hospital setting with a surgical specialist called an Obstetrician (OB) present during the birth. There are also other care providers available to attend hospital births, typically either Family Practice Physicians or Certified Nurse Midwives. Learn more about these providers if you decide hospital birth is the best option for you.

Planned out-of-hospital births attended by experienced birth attendants, either in a free-standing birth center or at home, have been demonstrated to be as safe as, and in some aspects safer than, hospital births for women with normal pregnancies. Most of these births are attended by midwives. There are several professional organizations that offer training and certification in midwifery, however not all of these licenses are recognized in every state. Explore the different types of midwives to learn more about the various aspects of their training and philosophies. Several decades of published research, both from the United States and from other developed countries with significantly lower perinatal mortality rates, have demonstrated that out-of-hospital birth poses no increased risk to mother or fetus.

There are advantages and disadvantages that must be weighed by each family when making the decision about where to give birth. In many cases, even if you choose to actually give birth in a hospital or birth center, you may find that laboring in your own home for as long as possible is the best way to avoid unnecessary intervention, stay well-rested during the early phase of labor, keep well-hydrated, and minimize anxiety. This is where a doula who is familiar with the different stages of labor can be a great benefit.