Pros and Cons

Nowadays the majority of women prefer hospital when they give birth, though there are other places offering apparent benefits for pregnant women outside the hospital setting. When a woman is preparing for birth she needs to make up decision where to have a baby. Many women would be surprised finding out that hospitals don’t always have available places for women who give birth. Therefore, women are seeking for new places outside hospitals and birth centers are possible the best ones.

Hospitals provide only standardized care meaning the women are obliged to do things the hospital’s way without responding to their individual needs. In contrast to hospitals, birthing centers welcome women to walk around, to drink, to eat and to choose the most comfortable position when giving birth. Further, birth centers are claimed to be more private and intimate than hospitals. Patients get acquainted with al staff members and when it is time for women to give birth, she may be the only patient giving birth at that time.

One more benefit is that birth centers provide more attention when they teach patients about breastfeed. Speaking about other advantages of birthing centers it is necessary to note that there are fewer medical interventions, higher commitment of medical staff, natural pain relief option, better freedom of movements during birth of baby and, finally, better conditions. Many birth centers provide help of doulas for future mothers.
Doulas offer wide range of support for women including massage, aromatherapy, coping techniques and continuous reassurance. Support of doulas result in reduced cesarean rate, epidural requests, analgesia use and forceps delivery. Nevertheless, certain disadvantages of birthing centers exist. For example, centers have no available anesthesia. They have difficulties with transferring from centers to hospitals if there are complications with wither women or infant.
Also birthing centers aren’t suited for women expecting twins, suffering from diabetes and having high blood pressure. References Birthing Center. Retrieved April 27, 2007, from http://www. americanpregnancy. org/labornbirth/birthingcenter. html Birthing Choices: Care Providers and Labor Locations. Retrieved April 27, 2007, from http://www. americanpregnancy. org/planningandpreparing/birthingchoices. html Rooks, J. & Weatherby, N. (1989). Outcomes of Care in Birth Centers. The New England Journal of Medicine, 321, 26, 1804-1811.