Prepare for WHERE You're Giving Birth

When it comes to where you will give birth, you have a few choices.

These may vary depending on where you live, but the options you have for where you can give birth will generally fall into these 3 categories:

1. A hospital

2. A birthing center

3. Your home (a home birth)

Let's break these down and discuss what you need to think about for each one, whichever you may choose.

1.) A Hospital

Know what options you have in your area. This will totally vary depending where you live- out in the country, you may be doing good to have 1 hospital within an hour of you. Or you may live in a bustling city with half a dozen hospitals nearby or more.

If you have multiple hospital options:

*Check and compare how the hospitals rate as far as statistics go and how well the staff/doctors perform. What's the percentage of c-sections, and other birth specific stats?

*Ask other moms in the area where they delivered and how their experiences were. Friends, neighbors, and coworkers (who are moms) are all great candidates to ask. Take note also of what type of birth they had- if the hospital was supportive of a natural birth, if they received medications/interventions, or if a c-section was performed.

Remember, though, that when you're talking with other moms, you are only getting their perspective on how their birth went, so I would be cautious about basing your decision solely on one person's birth experience. 

For instance, one mom may have had a terrible experience at a place where most women have been happy giving birth at. She might've had a grumpy nurse, or had a different Dr. or midwife than you, etc. 

I do feel that a lot of the birth experience has to do with the care provider you are working with, so take that into consideration when talking with other moms who've had different doctors than you.

I would also talk to as many moms as you can so you get a fuller picture of the locations they gave birth at.

*Find out which hospital(s) your current midwife or OB/GYN delivers at. Ask them questions about typical labor and delivery experiences at the places they deliver, and they may also know statistics as far as c-sections, episiotomies, etc.

*If you are going to have a doula, you can also ask them about birth experiences at different hospitals and how they have seen them handle different situations. While your doctor or midwife may know a lot about the place(s) where they specifically deliver, they likely won't know too much about other hospitals or birth centers they haven't delivered at. 

But if you are working with an experienced doula, who has attended a lot of different births, they will likely have a good amount of knowledge about most- if not all- of the hospitals in the area. 

*Take advantage of hospital maternity tours and ask questions! Find out what the standard procedures are. 

Ask what type of tools they have to accommodate your labor- do they let you sit under the shower or in a Jacuzzi, do they have a birthing ball, a bar on the bed to hold onto, etc.?

NOTE: The attached printable with this lesson has some suggestions for questions you may want to ask- you can even print it out and bring it with you to your maternity tour!

2.) A Birthing Facility

*Birthing facilities are kind of like a middle ground between a hospital birth and a home birth. Your options will vary depending on where you live. Not every mom will have the option of a nearby birthing center, but if you do, I would at least look into it and see if it's somewhere you'd want to go.

*Facilities that specialize in births may offer a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere than a traditional hospital. They may allow things like water births and be more prone to support you having a natural birth, and/or allow you to deliver in different positions besides laying back in a bed, etc. 

You will want to find out the details because every place is different. Note that you may also have some hospitals in your area that allow some or all of those things, but in general a birth center will be more lenient with what they allow.

*Not all doctors/midwives are going to be on board with you delivering at a birth center, or at least they may let you know that if you go someplace besides where they are credentialed, they won't be the one delivering. 

*Note: You can also run into this issue if you pick a hospital they don't deliver at.

3.) A Home Birth

Some moms are most comfortable opting for a home birth, because they don't have to go anywhere, it's a familiar place, and they are free to labor and deliver how they want.

*If you are seriously interested in this option, you DEFINITELY need to find an OB/GYN doctor or midwife that is experienced in attending home births and is willing to commit to yours.

*You'll want to consider if there are any factors about your pregnancy or medical history that would contribute to any special risks during your delivery.

*Consider how far away the closest hospital is in case you would need to go, and ask your midwife/doctor how they would handle things if a complication arises and what situations they would be prepared to handle at your home.

Ultimately, the choice is yours!

After considering your local options, asking questions, and talking to your doctor or midwife, you will be in a position to make a decision that works for you.

Regardless of which location/facility you pick for your birth, double-check that it will be covered with your insurance. Out-of-network costs are never fun, especially for something as expensive as a birth!

If your midwife/doctor doesn't deliver at the location you want to go to, you have the following options:

Option #1- Go to the hospital/facility where your doctor DOES deliver. I would definitely take a tour and see if you'll be comfortable there before deciding for sure to go there.

Option #2- Switch OB/GYN or midwife providers to someone who delivers at the location you want to give birth at. You can probably get a list from hospitals or birth centers of the providers they work with that have rights to deliver there. 

Or if you know moms who delivered where you want to go, you can ask them who their doctor/midwife was, and if they were happy with their care provider. (Just double-check if and when you switch care providers, though, that they still deliver at the place you plan on going, because sometimes doctors will change their delivery locations.)

For home births, you will need to seek out a midwife or doctor who is known for doing these, unless you happen to already be under the care of someone who does them.

Option #3- Keep your current doctor, but go to a hospital/birth center with a different doctor delivering. 

Note: Some OB/GYN facilities will actually have you sign something stating you WON'T do this. They generally want you to agree to deliver at the hospital they have privileges at.

I personally wouldn't recommend having someone deliver your baby that you don't know, if you can help it, because I think it's better to have a doctor/midwife who knows your medical history, who is familiar with your pregnancy, and that you are comfortable with. It is possible there could be insurance issues as well. 

However, there may be circumstances where you feel this option is the best choice for you personally.

This last option won't work with a home birth- if you want to deliver at home you need to be under the care of a midwife/doctor that specifically attends home births. You do not want to end up delivering at home with no one there to 'deliver'!

Questions to Ask During a Maternity Tour

Remember to check out the Maternity Tour Questions printable attached in this section. If you print this out, I have space where you can write down the answers and make notes, as well as room for your own additional questions! The questions I mention are just suggestions for things you may want to ask, so you can also cross off the ones you feel you don't need to ask. 

You can bring a copy of that printable to your hospital or birth center maternity tour along with a pen. If for some reason you can't print it out, I recommend bringing a notebook and pen to take notes and jotting down any questions you want to ask in advance.

I would ask any specific questions you can think of that pertain to your personal circumstances, health concerns, and birth plan. 

To Do Next

*Download and print the Where I'm Giving Birth Workbook.

*Fill out the workbook and complete any applicable To Do List tasks.

*Schedule any maternity tours you want to take. Don't procrastinate with this!

*Download and print the Maternity Tour Questions printable, jot down any additional questions you want to ask, and bring it with you on any tours you take.

If you plan on touring more than one hospital or birthing facility, you may want to print out a copy of the printable for each tour so you can remember and compare the differences in each location.

So that's all for this lesson. After you've given yourself time to do these things, you can move on to the next section of this course.