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| All About Doulas -
Choosing a place of birth |
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Hospital? Home? Birth Center? Get the rundown on the pros and cons of each,
and decide what's right for you. |
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Women have babies safely in all kinds of settings. What turns
out to be the right choice for one family may not be right for another.
Which choice is the right one for you? Here are some of the main pros and
cons for each setting to help you decide.
Keep in mind that each hospital, birth center, doctor, and
midwife will have different practices and approaches. To find out what the
usual practice is, and what your options are, at the place of birth you're
considering, ask! See our pages on
choosing a caregiver and
questions to ask your
caregiver. Your doula can help you with all of
this!
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Hospital Positive |
Hospital Negative |
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immediate access to medical care for mother and baby in case of
emergency
immediate access to drugs for pain relief
the mother may feel safer in a hospital
costs most likely to be covered by insurance |
more likely to have routine interventions during labor and birth
increased risk of mother or baby picking up an infection
the
mother may feel anxious in a hospital environment |
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Birth Center positive |
Birth Center negative |
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may be closely affiliated with a hospital that can offer very
fast access to medical care for mother and baby in case of
emergency (this varies)
easy access to drugs for pain relief
may have a more "homey," less clinical atmosphere than a
hospital
the mother may feel safer at a birth center |
some birth centers may not offer access to all forms of medical
pain relief
some birth centers may have high rates of routine intervention,
similar to many hospitals
may not be appropriate for high-risk conditions
costs may not be covered by insurance |
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Home positive |
Home negative |
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medically proven to be as safe or safer than birth in hospital,
for most women
the mother is familiar with her environment and has complete
privacy and control
the mother may feel safer at home
no need to travel in labor or after the birth
lowest risk of infection
lowest risk of routine interventions |
birth attendants have to travel to you
limited access to drugs for labor
mother or other family members may feel anxious about home birth
may not be appropriate for high-risk conditions
mother must travel in the event of serious complications
costs may not be covered by insurance |
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| What about limited options? |
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It may be that the area you live in does not provide
all the options we talk about here. Perhaps there are no birthing
centers, or only one hospital. Perhaps your insurance only covers
certain practitioners. |
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Having limited choices can make it more challenging for
you. Firstly, do your own research. Just because someone else tells you
that you would be considered high risk for a birthing center, or that
homebirth is not allowed in your area, this is not necessarily the case.
If there is a health department that covers your region, they should be
able to tell you what is allowed and what is not. If there is a birthing
center near you, the best way to find out what their policies are is to
call them and ask them directly. |
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If you really are limited in your choices, you will
need to decide how important the place of birth is for you. Sometimes
women choose to have their baby at home rather than go to a hospital
where they will not know their doctor, or where active management and
high rates of intervention are the norm. |
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You may be able to negotiate with your caregiver to
have personalized care that s right for you. You can find out which
policies are fixed and which are more flexible by asking the right
questions. Ultimately, you always have the right to refuse any treatment
- however, labor is not the best time to be negotiating on this! |
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