The short answer is NOTHING.
Midwives all over the country attend births in birth centers and in homes. There is absolutely no difference in the quality of care that you will receive or the equipment and resources available to the midwife.
First of all, the midwives are the same. Many midwives attend births in homes as well as in freestanding birth centers. The midwife’s skills do not change between the two locations. All the midwife’s extensive training, experience, and knowledge about labor and birth stays with her no matter where she is.
Next, the equipment is the same. Midwives have all the same emergency equipment and medications at their disposal whether they are in a home of a birth center. At a birth center it is hidden away in drawers and cabinets and quickly gets set out for birth when a laboring mother is on her way in. With a home birth, it is all meticulously organized in containers and suitcases and is quickly set up in any room in the house when the midwife arrives.
Finally the location. Some people worry that the distance from the hospital is a factor to worry about. Research shows that it is not. Women who give birth at home in rural areas located farther from a hospital have just as good of outcomes as women giving birth at home or in birth centers in urban areas close to emergency services and hospitals. This is because midwives facilitate normalcy and monitor mothers and babies closely in order to detect and remedy emerging complications. In the event that a developing complication cannot be resolved at home or in the birth center, midwives facilitate timely transfer to a hospital for medical interventions in order to have healthy outcomes for the mother and the baby.
So how do I decide whether to have a home birth or a birth center birth? Stay tuned for our next blog post about choosing between home birth and birth center birth. OR give me a call and I would be happy to discuss the best option for you.
La Luz Midwifery attends home births throughout the Treasure Valley, Idaho including Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, Meridian, Kuna, Eagle, Emmett and the surrounding areas. Please call today for your free consultation to find out if midwifery care is a good fit for you!
