CHOOSE YOUR BIRTH PLACE CAREFULLY!!!

[Motherdragon]

Before you make a decision on where you will have your next child make sure you know all you’re options. No matter what option you chose there are certain advantages, disadvantages and risk that will be associated with your decision.

Most doctors and midwives agree that a hospital is the safest place to give birth if your pregnancy is considered high-risk because of a pre-existing medical condition, complications of pregnancy, or previous birth-related complications. But what about those complications that arise with little to no warning.

With a hospital, this tends to occur in approximately 1 out of every 3 births. And 20% of those are immediate life threatening emergencies. This means 1 in 60 hospital births experience a life threatening emergency. The overall mortality rate of life threatening emergencies within a hospital is approximately 1 in every 2500 births. This means that approximately 1 in every 416,666 births end in the death or a mother or child.

On the other hand the chances of such a complication to arise is in a birthing center or home birth is approximately 5%. Out of that 5% only about 4.4% are life threatening. That comes out to 1 in every 113 “healthy pregnancies” that experience a life threatening emergency from a normal vaginal delivery. Due to time in transfer the mortality rate of such emergencies for mother and/or is approximately 1 in every 5000 births. That’s a total of approximately 1 in every 442,477 births that originated in a birthing center end the death or a mother or child.

So in conclusion someone experiencing a low-risk pregnancy is just as safe, if not safer giving birth in a birthing center as they would be in a hospital. In order to make the right decision for your personal situation you must look at the complete picture as it pertains to you.

HOSPITAL BIRTHS

Advantages

You are just seconds away from any and all emergency medical equipment.

1. If you are high risk pregnancy or the act of giving birth makes you extremely uneasy you this may be very comforting and thus healthier for you to give birth in a hospital.

Pain medications are available

1. For over 80% of women, this is the #1 reason why the vast majority of women choose to give birth in a hospital. But before you decide to use an epidural or spinal make sure you are aware of the risk of your decision.
   • For an Epidural to work it must be inserted in a small area between the vertebra. If the insertion is off you will end up with your legs numbed and your pelvis with complete sensory. The epidural has also been known to wear off before you give birth.
   • If the epidural or spinal is inserted properly you are unable to fell the full pressure in which you are obverting during your contractions. This can, and often does, result in permanent back pain for the mother.
   • An epidural and a spinal is designed to numb you entire bottom half. This prevents your from being able to move your legs, In situations such as posterior fetal positioning the result is an otherwise unnecessary Cesarean section.
   • Epidurals and spinals can drastically slow the natural progression of labor. This can result in failure to process or the use of Patocin or Cytotec. These inducing drugs creates unnaturally strong, long, and continual contractions, often resulting in fetal distress and /or other serious complications. NEVER INDUCE YOUR LABOR WHEN ATTEMPING A VBAC!

You are attended by an Ob/Gen

1. These doctors are trained in surgery and childbirth delivery. If complications form they are fully experienced in emergency medical procedures related to childbirth.

Some hospitals offer a middle ground.

1. There are some hospitals in the US that have birthing centers located with in the hospital. This may be a perfect choice for women interested in having a normal, healthy vaginal delivery with the freedom of a birth center and the immediate availability of emergency medical equipment. These established may vary greatly in their routine procedures. Some are purely tended through midwifery others are attended by the hospitals Ob/Gen and merely assisted by midwives and /or doulas. Your personal treatment may change depending upon your Ob/Gen or midwife and , if apical, your previous birthing experience(s).

Always covered by health insurance

1. Generally healthcare insurance covers 80% of all pre-natal and delivery cost, as well as hospital stay. If you have Medicaid all expenses are 100% covered. Coverage may vary from state to state.

Disadvantages

You are just seconds away from any and all emergency medical equipment.

1. Studies have shown that women giving birth in a hospital can be subjected needlessly to such interventions as artificial rupture of membranes (AROM), fetal monitoring, augmentation of labor, and cesarean sections. By inducing labor alone you increase your chances of fetal distress, failure to progress and uterine ruptures / disadhearence by over 300%
2. Currently the national hospital Cesarean rate is at 33%. That means that out of every 3 women that enter a hospital to give birth end up with a Cesarean delivery.

Multiple Restrictions and hospital regulations

1. Hospital policies often place restrictions on the choices laboring women can make; policies may affect mobility, eating and drinking while in labor, choice of position for birth, etc.
2. Interventions such as I.V.'s, electronic fetal monitoring, medical induction, and augmentation may be commonplace routines for low risk birth, as well as high risk birth.
3. Birth is viewed as a medical event, where frequent assessments are performed to monitor for possible complications, and labor may be managed with medical interventions to prevent possible complications, as well as to treat them if they arise.

OB/GENs frequently attempt to do multiple deliveries during the same time frame

1. This may mean that the Ob/Gen that you were planning on delivering you baby may at last minute be available

Cost

1. The average cost for a normal vaginal delivery free of complications with pre-natal appointment is about $8,000.00. A Cesarean Section is around $12,000.00 on average and does not include the cost of pre-natal appointments, hospital stay or any pain medications.

Heightened Risk

Illness or Infection

1. Much higher risk of becoming ill or developing an infection for both you and the baby. Hospitals contain sick people and many of those sick people contain contagious illnesses. Hospitals are also generally kept much colder then birthing centers and homes. For a young baby that is yet to be able to maintain his or her own body temperature this can be hazardous.

Complications

1. Hospital births are 2 to 15Xs more likely to have complications such as fetal distress, failure to progress, uterine ruptures, hemorrhages because of medical interference and restrictions on movement and restrictions on food and drink consumption.

BIRTHING CENTER BIRTHS

Advantages

Attended by Certified Nurse Midwifes

1. Their careers are entirely focused on pregnancy, labor, and delivery. They are experts at maintaining low risk pregnancies and deliveries. And they are able to identify over 95% of potential problems weeks or even months before they become an issue.

Much lower risk of complications

1. Since there is far less emergency medial equipment available, Midwives are much less likely to take unnecessary risk during labor and delivery. And unlike Ob/Gens, they do not make any additional money if you have a Cesarean Section or any other complication.

Equipped with stabilizing equipment

1. They are equipped with IVs, oxygen, medication, and infant resuscitation equipment, so if need be, emergency care can be started while you or your baby is awaiting transport to the hospital.

You are the focus

1. Midwives never attend to more than one birth at a time, so you get all their attention throughout your labor and delivery.

Freedom to adjust your surroundings as you choose

1. You may have any friends and family members, frequently even children, present as you want.
2. You may take pictures and/or even video tape the birth.
3. You may eat and/or drink as choice. And many birthing centers even contain a full function kitchen for your convenous.
4. You have complete freedom of movement.
5. You may adjust the lighting, and temperature as you chose.
6. You may bring music and often even candles to help create a relaxing birthing environment.

Cost

1. Average cost of pre-natal appointments and delivery is $4,000.00. If insurance coverage is possible in your state (it often is) every insurance company within that state must cover at least one birthing center with in your area. Therefore your insurance will cover on average 80% of the cost. As for out of network centers the average coverage is 60%. If your state allows Medicaid coverage of birthing centers the cost is covered 100%.

Disadvantages

There is a chance of transfer to hospital during labor

1. Approximately 5% of women who intend on birthing in a birthing center require a hospital transfer. Most transfers (96.6%) are for non-emergency situations, such as prolonged labor, exhaustion, meconium in amniotic fluid, prolonged ruptured membranes, or a desire for pain medication.

Many states do not cover midwifery by Medicaid.

1. Often this means that you must pay the entire cost of prenatal appointments and delivery by 36 weeks of pregnancy for them to deliver your child. Even with out insurance coverage the cost of a birthing center birth is often less or equal to the out of pocket cost of a hospital birth.

Heightened risk

Mortality rate due to transfer

1. The mortality rate of life threatening emergencies is doubled if the mother and/or child requires a transfer. This does NOT mean that more women or children die from birthing in a birthing center. On the contrary, because of a much lower rate of life threatening emergencies to appear with low-risk, natural vaginal deliveries the overall mortality rate of mother and/or child is equal or higher within most hospitals

HOME BIRTHS (STILL RESEARCHING, INFO WILL BE UPDATED SOON)

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