If you’re anticipating a low-risk pregnancy, giving birth in a hospital isn’t mandatory (or even recommended)—you’ve got options! So what are some non-hospital birth methods for welcoming the newest member of your family into the world?
Home Birth: How many times have you cracked a smile reading about a automobile delivery when a baby just couldn’t wait until the car got to the delivery room to make their grand entrance? It’s a sweet notion after the fact (and after the upholstery gets a good wipe-down), but knowing there’s always the option of having your birthing help come to you could take a real load off your mind and cleaning bill. Having an attending midwife right in your own home takes a lot of the guesswork out of packing, transportation, false-alarms, and what personal comforts you get to surround yourself with during and after your labor. Austin Area Birthing Center moms that opt for a home birth receive all of the counseling, checkups, classes and community available at AABC, we just bring the midwives to you on the big day.
Birthing Stools: Medieval Europe didn’t exactly get everything right when it came to matters of health—once-yearly baths and liberally prescribed bloodletting are practices we’re all better for having let fall by the wayside. Midwives way back when were on the right track with the birthing stool though, as sitting low to the ground in a squat-like position opens the hips and lets your body get gravity on its side (for once) during the last stages of labor. Talk about “sit and deliver.” Austin Area Birthing Center birthing suites are equipped with birthing stools and midwives who know how to use them.
Delivery Beds: We know what you’re thinking, you’ve got a bed at home already. But when you’re delivering in a birthing center’s special beds, you’re getting a little extra. A birthing center bed basically takes the expertly ergonomized lumbar support and surrounding knowledgeable staff of a hospital room and combines it with the privacy and intimacy of your mattress at home. The best of both worlds joined together can make a great environment to let you relax into both comfort and capable hands—and when the time comes to gear up and bear down, you and baby will really appreciate the mix.
Water birth: For new moms that want the benefit of total surrounding warmth and lower pressure on her body—wetter could be better. It’s not exactly like a soak in a bath (no bubbles for one thing), but keeping the literal weight of the world off your shoulders during childbirth could be an enormous help.
Whatever birth method you choose, you’ll have a good amount of research and referencing to do as your baby’s debut date gets closer and closer, but don’t get overwhelmed! All that studying is only going to lead to a more informed, more prepared you, so that when the time comes, you can clear your mind of everything that isn’t deep breathing and unconditional love. And you can be sure that Austin Area Birthing Center is here to support you through it all.
