What are the benefits and drawbacks to birth center birth? Most people choose a birthing center because the medical intervention is minimal but they are out of the home environment. The benefit is mostly...
The benefit is mostly the psychological benefits to the family. Some families feel psychologically more comfortable in not giving birth in their own home but still having a midwife attended birth. They feel more insulated and that the birth center is somehow safer than their homes. The truth of the matter is that the safety is the same. The midwifes at birth centers and midwifes at home have the same safety protocols in place and carry the same equipment and medication that they could use in an emergency, but for a lot of families they feel more psychically or psychologically safe in a birth center setting which can count for a lot.
Another benefit is that the birth center may be very close to a hospital. This may be a big benefit to a woman who is on the outskirts of town or doesn't live close to a hospital. She may choose to give birth in a birth center that's closer in town or closely affiliated with the hospital so that if an emergency did arise she can be transported immediately.
The drawback is the same, similar to a hospital, in labor she has to go somewhere. So planning on when she leaves her home in labor and getting to the birth center on time is kind of a drawback.
