Birth Center Deliveries: What You Need to Know

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana. Birth centers offer women an alternative to hospital deliveries. These centers often provide women a “home-like” setting in which to give birth, but they also provide the support of midwives and other professionals who can detect emergencies and intervene, if necessary. According to the New York Times, only 6 percent of women who seek to deliver through a birth center receive a C-section, as opposed to the 26% of women who seek to deliver through the hospital.

C-sections, though common, carry some serious risks. According to the Mayo Clinic, babies born through C-section are more likely to develop a breathing problem known as transient tachypnea. Babies can also suffer surgical injury if the doctor’s cut is sloppy or goes too deep. While surgical injury is rare, this kind of birth injury can be deeply upsetting to a new mom, or devastating if the injury the baby sustains is severe. C-sections also pose risks to the mother. Mothers can develop infections, can suffer hemorrhage, and can be at risk of developing blood clots. Rarer complications include surgical injuries during a C-section, which includes damage to the bowel or bladder. These injuries can be quite severe. Having a C-section can also make future pregnancies riskier.

Have you suffered an injury after a C-section? Did your baby suffer a birth injury? The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm are birth injury lawyers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who may be able to help you and your family to seek the damages you may be entitled to receive under the law. Our Firm can review the circumstances of your pregnancy to determine whether your C-section was medically necessary. While there are cases where a C-section is required to protect the safety and the health of both the mom and the baby, there are cases where C-sections are not medically necessary and can expose the mom and baby to increased risks.

The familiarity of having a baby in a birth center can reduce stress. Women often get to know the midwives who will work with them during delivery. In a hospital setting, there’s a chance that your doctor may not be available. In a birth center, women often have a team of caretakers they get to know well before the big day.

However, birth centers do have their limitations. Because they may not have medical professionals on hand, your birth center should have a clear plan in place about which hospital you’ll visit if things don’t go as planned. They also are not equipped to handle more complicated deliveries and pregnancies. Birth centers are designed for low-risk pregnancies. If an emergency occurs, it is important to understand that it may be some time to get you to the hospital. In the event of a serious complication, this can mean the difference between life and death. The Times reports that ideally, a birth center should be no more than 10 to 15 minutes from a hospital that can handle emergencies.

And even with low risk births, many mothers will still eventually transfer to a hospital to receive an epidural to allow them to have a natural birth. It is important to consider that you might be in pain during the time it takes to get you to the hospital, admitted, and treated for pain.

The decision you make regarding your delivery are highly personal and should be a decision made in consultation with your doctor. However, it is important to find people you trust. The The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm works with mothers and families when negligence plays a role in injuries or death. Always ask a birth center about its licensing. Always ask about experience. Ask about the emergency plan, and consider your risks when making a decision about where to deliver.

The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm, A Professional Law Corporation

1615 Poydras Street, Suite 1050

New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112

Phone: (504) 586-5200

Toll Free: (504) 586-5200