In separate birth centres, you won’t have immediate obstetric, neonatal or anaesthetic care. If you’re low risk and whether you’ve given birth before or not, having your baby in a midwifery-led unit can be a good option. That’s because you have a lower rate of intervention at a midwifery unit and it’s as safe as giving birth in a hospital.
It’s important that you and your partner research possible choices for birth near to where you live and discuss your birth options so you can make an informed choice. You can weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of giving birth at each location. If you’re willing to travel, you can choose any maternity services.
The advantages of giving birth at a midwifery unit include:
- being in surroundings where you may feel more relaxed and better able to cope with labour
- the unit potentially being much nearer your home.
- lower likelihood of having an intervention such as forceps or ventouse than women giving birth in hospital
There are some things to think about if you're considering giving birth in a midwifery unit or birth centre.
You may need to be transferred to a hospital if there are any complications. The Birthplace study found that approximately 4 in 10 women having their first baby in a midwifery unit or birth centre were transferred to hospital, compared with approximately 1 in 10 women having their second or subsequent baby.
You will be have to transfer to Labour Ward , if you wish to have certain kinds of pain relief, such as an epidural.
Your doctor or midwife may feel it's safer for you to give birth in hospital.
