A Birthing Center offer's today's family an alternative to maternity care in a safe and comfortable setting. We provide care to women who are anticipating normal, low-risk births as well as routine gynecological care.

A Birth Center is run by professionally accredited, licensed professionals who have the skills and sensitivity to provide a "best of both worlds" scenario. Doctors back these professional midwives. A birth center meets all local, state and federal health, fire and safety regulations and is licensed by the state Department of Health.

The Birth Center also has the complete backing of the medical industry. Most insurance companies provide reimbursement for out-of-hospital childbirth facilities that have been fully accredited and are run by qualified staff. The cost is usually less than traditional hospital deliveries and the stay is much shorter.

We pride ourselves on providing comprehensive maternity care in a setting similar to your home. A Birth Center care is personalized. We encourage the family to take an active role with an "I can do it" mentality. There is a great deal of individual freedom - Moms and Dads (or chosen companion) decide on what type of experience they want. Siblings and other family members are welcomed.

The families who choose A Birth Center are fully educated on labor and delivery. Classes on childbirth are offered as past of your standard care.  By the time the baby arrives, the family is ready and confident to handle their new addition with the knowledge that they had a positive and active role in the welcoming of this new life.

Having a baby is a natural family event. A Birth Center's goal is to provide the safety of a hospital and the comfort of a home atmosphere, all with the assurance that competent, attentive staff is helping your family realize a dream come true.

What is the difference between a birth center and a hospital?

A birth center allows a woman to birth at her own pace therefore does not rush or slow down the labor process. A Birth Center encourages pregnant women and their families to take greater control over the plan for their birth experience. A birth center encourages woman to interact with family, eat, drink, walk, and be supported by the people around her. A BIRTH CENTER DISCHARGES STABLE CLIENTS 4-6 HOURS POSTPARTUM WITH A HOME VISIT BY OUR STAFF.

The Birth Center is based on the midwifery model of care and views pregnancy as normal and natural part of life therefore focuses on giving birth naturally without use of any invasive technology or procedures.

Yes, birth centers are safe because they have knowledgeable, professional midwives who focus on the mothers and baby's best interest. "The National Birth Center Study," a multi-center study of over 17, 000 women seeking birth center care published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that birth centers offer a safe and acceptable alternative to hospital birth for selected women, and that birth center care leads to fewer cesarean sections.

Please see our section on Insurance. There you will find which insurances we are providers with and which ones we are working on becoming providers with. If you do not see your insurance there that does not mean necessarily your insurance company will not pay for all or part birth center care. Most insurance companies reimburse nurse-midwives and birth center charges. We can help you to obtain the necessary information to verify coverage.

In the unlikely event of an emergency, the staff at the Birth Center is highly qualified to effectively initiate emergency treatments associated with labor and birth. The Birth Center is equipped with equipment needed to initiate treatment and is located just minutes from the hospital. In addition, the Birth Center has access to Memorial Regional Hospital and an agreement with the local ambulance company for immediate transport. The doctor has privileges at Memorial Regional Hospital and in the event of a hospital transfer, will continue to care for the mother and baby as private patients, not "walk-ins".

Who can be with me at my birth?

Having a baby is a highly personal experience and we feel that you should be able to share it with anyone you choose. This may include your husband or other primary support persons as well as other children, relatives, or friends. Your primary support person can actively participate in the birth experience. If you decide to have other children present, they will need to have advance preparation and be supervised by a second adult support person. We just ask that the people you have with you respect the midwives and give them room when they need it in order to provide the best care for the woman and baby.

The pain of childbirth is different for each woman for pain is a perception that comes from a variety of factors, many not yet understood. Because pain is a perception of the person experiencing it, the response must be geared to relieving that individual's perception of the pain. At the birth center a woman's options for pain relief are water tubs (Jacuzzi), massage, homeopathics, interaction with others, and support from the Birth Center Team and the people around her.

In birth centers, pain relief starts with the program of care. Alleviating fear through education, promoting confidence, and providing a non stressful environment is the beginning of reducing pain in childbirth. Studies have shown that the constant support and companionship of other women like a doula or the midwife shortens labor and reduces the perception of pain. The education program at the birth center helps women to understand how labor progresses, ways she can fully use her own resources to cope with the pain of labor and, if indicated, participate and cooperate in the decision to have medical help for relief of pain.

If you are healthy and have no chronic medical problems such as heart disease or diabetes or potential obstetrical problems as may occur with twins or breech presentation, you will probably be eligible for a birth center delivery. You will be carefully screened on your first visit and evaluated throughout your pregnancy to promote a safe and satisfying birth experience. Remember, care is on a continuum. Our goal is to meet your personal needs as well as insure your safety.

At the Birth Center, we begin preparing new families for their newborn while the mother is still pregnant. We will help you plan for the support and care you and your baby need at home in the first few days and weeks after birth. After the birth, your baby will get a complete physical examination. You will be checked to make sure that there is no bleeding or complications, and that your baby is breastfeeding successfully. Providing that there no complications arise, the mother and baby are stable, and the baby has been nursed, women will remain at the birth center for up to 4 hours after giving birth. However, mothers can stay in the center from 6 to 8 hours if needed.

Once you are home, a birth center professional will visit you within 24-48 hours to check on you and the baby. You can call the center or your midwife at anytime during your postpartum with questions or concerns. This way you can get the rest you need, time to bond with your new baby, and the health and wellbeing of you and your baby continues to be monitored. Your baby should be seen by a pediatric care provider within the first 72 hours. You will come to the birth center within one week and  for a four-six week postpartum check-up.

How is A Birth Center licensed?

The Birth Center is licensed under the regulations for freestanding birth centers of the State Department of Health. Each year a state inspector comes to review the Birth Center for the state-defined standards of safety. Coalition for Childbirth Choices is licensed by the State of Florida.

You can contact us anytime  at our address listed below or by calling us at 954-456-4888. We invite you to come to one of our free tours where you can learn more about the center.