Why We Chose a Birth Center Birth and What it was Like For Us
When we found out Andrea was pregnant with Simon, it was June 2021.
There was a lot of life happening around us—planning our wedding for September and caring for my father as he neared the end of his life. In the midst of it all, Andrea began exploring birth as a vehicle for feminine self-actualization and embodiment, influenced by voices like those from the Freebirth Society. It became clear that the traditional routes for pregnancy weren’t our only option. Yet, as is often the case when you buck convention, we found ourselves with just as many questions as answers.
Questioning Convention and Embracing Alternatives
The Freebirth Society advocates trusting in the wisdom of a woman’s body as the only real guide a woman needs. They share stories of women who have endured horrific hospital experiences and those who have triumphed with home births—even with little to no assistance. Their message resonated with us: that there is power and intelligence in the natural process of birth.
Navigating Decisions Amidst Life’s Chaos
As our wedding plans progressed and Andrea progressed through her first trimester, we were busy with life and generally disdainful of the medical system. We felt an undeniable connection to our baby, yet we decided to wait until after the wedding to make any concrete decisions about our birth plan. By then, Andrea was about 20 weeks pregnant, past the point where most birth workers recommend establishing care.
At this juncture, we had to weigh our options carefully. We ruled out a home birth—we weren’t ready to “wing it” by ourselves and a private midwife was too costly. Although we had health insurance, it didn’t cover private midwife care for a home birth.
Weighing Options: Finding the Middle Ground
Birth centers offer a unique compromise between hospital and home births. Our first call to a birth center was met with some skepticism, perhaps because we had waited so long. But then we contacted Twin Cities Birth Center, formerly known as Health Foundations, and they welcomed us in with open arms.
Twin Cities Birth Center turned out to be exactly what we needed. Our insurance covered every single visit—we didn’t pay a dime out of pocket. Birth centers feel like home, yet they are built for birth. With midwives, nurses, and an environment designed specifically for this process, they offered a calm, home-like atmosphere, and their standard of care aligned with our values.
Birth centers are generally much more familiar with water birthing than hospitals. They delay umbilical cord clamping and never interrupt the skin-to-skin contact between baby and mother for the first few hours after birth.
They never push towards dispensing early vaccines or supplements like Vitamin K shots or anti-infection eye ointment.
Andrea spent the majority of Simon’s birthday in a huge birthing tub.
These standards of care and values were consistent with our beliefs about birth
Reflecting on Our Decision and Experience
Our decision was made based on our needs and the resources available to us. Had we been less insured, we might have seriously considered a home birth. With a hospital birth, you’re likely to spend 24–48 hours in the facility. At the birth center, we were able to go home with our baby boy within a few hours of his birth. Although nurses did come in to check on Andrea and Simon more often than we would have preferred, the warmth of keeping Simon in our arms from the moment he entered the world was irreplaceable.
When we began this journey, we didn’t know all our options. On the spectrum from hospital to home birth, we naturally leaned toward a process closer to home birth. However, our home wasn’t suitable, and financial limitations made that path impractical. Twin Cities Birth Center offered the perfect balance of resources, structure, care, and openness
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Final Thoughts
I don’t know many people personally who have chosen a birth center birth, and that’s partly why I’m sharing our story. It’s important for people to understand the range of options available and to see that different routes can work beautifully for different families. I’m not saying anyone should follow our path—many have happy hospital births, and some have successful home births. Every option has its unique challenges: some hospitals have higher C-section rates or induce labor chemically, while home birth plans can quickly change when complications arise. Even with a trusted birth worker, you could find yourself in a circumstance you never wanted.
In a perfect world, home birth might be the best option if you can afford it and your home can be optimized for birth without taking up your entire living or cooking space. Andrea rode the waves of her contractions with incredible strength. Still, her focus was occasionally compromised by the added stress of leaving home—getting into a vehicle, driving across town, and then walking into the birth center (twice). I can’t help but envy those families who gave birth and then immediately settled in the comfort of their own homes.
I hope that by sharing our process, values, and experiences, you might feel more informed and empowered to explore the options available to you—even if they’re not the traditional route.