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Big Decisions
What Birth Methods Are Right for You?
By Harmony Cornwell
Having your baby in a birthing center is very similar to a home birth. It is a relaxed and natural place designed to assist you in your choice to have a natural childbirth. It is recommended you choose this option if you are having a low-risk pregnancy and want little to no interventions during your labor. Medical technology is on hand should it be needed, which can give first-time moms the extra assurance they need when choosing a birth method.
Birthing centers are primarily staffed by nurses and midwives who, as Collins puts it, should allow "women to move about freely, take showers [or] baths, assume any comfortable position, take in nourishment ... [and] basically do what she feels she needs to do [during labor]," she says.
According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, 95 percent of women choose to have their babies in the hospital. If you choose a family practitioner or an obstetrician (OB/GYN) as your care provider, chances are you will be delivering your baby in a hospital. You do still have the option of having a midwife care for you in this setting. With a hospital delivery you can have a natural childbirth with pain medication to assist you during labor.
"Do not feel pressured to use any certain method," says Shannan Powell, a mother of two with her third on the way from Georgetown, Del. "Try a few natural techniques first and if those aren't working for you, discuss with the staff what your options are. Everyone has different needs and different situations, so do not feel discouraged and disappointed if your ideal method isn't working for you."
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