Birth centers are popping up all over the United States. Post Covid era has made the demands for out-of-hospital births go through the roof. Families are wanting a place that is away from hospitals where there aren’t infectious viruses, visiting restrictions, and personalized care. Pregnancy and childbirth are healthy, normal life events for most women and babies. In birth centers, midwives and staff hold to the “wellness” model of birth, which means that they provide continuous, supportive care and interventions are used only when medically necessary.
Birth centers are universally committed to family-centered care. In birth centers, the childbearing woman’s right to be the decision-maker about the circumstances of her birth is fully respected. For example, at birth centers, women are encouraged to eat if they are hungry, move about and spend time in a tub as they wish, and push in whatever positions they find most comfortable. Birth centers recognize that the mother knows what her body needs to give birth. The midwives and staff attend to her needs, while diligently watching for signs that are outside the realm of wellness.
There are so many midwives, physicians, and doulas reaching out to me for guidance about how to start birth centers. AABC has some great resources, but we have detailed business step by step guidance to provide birth professionals. There are just as many benefits to birth centers for midwives as for families. Even home birth practices are expanding their services to birth center to have a centralized location to care for families versus a large radius to serve. Insurance reimbursement has improved greatly since outpatient services with Covid have increased greatly. More and more birth center and midwifery state regulations are popping up to advocate for midwifery practice independence. Banks, grants, communities, and private lenders are handing over money left and right to fund these birth centers. I can’t stress enough this is the prime time to start a birth center if you were ever considering it.
We would love to help you make your birth center dream a reality. Please reach out to one of our consultants if you would like to learn more about starting a birth center resources.
Consultation Services: https://midwiferybusinessconsultation.com/consultation-services Teachable Birth Center Course