Eligibility for Birth Center Birth Care PDF Print E-mail

Many women wonder if a birth center would be safe for their pregnancy and birth or right for their well-woman care. Birth centers are extremely safe for "low-risk" women. Pregnancies and births at a birth center often have as good or better outcomes than those at hospitals with less unnecessary intervention and dramatically lower Cesarean section rates.

The Cesarean section rate in the United States is currently 30% of births. This is twice the 15% maximum rate recommended by the World Health Organization. Birth Centers are consistently well below a 10% cesarean section rate.

Conditions that ARE NOT SAFE for a birth center birth:
  • Previous C-section
  • Breech (bottom first) baby at time of labor
  • Pregnant with more than one baby
  • Pre-existing diabetes
  • Bleeding disorders
  • Heavy cigarette smoker or current drug user
  • Chronic high blood pressure
  • Severe Heart Disease
  Some conditions that ARE SAFE for a birth center birth:
  • Advanced maternal age (women 35 and over)
  • Teen pregnancy
  • Previous premature birth
  • Previous over-due birth
  • Previous large baby
  • Previous pregnancy induced high blood pressure
  • Previous postpartum hemorrhage
  • Previous miscarriage
  • Use of fertility measures to achieve pregnancy
  • Diet controlled gestational diabetes
  • Epilepsy/seizure disorder
  • Previous birth with forceps or vacuum extractor
  • Mother with genital herpes (no active lesion during birth)
 

Conditions appropriate for birth center gynecological care:

  • Previous abnormal Pap smear and/or cervical procedure
  • Previous sexually transmitted infection
  • Irregular menstrual cycles
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome
  • Menopause
  • Previous pelvic inflammatory disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes