After my blog post on Wednesday regarding my birth plan, I had a dentist appointment and the hygienist was telling me about her natural birth at the Cascade Birth Center in Everett.  She gave me their contact information and recommended that I contact them. I decided to call first to see if transferring at 35 weeks is even an option and next to schedule a consultation appointment. I am not going to lie, my consultation appointment was kind of scary considering that in one of the birthing suites (the one next to where my appointment was) a woman was giving birth (she was litterally pushing the baby out) and it sounded like she was being tortured. All of that aside, the midwife made me feel super comfortable and confident. I asked all kinds of questions and she was able to alleviate my fears.

After my consultation I officially decided to transfer and here is why:

1. I love my OB at the Woman and Children’s Pavilion which is where I was going, but the doctor who delivers is whoever is on call. Since there are many OB’s there, the chance I would actually get my doctor is slim.
2. I thought to myself: why do I need my birth wishes written on paper? I have little confidence that whoever reads it at the hospital will remember what I want. If I go to a birthing center, I don’t even need a plan because what I am looking for is their philosophy.
3. I felt like I was treated like an actual person/future mom at my consultation today. The whole appointment lasted over a half hour and it was less medical and more conversation. They said most of the appointments would be that way. My OB checkups lasted less than 10 minutes and I only saw the doctor for approximately 3 minutes…sometimes I felt like I was being herded.
4. From what I hear, labor and birth is painful. I think that I will have a greater chance at achieving a natural birth if I don’t even have the option of pain killers and everyone in the room is supporting and helping me.
5. I don’t have to (or get to) stay the night at the birthing center. 3 hours after birth max and you get to go home!
6. The midwife is with you throughout the entire labor and birth process.
7. A plus, but not my sole reason for going this route: an entire pregnancy (all prenatal, birth, and 6 weeks post-partum) costs $6,000 and is covered by insurance. I won’t have to pay all of that obviously since I am already 35 weeks…but this is NOTHING compared the hospital. I called last week to get a quote of how much we would have to pay for a hospital birth…well bare bones, no interventions, one night stay…$14,000. And that is just for the birth. Granted that is billed to insurance and we wouldn't have to pay the entire thing, but it is still is outrageous. Oh, and add another $6,000 for an epidural at the hospital.
8. If anything goes wrong – the birthing center is less than a mile from the hospital.

My overall experience with hospital care during my pregnancy has been very stressful. As a healthy 25 year old having a baby there was absolutely no reason to go through all of the scares I did with the ultrasound abnormalities and glucose test results, etc. I feel like for the past 8 month, God has been trying to get me to go this route and I have been ignoring all of the promptings. I really felt good when I was at the birthing center today and I am so excited (and a little nervous) to go this route.  Mainly I can’t wait to meet my baby girl!