FAQ

A freestanding birth center is a facility specializing in pregnancy, birth, and post birth care that operates independent from affiliation with a hospital.  Freestanding birth centers offer safe, effective, and cost-conscious care in a home-like setting.  Care is based in the belief that pregnancy, birth and post-birth are normal, healthy life events best supported through excellent nutrition, exercise, self-care, and informed decision-making on the part of expectant parents.

The World health Organization says: “Midwives are the most appropriate primary health care provider to be assigned to the care of normal birth. “Midwives are experts in normal pregnancy, birth and post birth care, and offer personalized care based in the belief that pregnancy and childbirth are normal, healthy aspects of life. Your midwife strives to help you and your family learn to trust and believe in pregnancy and the birth process.

Midwives are well acquainted with a wide array of techniques to manage pain in labor. Your midwives and birth team will help you discover effective pain-relief without the use of drugs. Freedom of movement, eating and drinking in labor, hands-on support, use of water, and the presence of a skilled professional well-acquainted with normal birth all enhance women’s ability to cope in labor without the risks associated with medical pain relief.

Transferring from the birth center to the hospital sometimes happens, either by choice or necessity. The Madison Birth Center is located 15 minutes from Meriter and St. Mary’s hospitals. We ask all of our clients to pre-register at the hospital of their choice prior to the birth in the event of a transfer.

Numerous studies have shown that a planned birth center or home birth is as safe as a hospital birth for low-risk women. Women giving birth in these settings experience lower rates of intervention in birth, including lower usage of drugs for pain relief, fewer pitocin inductions and lower rates of induction overall, lower rates of episiotomy, fewer operative births, and lower cesarean section rates without compromising the safety of their births.

Need for medical care in a healthy, low-risk pregnant woman is uncommon. In the rare instance that a pregnant woman requires care that falls outside the midwives area of expertise, she is referred to the appropriate practitioner. Midwives who practice in home and birth center settings are trained to recognize and resolve complications in pregnancy or birth and have clear guidelines and boundaries for who is appropriate for care.

We are a Nationally Accredited Birth Center. This designation is earned through the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. (CABC). The Madison Birth Center is also the first “Baby-Friendly” birthing facility in South Central Wisconsin as appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Most traditional indemnity health insurance companies, and several local HMOs that offer point-of-service (“POS”) plans, will cover our care. We will work with you to determine if your insurance company covers our services. Please contact the birth center for more information.

What should I do?  Since a birth center birth costs 30-50% less than a normal hospital birth, we believe that it is good health care policy to provide maternity coverage for healthy women experiencing normal pregnancies who desire the birth center experience. Our staff midwives are experts in labor and birth and are licensed by the State of Wisconsin. Licensed midwives attend births in a variety of settings independently. We encourage consumers to inform their insurance providers directly about their support for midwifery care and the birth center option. To view a sample letter that you can modify for your own use, click here

The prenatal care offered by the Madison Birth Center midwives is exceptional. Office visits typically last one hour, allowing you to develop relationship with your midwife and allowing her to fully explore your well-being and offer education on pregnancy, birth, and parenting.

Birth centers have excellent health outcomes for healthy women experiencing normal pregnancies. Hospital cesarean section rates in our community and throughout the nation have been rising steadily over the past several years. The national c-section rate in 2007 was over 31%! In contrast, the average rate among birth center clients was only 5%. Cesarean section is major abdominal surgery, with significant long-term health consequences. It also provides a significant barrier to breastfeeding success, which also has a major impact on the long-term health of mother and baby.

About 30% of our clients choose to pay out-of-pocket for birth center care because they believe in the model of care we provide. We support you in this choice by offering flexible payment terms, and a significant pre-payment discount. We will determine with you a payment schedule that can accommodate your needs.  One way to fund birth center care is to through your medical savings account or flexible spending plan. Utilizing these “pre-tax” dollars can result in substantial savings.