All about Private Birthing Centers
Private birthing centers are small maternity units whose environment is more homely as opposed to clinical. They offer support to women who do not want to incorporate medical consultancy during the time they give birth. However, private birthing centers follow the same regulations concerning labor and child birth just as it is in the regular hospitals. Most of the private birthing centers are separate from the hospitals. However, there are some hospitals which have private birthing centers together with the traditional maternity wards.
Private birthing centers provide a calm and relaxed environment as well as highly qualified midwives. Some of the facilities that these birth centers provide include family accommodation, birth pools, comfortable birthing rooms and therapies. Some private birthing centers also offer postnatal care whereby they give you a room with your own bathroom and you can enjoy your time alone with your baby.
Private birthing centers are good in the sense that you receive one-on-one care from a particular midwife all through your labor period. This is different from a busy consultant based maternity unit. In addition to that, you will be in a better position to completely relax into the feelings of birth, you will have more privacy and you will be advised on different ways on how to lessen the pain.
It is important to note that not everyone is eligible to book room in a private birthing centre. You can only do so if your pregnancy has been proved to be low-risk and you have a great chance of going through a normal delivery. Some private birthing centers may also decline your booking request if you are over a particular age. Women with high blood pressure and diabetes may fall in this category. Or if your baby has complications that have been identified early then you may be required to remain under the care of your doctor.
Receiving maternity care in an NHS birthing centre is free. There are some private birthing centers in London and various areas of the UK if you prefer to pay for your maternity care. A private birthing centre in London costs about £4,000 to £8,000. The price depends on the stage of your pregnancy when you start your maternity care.
To get more information on private birthing centers, check the various UK websites. They also have lists of various birthing centers that you can opt for, including the various facilities and services that they offer.