Safety and Outcomes | Missoula Birth Center

Birth Center Safety

Here at the Missoula Birth Center, the safety of both mother and baby are our highest priorities. Research shows that birth center care is associated with many benefits including:

Lower cesarean rates
Fewer medical interventions
Higher satisfaction ratings
Lower risk of preterm delivery
Lower risk for low-birth-weight babies
Lower overall cost of care.

Despite these benefits, we know that sometimes the safest place for a baby to be born is in the hospital. To keep our patients safe, we maintain the following safety measures: –

Admission: On admission, your midwife will confirm that you still meet our “lowrisk” criteria.
Monitoring: We regularly monitor both mom and baby during labor to catch complications if they arise.
Transfer when appropriate: If we believe that you or your baby would be safest in the hospital, we will initiate a transfer of care. Because your Roots Midwives already have admitting privileges at Community Medical Center (CMC), we are able to make this transition as smooth as possible.
Collaboration: We work with incredible OB/GYNs and MFMs who are always available to assist as needed.
Preparation: Because not all complications can be predicted, we have 2 people trained in Neonatal Resuscitation present at every delivery and have postpartum hemorrhage medications readily available. We also regularly perform emergency drills with staff.

If you are interested in midwifery care but would prefer to deliver in the hospital setting (or risk out of birth center care), Roots Birth & Women’s Health is still available to you for prenatal, postpartum, and birthing care at CMC!

Waterbirth Safety

One of the benefits of a birth center delivery is access to tubs for both labor and birth. Water is often called “the midwife’s epidural,” as research has shown that laboring in the water can lower the need for pain medication. The midwives at MBC proudly support and offer waterbirth to our patients.

What do research studies tell us about waterbirth?

Benefits include:

Lower pain scores
Less need for pain medications during labor
Less need for Pitocin augmentation (which would require a hospital transfer)
Shorter labors on average
Lower rate of delivery by forceps, vacuum, or cesarean
Lower rates of tearing during delivery
Lower rates of episiotomy
Higher birth satisfaction
Lower risk for postpartum hemorrhage
Lower risk for newborn complications like aspiration requiring resuscitation,
Admission to the NICU, low Apgar scores, and newborn infection.

The only risk that has been shown to be increased with waterbirth is the risk of the cord breaking when a baby is being lifted out of the water (cord avulsion). While this risk is very low, your midwives will help to bring your baby to the surface slowly, being mindful of the length of the cord in order to keep your little one safe.

Want to learn more about Waterbirth? Here is a recent article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Evidence Based Birth has also done a great job summarizing the evidence on waterbirth safety.

Eligibility

Wondering if you are eligible for delivery at the Missoula Birth Center? Eligibility for birth center care is an ongoing conversation that starts at your first prenatal appointment. At each visit, your midwife will review your risk factors and will clearly communicate if you no longer meet our safety criteria.

In general, to birth at the birth center you must:

Have a “low risk” pregnancy
Only be pregnant with one baby (no twins)!
Go into labor spontaneously
Have a head down baby
Have attended our birth center orientation and prepared for both birth and breastfeeding (if you are planning to breastfeed)
Have consented to birth center care.
While we love and support VBACs, we do not deliver VBACs at the birth center.
Don’t meet our eligibility criteria? You can still see us for care and delivery with the Roots Midwives at Community Medical Center.