At some point during your pregnancy – and not too late! – you’ll need to consider where you’d like to have your baby. Will you choose to give birth at a hospital, in a birth centre or would you prefer to stay at home? We explore the pros and cons of each option.

 

Every mum-to-be has the right to make an informed choice and decide where they’d like to give birth. It’s a question you may get asked at your very first booking in appointment with your midwife, but at that stage it’s often too early for women to know for sure where they’d prefer. As the pregnancy progresses, you’ll have more time to consider your options and think about your choice.

 

 

What’s known as the consultant-led hospital unit is the traditional hospital maternity unit where the majority of babies in the UK are born. The unit is staffed by doctors, consultant obstetricians and midwives and they’re fully geared up to deal with both straightforward births and complicated deliveries.

 

Unlike other options, you probably won’t get one-to-one care and may see a selection of people during your time in hospital. Some hospitals offer the choice of being put under the supervision of a doctor or midwife, but if complications occur then you’ll definitely end up under the care of a doctor.

 

These units are fully geared up to dealing with emergencies, unexpected caesarean sections and provide the full range of interventions and assisted birth methods.

 

Midwife-led units are staffed only by midwives and they don’t have consultants working alongside them. Sometimes, though, they may have trainee obstetric doctors working there too. These units are often located in smaller buildings and can be independently situated, attached to a hospital or sometimes even attached to GP surgeries in rural areas. The main aim is that they offer a relaxed home-from-home environment where you can feel at ease. Many provide birthing pools for a water birth and access to things like birth balls, mats, beanbags and pillows.

Unlike the consultant-led hospital environment, these units are limited in the interventions they can provide. There are generally no anaesthetists on hand to give pain relief, such as epidurals, and no surgeons available for caesarean sections. The midwife-led unit aims to provide women with the support to give birth as naturally as possible, without the use of drugs or interventions. These units tend to have a higher midwife-to-birth ratio than consultant-led units and are ideal if you’re having a normal and uncomplicated birth.

 

Not all births go to plan though and if anything unexpected does occur, and you do need medical interventions, then you’d be transferred to your nearest large hospital as soon as possible.

 

Another alternative, and one that’s slowly growing in popularity, is to have your baby at home. If your pregnancy has been healthy, normal and problem-free, then it’s equally safe to have your baby at home, with midwives present. Many women feel more relaxed being in a familiar environment and being active – meaning they can be in the position they want to be.

 

It’s important to bear in mind that drug-based pain relief options are limited if you’re at home, mostly to gas and air (sometimes pethidine) and if anything goes awry, you’ll need to be prepared to be transferred into hospital if the need arises.