Where shall I give birth, what options are available?
This is clearly only a question you can answer as I previously mentioned. But many of us don’t even research our options, I certainly didn’t, but we are all different and may find that we do not want to automatically go for what others are doing or have said is best. In fact, make sure that it is your opinion only that counts and not the opinions of others. The options out there are home births, midwife led units (birth centres) or hospitals. Some hospitals have a midwife led unit alongside them. You will be in hospital if needing obstetric care.
It’s important to see what is available in your area. You can do your own pros and cons lists for each option. Some NHS trusts provide a free service where a midwife or small community of midwives will share your care for antenatal and postnatal appointments as well as be with you in birth. This provides the benefits of continuity of care building both relationships and trust. If this is not available to you or you would like to choose your care providers you can pay for a private midwife or doula to support you. I recommend reading ‘Why Doulas Matter’ to take out the perceived ‘hippyness’ perception of a doula too. Many women are so pleased that they booked a doula so it’s worth researching. They are there to provide emotional support and can reduce the risk of some interventions in low risk pregnant women.
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