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Frequently Asked Questions

Do you offer water birth?

Yes. We have beautiful birth tubs available for use during both labor and birth. Water is particularly beneficial in labor for reducing pain and enhancing relaxation and mobility.

What do you have to help with labor pain?

We offer inhaled nitrous oxide, which some people find very helpful. Midwives are experts in supporting natural childbirth and provide numerous methods to help with coping. These methods include but are not limited to hydrotherapy, positioning, massage, counter-pressure, herbs, and supportive encouragement. We do not offer intravenous pain medication or epidurals.

Can anyone have their baby at the birth center?

We care for healthy people having low risk pregnancies. We work hard to promote healthy pregnancy, and the definition of low risk versus high risk varies depending on the context of the conversation. In general, if you are a relatively healthy person without serious chronic conditions and are having a single baby, you are most likely eligible for birth center care. How you conceived and your age do not automatically make you high risk. This can be a complex question and if you are unsure, we would be happy to discuss this with you at a free consultation. We do not, however, offer VBACs at the birth center. 

What does the research say about the safety of birth centers?

Giving birth is a natural process. Despite what is depicted in the media, most women are able to give birth safely and normally. Of course, there are some risks regardless of where a woman is giving birth. There are many large, well-designed studies that have examined the question of safety of out-of-hospital birth. The results are conclusive. When they compare women without risk factors, out-of-hospital birth attended by a skilled provider and hospital birth of similar groups have equivalent safety outcomes. However, out-of-hospital birth utilizes hands-on midwifery care rather than medical intervention to provide safe outcomes. If risk factors develop during your pregnancy or birth that put you or your baby at higher risk, we will let you know and refer you to appropriate care.

What if there is an emergency?

Midwives are trained to diligently watch for early warning signs of developing complications throughout pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period. You and your baby will be monitored closely for these early signs of complication, and your midwife will facilitate transfer to the closest appropriate hospital if they should arise.

What is a freestanding birth center?

Our birth center is a freestanding healthcare and wellness facility that provides family-centered health, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborn services in a safe comfortable setting. Freestanding birth centers are an important part of the landscape of normal, natural birth and provide an important healthcare option to families. Freestanding means we are not attached to any specific hospital, and we provide care independently from hospital-based practices. San Francisco Birth Center is, however, integrated into the overall health care community to offer comprehensive and complete care. The freestanding nature of our facility allows the services to be midwife-led and rooted in holistic philosophy while simultaneously retaining evidenced-based collaboration and access to the full spectrum of healthcare resources.

What is a midwife?

Midwives are experts in women’s health and low risk, normal childbirth. Our training includes well-woman care, obstetrics, and newborn care thru one month of life. Midwives utilize personalized patient-centered care to optimize birth outcomes. The  Midwives at San Francisco Birth Center are a combination of UCSF trained Certified Nurse Midwives and Licensed Midwives trained through an apprenticeship program. We value the different perspectives and expertise from each training background and find that they enrich and broaden our practice.

Do I need a doctor in addition to my midwife?

Some people choose to establish care with a hospital-based practice (midwife or MD) in addition to their care at SF Birth Center. This additional care usually includes one or two visits to create a medical record with a provider of your choice and can ease transfer into the hospital system, should it become necessary.

When should I begin care at the SF Birth Center?

Many of our clients do all of their prenatal care with us, starting at the beginning with a confirmation of pregnancy visit around 8 or 9 weeks. Some clients come to us later in the first or second trimester. We are unable to accept any new clients past 34 weeks of pregnancy.

Do you do ultrasounds?

We offer bedside ultrasounds, including confirmation of pregnancy, dating of pregnancy, and fetal position check. We refer out for formal scans such as nuchal translucency and anatomy scans.

2300 Sutter St. Suite 301

San Francisco, CA 94115