Make your choices reflect your hopes not your fears
– Nelson Mandela

So many choices… and a mere nine months to get it all figured out. OmBalance is with you every step of the way, so don’t fret. Let’s break it down into manageable chunks, starting with:

Where will you give birth?

Nearly 400,000 babies are born in Texas each year. About 5% of those births are midwife attended, and about 1% of those birth are happening somewhere other than the hospital. You’ve found a provider you love, you know that where you have your bebe will influence how you have your bebe. But what about the hospital’s policies? What do your midwife’s stats say about her practice? What about your birth center’s transfer rate?

Hospital births are the norm, but personal experiences are all over the place. It’s important that you discuss your preferences with your provider early and often. Your OB may love water birth, but if you’re birthing at Medical City  you’re not getting anywhere near a tub if you’re in labor. Better to know that BEFORE you’re in transition, yes? Hospital policies vary widely on topics such as laboring in water, fetal monitoring, and delaying standard newborn procedures. Are your provider and your hospital on the same page? Knowing your hospital’s cesarean rates and Baby-Friendly status is a good place to start, but if you haven’t attended a hospital tour, schedule that today. Asking lots of questions on your tour is a great way to get the dialogue going with your provider, and a first step in ensuring that your choices in childbirth are respected.

Midwife attended births are all the rage in North Texas. In DFW we have a massive concentration of licensed midwives, both Certified Profession Midwives (CPMs) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), attending births in hospitals, homes, and birth centers. Of the midwives licensed in Texas, the largest concentration of those practicing are right here in North Texas! You can birth in a hospital with CNMs, as many mothers have with the UNT Midwives; you can birth at home with CNMs, like our friends at The Fort Worth Birth Center; and you can birth at home with CPMs like Ashley did with Ame North. Learning about the unique skills, training, and qualifications of your midwife and how those experiences influence where they catch bebes is essential when considering where you will give birth.

DALLAS-FORT WORTH IS A HUB FOR
CHOICES IN CHILDBIRTH, y’all!

Talk with your provider today about making your birthing dreams a reality. OmBalance supports all women in the choices they make. Print and use the OmBalanceDFWBirthChoices worksheet to get the dialogue with your provider started today. When you find the place you love, let us know!