From just about the moment you find out you are pregnant, you start thinking about what the birth will be like. There are so many choices in the greater Portland area, and you’ll get different opinions on who you ask; where is the right place to have your baby? If you are considering a Portland Birthing Center, this list is for you!
Preparing for Birth in a Portland Birthing Center
Do the Homework
We are lucky here in the Pacific Northwest that we have many different providers to help us through pregnancy and birth. From midwives to doulas, you can choose the services that align with your wishes for your birth plan, whether at a Portland birthing center, hospital, or home.
Start by researching the different providers and deciding which option is right for you; a home birth, birthing center, or hospital. All have their pros and cons!
Check Your Insurance
Don’t assume that your insurance will cover doula, midwifery, or birthing center costs. It’s best to check with your insurance first to find out what they will cover and at what percentage.
The last thing you want is to be hit with a hefty bill after the birth of your baby!
Things to Look For
Read websites and descriptions carefully because each place has different offerings. For example, not all businesses that offer water birth allow you to give birth in the water, depending on their licensing. Some are midwifery services that do home births or service other Portland birthing centers as well.
The best route is to do your research and then contact the centers to make an appointment to obtain more information.
5 Portland Birthing Centers with Water Birth and Home Birth Services
Vivante Midwifery
Specializing in home births, Vivante takes a whole body and mind approach to midwifery. Combining science and holistic treatments, they believe in offering many choices and support to women during their pregnancy into postpartum care.
Vivante can also help you if you want or must have a hospital birth. They have two offices; the Portland office is located in SE Portland on SE Hawthorn.
Midwifery Birth Center
Midwifery offers a comfortable modern facility that feels like you are giving birth in a home. They specialize in unmedicated deliveries and have full integration with an obstetrics office, so you’ll have the support of both nurse-midwives and physicians.
They allow you to bring your own Doula, which is a plus for many people. If you have a healthy pregnancy with low-risk factors, this could be the right choice for you! They are located just off of I-84 and I-205 on SE Washington St.
Andaluz Birthing Center
Andaluz offers complete waterbirth services from labor to delivery. They have many midwives and an ultrasound technician at this practice and provide prenatal care through postpartum care at this Portland Birthing Center. They have extensive experience supporting women through natural non-interventive birth and have had a great success rate with VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) births.
This Portland birthing center also offers naturopathic solutions and classes to support pregnancy. They are located on SW Naito Parkway.
Baby’s Nest Birth Services
Baby’s Nest is Portland’s full-spectrum birth agency. They offer birthing services, postpartum doula support, certified placenta encapsulation, natural birth classes, and postpartum preparation. A doula is there to support you no matter where you give birth, at home, at a birthing center, or in a hospital.
Baby’s Nest services all of Portland as well as surrounding areas.
Canyon Medical Center
Canyon offers midwifery services and naturopathic care at their Portland birthing center or in your home. When care with a midwife often ceases when the baby reaches six weeks, you can still utilize their physicians to care for you and your child. They believe in merging physiology with natural techniques and have many services and procedures, including acupuncture, western modalities, and holistic pelvic care.
Canyon Medical Center is located on SW Camelot Ct in Portland.
Remember that all births are beautiful, and the important thing is that the baby arrives safe and you are totally in love with your new family member.
And when your baby arrives, don’t forget the next important step; newborn photos! I’d love to meet you and your new baby and document this precious time in your life. Get in touch and let me know when you are due, and we can make your “photo plan” for your newborn baby.
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