Why should I be willing to pay for birth center care when my HMO would fully cover a hospital birth?
The prenatal care offered by the Madison Birth Center midwives is exceptional. Office visits typically last one hour, allowing you to develop an authentic relationship with your midwife and allowing her to fully explore your state of health and educate you on how to best prepare for a healthy childbirth. Birth centers have excellent health outcomes for healthy women experiencing normal pregnancies. Hospital cesarean section rates in our community and throughout the nation have been rising steadily over the past several years. The national c-section rate in 2007 was over 31%! In contrast, the average rate among birth center clients was only 5%. Cesarean section is major abdominal surgery, with significant long-term health consequences. It also provides a significant barrier to breastfeeding success, which also has a major impact on the long-term health of mother and baby.
