Where to give birth
Deciding where to have your baby is important. Take time to consider your options, which may include:
- A home birth
- A midwife-led unit within or on the same site as a hospital that provides obstetric care; these are called ‘alongside midwifery units’
- A midwife-led unit that’s on a separate site from a hospital that provides obstetric care – it may be on its own or on the same site as a community hospital; these are called ‘freestanding midwifery units’
- An obstetric unit within a hospital, with consultant obstetricians (doctors specialising in pregnancy and birth) and anaesthetists available, and neonatal care on site if needed
Each offers different kinds of care. Some options may not be available to you because of where you live. Your healthcare team might recommend a hospital birth if you have health conditions that make it safer. The Birthplace Studyhas been used to prepare guidance for the NHS about the choices and recommendations for women (see more information below).
You will probably have a preference for the type of birth that you want. Even so...
- Be aware of all your options.
- Consider how you want your birth to go if everything goes smoothly.
- Plan for potential issues during labor, such as the time it would take for an ambulance to reach an obstetric unit.
Information produced to help women decide where to give birth, based on NHS guidance.
Information about the Birthplace study (written for people with some knowledge of medical words and phrases).
Recommendations from NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for the NHS.
The NHS Better Health, Start for Life website has valuable information to help you make the best decision about where to give birth.