Where to have your baby

Where to have your baby is one of the first choices you're asked to make once your pregnancy is confirmed. Here's how to weigh up the options.

Talk to other mums in your area - but bear in mind that every birth is different so one person's good or bad experience can be due to a lot more than the facilities on offer.

Check out the services provided and how they are rated. Our Good Birth Guide is the best way to do this. Simply type in your postcode for information about all birthing centres in your area.

You can have your baby in hospital or at home, or choose a home-from-home midwife-run unit, which promotes natural births. Here is a run-down of the pros and cons:

Hospital consultant unit
In a hospital maternity unit, care is usually shared by midwives and consultants.
Advantages
The best of both worlds - midwives to supervise your labour and hi-tech medical care on hand should you need it.
Disadvantages
You won't necessarily get one-to-one care and you're more likely to have a birth with medical intervention such as a Caesarean.
It helps to know
You can refuse to have ‘routine' interventions if they're not medically necessary.

• For facts and figures about your local maternity unit, such as Caesarean rates and numbers of births per year, visit the babyexpert Good Birth Guide.
  

Hospital midwifery-led unit  
Staffed and run by midwives, these are usually located next to consultant units.
Advantages
Ideal if you want little medical intervention. You're likely to get continuity of care and can be easily transferred to the consultant unit if needed.   
Disadvantages
The unit may be stretched or understaffed if the consultant unit is busy.   
It helps to know
Ask about the number of births per midwife per year - if it's more than 40, the unit is likely to be stretched.

Community unit or birth centre
Run by midwives or GPs, these tend to be near a hospital or in rural areas.
Advantages
A good choice if you want a natural birth in a home-from-home environment. Accommodation for your family may also be available.
Disadvantages
Most only take women with a high chance of a straightforward birth.
It helps to know
Most birth centres are happy to take first-time mums as long as they're fit and healthy.
For a list of birth centres in the UK, visit www.birthchoiceuk.com.

Home
If hospital isn't for you, then you may choose to have your baby in your own more familiar, comfortable surroundings.
Advantages
You'll feel more relaxed, which can help you have an easier birth.
If you have to transfer to hospital, you're less likely to have an assisted delivery or Caesarean.
Disadvantages
Being transferred to hospital can be very uncomfortable when you're in full labour.
It helps to know
You don't need to get your GP's permission to have a home birth.
To find out more, visit www.homebirth.org.uk.

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