The rise of the free standing birth center: principles and practice

The last decade witnessed a movement toward out-of-hospital birth. Licensed free standing birth centers (FSBCs) proliferated and, by 1984, over 100 were operating in the U.S. This paper details the history of The Birth Place in Menlo Park, CA. Over a three year period, 251 women in labor were admitted to the clinic. Of these women, 200 (80%) completed delivery at the center. Of these, four mothers and three babies transferred to the hospital postpartum for treatment. Fifty-one women (20%) transferred to the hospital intrapartum primarily as a result of prolonged or arrested labor. There were 11 forceps deliveries (4%) and six cesarean sections (2%). Of 51 babies born at the hospital, nine had complications requiring treatment. Overall, clients expressed a strong sense of satisfaction regarding their birth experience. The FSBC, with its alternative philosophy, serves as an important experiment testing out-of-hospital birth outcomes in a carefully screened low risk population.