Birthing center offers pregnant moms new optionBy Jill Coley (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Kristen Johnson, 27, delivered her fifth child in March at Charleston Birth Place, the Lowcountry's first birthing center. An alternative to hospital and home deliveries, the center is a compromise for mothers who have a natural birth plan yet want accessibility to emergency care should complications arise. "The experience is so much different," Johnson said. "You feel a lot closer to the whole thing." Three of her babies were born in another birthing center, hours from her North Charleston home. Three centers are in the Upstate, and one is in the Midlands. Her fourth baby was born in a hospital, she said. When she heard of Charleston Birth Place opening in January, she signed up at once to deliver Lucas, now 4 months old. On Friday, Kristen Johnson and her strawberry-blond son joined 15 other mothers with babies in tow to mark the center's first six months. Owner and director Lesley Rathbun said, "I'm a compromise." The mother wants a home birth, and the father wants a hospital birth, she said. Rathbun has "caught" more than 500 babies. She is a family nurse practitioner and certified nurse midwife. Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Post and Courier. |
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Comments
This article has 2 comment(s)
Posted by moonpie on July 20, 2008 at 9:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"delivered her fifth child..." My God please tell me there is a father somewhere in this picture. You know P&C you should always mention the father.
Posted by farfallaspeaks on July 21, 2008 at 12:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am so happy about this article. My best friend gave birth there 6 weeks ago, and she let me come visit on the day she gave birth to show me how great it was.
I was very impressed. I didn't have this place as an option when I gave birth, so that's why she wanted to show it to me. The midwife was wonderful.
She taught me things when I was there that I was never even knew.
The place looks so warm and friendly. They have nice queen sized beds to nurse your babies in, and birthing pools. They have a big living room and extra rooms for the families who come visit. A kitchen to cook your own food. It's like a little apartment with a birthing pool in it. Also, the woman who checks you every month is the same woman who will deliver your baby, and she makes sure of that. No stranger at the other end!!!
A wonderful change to the horrible hospital experience I had. I don't see how the hospitals really expect a woman who just give birth to sleep in those horrible beds and nurse their babies. I jumped at the chance to go home as soon as possible. I was not happy with my clinic at all, Charleston OBGYN. Dr. Flowers was extremely rude to me during times of panic when I went into premature labor. Thank God I didn't give birth with him at the other end, I would have kicked him in the face.