All our Certified Nurse Midwives have privileges at Danbury Hospital and serve as primary providers for hospital births. Families may choose the hospital for various reasons, such as the option for an epidural or the preference to stay overnight after delivery. If a transfer from the Birth Center to the hospital is necessary during labor, your midwife might accompany you and continue your care. Families choosing a hospital birth with a midwife still benefit from delayed cord clamping, early skin-to-skin contact, and the personalized midwifery approach to labor and delivery.
Choosing Midwifery Care for Your Hospital Birth
We maintain a strong partnership with Danbury Hospital and are part of the Women’s Health Connecticut network, in the event it becomes necessary to transfer you for a hospital delivery. Rest assured that you will continue to receive the same personalized care, continuous support, and attentive postpartum follow-up as you would at the birth center.
Personalized Care
We offer the same intuitive, physiological-based approach to labor and delivery. For high-risk pregnancies or mothers who need to give birth in a hospital setting, they can still access the supportive personal care and attention of midwifery.
VBACs
If you had a previous Cesarean birth and are hoping for a vaginal birth this time, our midwifery care provides the support you need. Our midwives attend first-time VBACs (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) at Danbury Hospital, with a success rate of over 85%. If you’ve already had a successful VBAC, you may choose to have subsequent VBACs at the Birth Center.
Cesarean Birth
Depending on the circumstances, your midwife may accompany you into the operating room to provide emotional support, assist with early skin-to-skin contact, and help initiate breastfeeding. We are also here to offer comprehensive prenatal care and postpartum follow-up for clients planning a Cesarean birth, ensuring continuous support throughout your journey.
ObGyn Support
We have strong relationships with several ObGyns who can provide 24/7 access to support and emergency coverage. An ObGyn is always available on-site for emergencies, though clients having hospital births will only meet the doctor if their involvement is necessary.
Risks and Complications in Pregnancy and Birth
We understand that changing your birth plan to deliver in a hospital can be a difficult decision. However, when risks arise, we encourage you to consider a hospital setting to ensure the safest outcome for you and your baby. Your midwife will be by your side, continuing as your primary care provider or collaborating closely with an ObGyn to provide seamless, compassionate care.
Examples of complications or high-risk pregnancy situations that prevent birth at the birth center:
- Multiple babies
- Breech presentation
- Labor before 37 weeks or after 42 weeks gestation
- Previous Cesarean delivery without a subsequent VBAC
- Request for pain medication, such as an epidural
- Group B Streptococcus (GBS) positive status and membranes ruptured (your water broke) for a prolonged period of time
- Certain medical conditions, including but not limited to insulin-dependent diabetes and high blood pressure
- Need for induction for medical indications
- Stalled labor
- Non-reassuring fetal status
- Additional risk factors that can arise during labor, which your midwife will monitor