Answering Your Questions About Birthing Centers

A freestanding birth center offers a homelike, out-of-hospital setting. We partner with you to respect your choices during pregnancy and childbirth.

Midwives and consulting physicians collaborate to ensure safe, high-quality care. Most importantly, the center provides a nurturing environment that empowers women to give birth confidently, balancing personalized care with access to an ObGyn when needed.

We are the only freestanding, accredited birth center in Connecticut and one of just 250 in the country. Licensed by the Connecticut Department of Health, our facility meets all health, fire, and safety regulations, providing a safe and unique option for families from Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts.

Our experienced midwifery team offers personalized, compassionate care for low-risk pregnancies. You can give birth in our home-like birth center or at Danbury Hospital, conveniently located across the street.

We believe there’s no one right way to have a baby. From natural water births to more traditional hospital experiences, we support a full range of alternative therapies, including complementary therapies like chiropractic care, acupuncture, and herbal remedies, alongside conventional medical care. We aim to honor pregnancy and childbirth as physical, emotional, and spiritual milestones, empowering families with choices that best suit their needs.

We are located across the street from Danbury Hospital at 94 Locust Avenue.

Freestanding birth centers are based on the midwifery model of care, which approaches pregnancy and birth as normal family events until proven otherwise. They offer the personal yet comprehensive care that every expectant mother and her family deserve.

Giving birth at a birth center is ideal for low-risk pregnancies, which covers about 80% of pregnancies. Low-risk pregnancies generally:

• Are full-term pregnancies between 37 and 42 weeks gestation
• Are single pregnancies (not multiples)
• Are not breached
• Do not have a history of major birth-related complications, including C-sections
• Do not have certain medical conditions, including but not limited to insulin-dependent diabetes.

For higher-risk pregnancies, our midwives co-manage planned births at the hospital with our partner ObGyns. Should a hospital transfer become necessary at any stage, your midwife remains by your side, ensuring continuity of care.

We offer a calm, home-like setting with ample room to labor in the way that feels best to you. Our private facility offers:

• Three private birthing suites, each equipped with a queen-sized bed, a spacious bathroom with a large shower and jacuzzi tub, and plenty of natural light
• Lounge areas with couches, a TV, a full kitchen and toys for children are perfect for family support during normal operations
• Expert care from midwives with monitoring, skin-to-skin and helping your breastfeeding journey

Below are some additional resources about birth centers:

• The American Association of Birth Centers (AABC)
• The Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC)

Some labors are longer or more challenging than expected, and you may decide you want an epidural. Some women plan for an epidural from the start. In either case, this option is available at Danbury Hospital, located across the street from our facility. Your midwife will accompany you, admit you to the hospital, order the epidural, and continue to manage your labor and birth.

Yes, we offer water births, and each of our three birthing suites features a full jacuzzi tub.

Yes, we accept insurance.

Our all-inclusive fee covers prenatal care, labor and birth, postpartum care, home visits, classes, and newborn care if you give birth at the center. If you give birth at a hospital, the hospital will charge an additional fee. We accept most major insurance carriers and self-pay clients.

If you give birth at the center, we will happily have your partner, family, and friends participate. That includes children! However, we do require that another adult be there to supervise any children.

Normal discharge from the Birth Center occurs 4–6 hours after birth, as long as both mom and baby are stable. Many families appreciate the opportunity to rest and recover in the comfort of their own home so soon after delivery. An extended stay of up to 12 hours is possible for additional monitoring.

Our CNMs have hospital privileges at Danbury Hospital, conveniently located across the street from our facilities. We also maintain a close professional relationship with the ObGyns at Midwife.

We offer inhaled nitrous oxide, often called “laughing gas,” as a pain relief option during labor. Its quick onset and short duration make it a safe and effective choice in a birth center setting without additional monitoring.

We are VBAC-friendly. When you schedule a meet-and-greet, we will discuss your medical history, including any previous births. Please bring any previous obstetrical records and the operative report from the hospital where you had your cesarean birth to ensure we can provide the best counsel.

For women who are having their first VBAC, our midwives will deliver in a hospital setting. If you have already had a successful vaginal delivery, you may be a candidate for a birth at the center.

Aside from labor and delivery, we offer:

• Comprehensive postpartum support, including routine newborn screenings
• Breastfeeding support groups and access to a board-certified lactation consultant

Yes, our certified nurse midwives also provide comprehensive women’s health care. Our experienced staff conducts physical exams, diagnoses and the treatment of gynecological conditions, prescribes medications, and orders and interprets tests.

As part of the Women’s Health Connecticut network, we also work closely with experienced ObGyns and specialists, so we can easily refer you to the right care provider for your situation if necessary.

Many patients choose to transfer to our practice during the later weeks or months of pregnancy. While we love having more time to get to know you and your family, it is possible to transfer to us late in pregnancy as long as you’ve had regular prenatal care and can provide your complete medical records, including lab work and ultrasound reports.

To ensure the best fit, we’ll schedule a “meet and greet” appointment to review your records and get to know you better. Please note — acceptance into our practice depends on this review, and during busier months, we may need to close our schedule for specific due dates.

We recommend reaching out early in your pregnancy to secure your spot. Book your meet & greet today!

Midwifery provides personalized, compassionate care during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond. Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) also offer gynecologic care, family planning, and primary care from adolescence through adulthood.

We see birth as a natural process and focus on guiding you every step of the way, only using medical interventions when truly necessary. This approach leads to safer, smoother births, fewer complications and cesareans, and higher breastfeeding rates.

At its heart, the midwifery model of care is about listening, supporting, and empowering you to make the choices that feel right for your body and your birthing experience.

Our midwife staff are CNMs and have been certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). To qualify for the certification, you must:

• Complete all education requirements to be a registered nurse practitioner (obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN), pass the NCLEX-RN licensing exam and then )
• Complete an accredited nurse-midwifery program or complete complete either a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (DNP)
• Pass the certification exam

No, midwives do not perform C-sections. Some midwives are certified to assist ObGyns during C-sections, and your attending midwife can still accompany you to the procedure.

Though rarely necessary, our CNMs are credentialed and qualified to perform episiotomies.

All CNMs at the Connecticut Childbirth & Women’s Center can attend births at Danbury Hospital.