Choosing where to have your baby

This article covers the following topics:

What are your choices?

How do you make your decision?

Factors to consider

You can change your mind

Further information

Giving birth in the UK is generally very safe wherever you choose to have your baby. The choice you have about where to have your baby will depend on your wishes, any needs for clinical support you may have and, to some extent, on where you live. Wherever you choose, the place should feel right for you.

What are your choices?

Depending on your circumstances, your options for having your baby are likely to be:

• A home birth.
• Birth in a local facility, which may be in a hospital or a freestanding unit, under the care of a midwife – this type of setting may be called a birth or birthing centre, a midwife-led unit (MLU), or a community maternity unit (CMU).
• Birth in a hospital supported by a maternity team including midwives, anaesthetists and obstetricians (doctors who specialise in pregnancy and childbirth when complications arise).

The majority of pregnant women are healthy with a normal pregnancy and it is equally safe for them to give birth in any of these places.

However, some women who have medical conditions or a complicated pregnancy will benefit from the care that can be provided by an obstetrician or other specialist.

If you choose to give birth at home or in a unit run by midwives, you should be given information by your midwife or GP about what would happen if you need to be transferred to hospital during labour, and how long this would take.

How do you make your decision?

It’s important that you and your partner have all the information you need to make your decision. Try to get information from as many sources as possible.

Your midwife will discuss the options that are available in your area. It is always a good idea to discuss your birth plan, which is a record of your choices, with your midwife and your partner.

In deciding where to give birth, you may find the results of the Birthplace Study 2011 from the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU) useful. The results provide parents with detailed, up-to-date information about the four different places for planning birth. (The results are specific to England.) The study compares planning to use a ‘midwifery unit’ or birth centre with planning a hospital birth. It also compares planning to have a home birth with planning for a hospital birth.

Another way to find out more about your local birth options is to attend an NCT antenatal course where you can get help with preparing for labour and birth. You will also meet other parents who may have helpful knowledge or ideas to share.

In addition, you can get information from children's centres, your GP’s surgery and local maternity units.

If you feel unhappy with the choices you are offered, you can ask to be put in contact with a local supervisor of midwives. You might find it helpful to read a leaflet produced by the Nursing and Midwifery Council called Support for parents: how supervision and supervisors of midwives can help you.

Factors to consider

Your choice of birthing environment can affect many things about the birth. For instance, you are likely to have a better birth experience if you choose an option that gives you continuity of care – that is, being looked after by a single midwife or a small team of midwives. When you are making your choice about where your baby will be born:

• Find out about your local hospital so you can compare it with your other options.
• If you have a chance to look around your local maternity services, it’s helpful to go prepared with some questions to ask about what sort of care you can expect.
• Talk to as many people as you can: friends, family, other pregnant women and mums with young babies, midwives and your family doctor.  
• Find out if you will have the chance to get to know a small group of midwives before you have your baby.
• Ask whether one of these midwives is likely to be present during your labour and birth.
• Ask if the unit is working with UNICEF UK’s Baby Friendly Initiative. These units will provide the best care and support to help you with feeding and caring for your baby.

This is your decision so feel confident about asking questions to help you choose.

You can change your mind

Remember, you can change your mind at any time during your pregnancy, even during labour. If you have booked a hospital birth, you can decide to stay at home, or if you have booked a home birth you can decide to go to hospital.

During your pregnancy you can also usually choose to change your booking to another hospital, if you find a more appropriate service is offered.

Ultimately, the best environment for you to give birth to your baby is one where you will feel safe, comfortable and relaxed.

Further information

NCT's helpline offers practical and emotional support in all areas of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood: 0300 330 0700.  We also offer antenatal courses which are a great way to find out more about birth, labour and life with a new baby.

The results of the Birthplace study were released in December 2011 and provide useful information for parents about their choice of place of birth.

NCT's 'Location, location, location' report and campaign and place of birth research and information.

BirthChoiceUK provides information on choosing maternity care to help parents make the right choice for them.

AIMS provides independent support and information about maternity choices.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council provides useful information on the role of the midwife and your choices for birth.

NHS Choices provides information about choosing where to give birth.