By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – The Birth Center of Bloomington-Normal is almost ready to start seeing patients.

When the center opens in July it will be the first free-standing birthing center in downstate Illinois. Education Coordinator Jessica Poppe said that means the group is not attached to a hospital.

“That is very exciting because the statistics for birthing centers is very encouraging, especially with something like the cesarean rate,” said Poppe. “Our average national cesarean rate right now is 32.2 percent and birth center cesarean rate is 6 percent.”

Poppe explained birthing centers are family centered.

“We want to provide excellent service to our families and individualized, one-on-one care,” said Poppe. “So a hospital setting is a little bit bigger, it’s harder to do that.”

Poppe added mothers will have the option of a waterbirth at their facility.

“Waterbirth has shown to be a safe and effective option for women for comfort, but then also for labor progress. Women love to labor in the tub. It helps with pain management. It helps with their labor to progress,” she said.

The center won’t be able to have births at the site until the state approves their license. Poppe said they hope to see that happen in the next few months.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].