By Greg Halbleib
BLOOMINGTON – The second stand-alone birth center in Illinois is opening in Bloomington.
Birth Center of Bloomington-Normal is the only such facility downstate, and received its license on Monday. The center’s Jessica Poppe says it offers a more homelike setting to give birth than what a hospital commonly provides.
“Basically, it’s a place where we take care of low-risk, healthy moms who are experiencing a healthy pregnancy,” said Poppe, Birth Center’s office coordinator. “Basically what that means is a mom who’s pregnant with one baby whose head is down and is at term at time of delivery.”
Poppe said hospitals do a good job with their birthing units, but some mothers want something more.
“Most of us when we have experiences at the hospital is when we’re sick or someone’s hurt,” said Poppe. “Hospitals have done a pretty good job of making their labor and delivery floors more homelike, but still there are women who want something where they can be there month after month, get comfortable and have midwifery-led care.”
The Birth Center uses certified nurse midwives for primary care and doulas for non-clinical support. Poppe estimates costs at the birth centers are reduced by about one third from hospital deliveries.
The center is independent but collaborates with OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center to refer more complicated births. The only other stand-alone birth center in Illinois is in Berwyn in the Chicago suburbs.
More information is at birthcenterbn.com.
Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected].
