The short answer: Both are midwife-led, calm and built around undisturbed birth, with a plan for getting to a hospital if needed. At home, your midwife comes to you. At a birth center, you go to a home-like place run by midwives. With a first baby, many moms simply choose the place where they feel most relaxed.
By Sybille Mom of two · first birth in a hospital, second at home · Education only, not medical advice
If you're choosing between a home birth and a birth center for your first baby, I want to start with a little celebration. You already know you have choices. I didn't, with my first. 💛
Both are good options. They have a lot in common, and a few gentle differences.
What they have in common
Both a home birth and a birth center birth are usually led by midwives. Both are built around calm, undisturbed birth, with time to get to know your midwife during pregnancy. And both are planned with a clear way to get to a hospital if you need or want more help.
They're also less common than hospital births (CDC birth data), so if no one around you has done either, you're not alone.
At home
Your midwife comes to you. You labor in your own space, in your own bed or a birth pool, eating your own snacks, with only the people you choose. For my second birth, that meant my own bed, a steak dinner (about five minutes later it was go time 🥩) and my first child there for the first part, just two years old and so proud to help her mama, until it was time for her to go to bed.
At a birth center
You go to a home-like place run by midwives, often with large beds and birth tubs. The American Association of Birth Centers describes a birth center as "a maximized home rather than a mini-hospital." Some moms love that it feels like home without being home: no laundry, no siblings to plan around, and a place that's set up just for birth. If you're also weighing a hospital, here's how a birth center and a hospital compare.
A first labor often takes its time, so plans can change along the way, and that's okay. That's one reason a birth center can be a beautiful choice for a first baby. Many first-time moms do plan a home birth too, and your midwife can help you weigh it for your own pregnancy.
A few questions to help you choose
- Where do I picture myself feeling most relaxed when labor gets intense?
- How do I feel about leaving home during labor, or about staying put?
- How far is each option from my home, and from a hospital?
- Who do I want with me, and is there room for them?
- What does my insurance cover for each? Here's more on insurance.
- How did I feel when I met the midwives at each place?
Visit a birth center if you can, and meet a home birth midwife or two. Your body will often tell you before your mind does.
Whatever you choose, talk it through with an experienced midwife and your care provider. They know you and your pregnancy, and they're the right people to help you decide.
Questions moms ask
Is a birth center or home birth better for a first baby?
There's no one right answer. Both are midwife-led and calm. Many moms choose the place where they feel most relaxed, and an experienced midwife can help you think it through for your own pregnancy.
Do birth centers have birth pools?
Many do. Ask each birth center what it offers, like tubs, large beds, birth balls and space for your partner.
How long do families stay after a birth center birth?
Ask each birth center how long families usually stay after the birth and when the follow-up visits happen.
Is a birth center the same as a hospital birth unit?
No. A freestanding birth center is separate from a hospital and run by midwives. Some hospitals have their own midwife-led units, so ask exactly what kind of place it is.
How do I find a birth center near me?
Try the AABC Find a Birth Center map, and ask local midwives and moms' groups.
