You. Your Pregnancy. Your Baby.

Giving birth in an obstetrical clinic

If you choose public obstetrical care, you have a couple of options to consider. You may decide to use an obstetrical clinic.

Or perhaps you would feel more comfortable with certified nurse midwife care. Both of these alternative offer benefits and disadvantages, and you should thoroughly examine both options before deciding which is best for you.

Advantages of an obstetrical clinic

Obstetrical clinics are usually located in large metropolitan teaching hospitals. There are many benefits to choosing an obstetrical clinic. Many contain advanced machinery, which is simply too expensive or complicated for many smaller hospitals.

The machinery in an obstetrical clinic is operated by skilled staff who often have access to neonatal intensive care unitsPart of a hospital that is dedicated to the care and attention of newborn infants that are seriously ill or premature. It contains a variety of specialized equipment and is staffed by a team of nurses and neonatologists who are specially trained in the pathophysiology of the newborn.
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containing sophisticated monitoring technology. If your doctor feels that your delivery may be risky, you may consider an obstetrical clinic worthwhile.

Drawbacks of an obstetrical clinic

You should bear in mind that teaching hospitals are designed to teach medical students and resident physicians. You may find yourself serving as teaching material at a time when you really need emotional support and there is a higher risk of having unnecessary procedures performed on you.

But this is not always the case. Look for teaching hospitals that have training programs for Family Practice Residency or Nurse-Midwifery, which may provide lower intervention care.


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