“Can my family attend my birth?” is a popular question for women who are interested in giving birth at Celebrate Birth! The answer is always YES! “What about my prenatal appointments? Can my kids come to those?” And we answer YES to that as well! We truly believe that you should have the birth you want, and if that means you want your entire college volleyball team in attendance, we just ask that you bring us a matching jersey. Kidding… kind of. We look good in blue 😉
In all seriousness, we highly encourage family participation. During your prenatal appointments, you’ll find that our waiting area contains a play space with toys and children’s books to help keep little ones entertained, and our staff is always happy to keep an eye on them if they prefer to stay and play during your appointment. Children love to be a part of prenatal exams, though, and especially enjoy listening to the baby’s heartbeat. Your appointments are a part of the important bonding process that takes place within a family during this special time and we do what we can to facilitate that.
Regarding your birth, you can have as many people with you as you’d like. Some women prefer to have all of their nearest and dearest loved ones present, while others enjoy a more private experience alone with their partner. We are not afraid to be gatekeepers if you need us to be. We work for/with you and your partner, and while we want your invited guests to enjoy their experience at the birth center, we will happily make sure you get the space and privacy you desire.
Our birth center features a lounge area where your guests can gather and make themselves comfortable. It also has a play space as well as access to Netflix and a DVD player. We do recommend, however, if you plan to have more than two people with you when the baby is born that you wait until very close to the birth to call everyone into the room. Having a lot of people around you during labor can make you feel pressured and will likely slow down your progress! Our only suggestion for children during your labor is to find a support person who will specifically focus on your children. You are going to be very busy, and having someone else focus on your child will give you the ability to focus on your birth.
At Celebrate Birth, we are very family-centered! Our goal is to always encourage family bonding, in a manner that is best for you and your new baby. Whether you want to be surrounded by friends and family, or if you prefer a more intimate environment, we would love to meet with you to discuss your options!