Baby Roots Birth Center in Chula Vista, CA

I recently had the idea to introduce my local (San Diego county) readers to some great local businesses and "Green" products that are made locally and interview those involved with these places. So when I heard that a new birth center was going to be opening up in Chula Vista, my hometown, I was excited to make this my first "Featured Local Business". So I contacted Birth Roots and they welcomed me to come on by and meet them and learn what Birth Roots is all about.

I left my home and only 15 minutes later I was in the parking lot behind Birth Roots Birth Center at 236 F Street in Chula Vista, CA. My first impression of the center was "Home". It looked like a home because it was once a home. A 1920s Craftsman style home to be specific. It had charm and looked very inviting. I stepped up onto the porch and was immediately greeted and welcomed. I stepped into the front room which is decorated in couches and chairs that look like they have been there since the house was built in the 1920s. It was bright and cheery without being overwhelming. Again, I felt like I was at a home. It was comfortable and pleasant. I then met Sarah and Darynee, the midwives who are the masterminds behind Birth Roots Birth Center. We sat down for an interview-style chat on their new Birth Center, who they are, and why they decided to open Chula Vista's first free-standing Birth Center.

Sarah and Darynee started off as strangers to me today. By the time I left I felt I had made two new friends.

My first question for them was "Why?". Why did they want to open a Birth Center and why did they choose Chula Vista. The answer was simple. They wanted to reach a wider audience. Women today want options. Midwifery care and home birth has always existed, but has been thought of as taboo in recent years. Something that only happens on Hippie communes, not something the average woman should/could/would do. That is changing now as films like "The Business of Being Born" and books like "Ina May's Guide" are becoming more popular and mainstream. Women are now realizing they have birthing options besides the hospital. But not everyone is comfortable with the idea of a birth in their own home. Perhaps they don't feel their home is large enough or it's crowded with other family members. Or just a comfort thing where they don't think they can be comfortable birthing at home. So Sarah and Darynee decided a birth center would allow for women who wanted alternatives to have something besides "homebirth" and "hospital birth".

So why Chula Vista? Mostly because the South Bay area doesn't have a Birth Center option yet. Central San Diego contains the two other birth centers in San Diego (one free standing, one connected to a hospital). That's a 30-40 minute drive for the women of South Bay. Birth Roots is now another option that we have.




The warm and inviting front room

So, what is the difference between Hospital Birth versus a Birth Roots Birth? Sarah and Darynee spelled it out using these key points:

-In the birth center your labor and delivery will be attended by a Midwife and in the hospital your birth will be attended by an OB.

-In the birth center there are no routine procedures. Hospitals vary, but most will have a list of procedures that they do for every woman, regardless of who they are or the type of pregnancy/labor they are having.

-Birth Roots has no regulations on who attends the birth. The house is set up with a living room area where siblings, parents, friends, and family can hang out and be present for your labor and delivery. If you want everyone there, they are all welcome. In a hospital most have regulations on the number of family members allowed in the delivery room and don't offer a comfortable waiting area for family members who are not allowed in the room for the deliver.

-At Birth Roots you are allowed to move around during your labor and choose where/how you want to deliver. There are beds, bath tubs, a shower, and birth stools. You are free to move, walk, and change positions as you feel comfortable. Most hospitals only allow mothers to birth in beds, flat on their back, legs up. Some won't even allow for a woman to move around during labor after she has been hooked up to an IV and monitors, which are common procedures in hospitals.

-Birth Roots follows the midwifery style of care while most hospitals will follow the hospital regulations that you are giving birth in.

-At Birth Roots you will get all of your prenatal care at the center, perhaps even in the very room you will eventually deliver in! Very rarely will you spend any amount of time in the Labor and Delivery section of the hospital before you deliver except perhaps for a tour a few weeks before you deliver.

-At Birth Roots mother's are encourage to eat and drink to maintain the energy needed for a successful birth. Most hospital regulations do not allow a mother to eat or drink anything more than ice cubes or water.

-You will not be able to get a cesarean section at Birth Roots nor will you be able to get an epidural if you want one. At hospitals epidurals are readily available and a C-section can be performed in a matter of minute.

-Birth Roots is not allowed to attend multiples births (twins, triplets, etc.), breach births, or VBAC (Vagincal Birth After Cesarian).  Hospitals specialize in these forms of birth.  (But if you are having twins or a VBAC and desire to birth outside of the hospital you can still birth at home and have your birth attended by Sarah or Darynee!).

So there are pros and cons to both, however it's important to note that Birth Roots is located just a few blocks away from a hospital. In the event of the rare emergency, a transfer can easily be made. It is very rare that this will be needed, and as you research more about the midwifery style of care you will see why. I will be doing a post on this someday soon as well.

So now that you know the difference between birth in the hospital and Birth Roots, I then decided to see what's different about a birth center birth, and birth in your own home.

The answer seems almost too obvious- in a home birth, you stay at home. Sarah and Darynee explained that the kits they bring with them to homebirths (which they do offer!) contain the same items that can be found in their birthing center. And in case you didn't know, it's not just boiled water and towels! Midwifes carry a lot of supplies with them, from oxygen to Pitocin. Everything that can go wrong in labor they are prepared for! They have the ability to resuscitate a baby that is not breathing and keep a mother from hemorrhaging after labor. And as always, if anything goes wrong at any time a hospital transfer can be done to get you where you need to be. Again, all of this is very, very rare. Most women are perfectly capable of having a safe, trauma free birth at home or in the birth center.

The other difference between that a homebirth offers is that once you have given birth, you get to stay put at home in your comfort zone. At the birth center they will check you out, make sure everything is OK, and you will be sent home. You do not stay at the birth center for a day or two like you would at the hospital and already be home like at a homebirth.

But a homebirth isn’t possible or appealing to every woman. If that is you, a birth center like Birth Roots would be a great option! It's warm and cozy, feels like home. You will have the option to move around, be with your other children or family and friends, and hop in and out of the shower or in and out of the birth tub as you feel comfortable.


So now that I knew what they were about, I wanted to find out what services they offered!

Birth Roots is not just for labor and delivery. They are a full woman’s need center from yearly exams to pre-conception, to prenatal, labor, delivery, and post-partum care. Imagine going to a warm, welcoming, nicely decorated Birth Center for your annual Pap rather than going to a cold, white, bland doctor’s office. Want to get pregnant? Sarah and Darynee can consult with you on getting pregnant, changes that should be made to your diet, and really get to know you and some of the struggles you may encounter during your TTC journey. In fact some of what I learned today I am going to apply to my next “Green Baby Making Guide” post!

Are you newly pregnant? This can be a very exciting and very scary time for some women. If you don’t already have a care provider finding one can be a daunting task. Sarah and Darynee both recommend that all pregnant women meet with a midwife, even if you are not considering a birth outside of the hospital. A midwife can help answer questions you may have in a way you understand and will spend a lot of time with you, so that when you leave their office you will be leaving with answers, not more questions.

The Midwifery model of care involves making the mother as educated on her decisions as possible. All midwifes will offer you a free consultation meeting, so take advantage of that. Learn everything you can about your options before making this very important decision. Usually a midwife prenatal appointment will last an hour and you will discuss not only what is going on with your body at that moment, but what is going to happen, what you can expect, and a detailed explanation on the tests and procedures you are undergoing so you stay in control of the process and can make your own decisions. A lot of women feel this approach to their pregnancy is more appealing then the in-and-out style of care given by most OBs.

They compared the midwife model of care to a “Buffet Style” restaurant. They will tell you what tests are recommended and why and when you need to get them, as well as the tests you have the option to get and the pros and cons of each of these. Then you, the mother, can decide what tests and procedures are right for you and which you would prefer not be done.

If you ultimately decide that a hospital birth is right for you, they can be there for that as well! They offer a service called Monitrice where they will assist you in laboring for as long as you feel comfortable in your own home and once you transfer to the hospital they can be there to advocate for you and assist you in your delivery in a doula-type position.




The birthing tub is deep, perfect for a water birth or laboring in water

Like I mentioned above, there are limitations to the birth center. They cannot attend VBAC deliveries, multiples, or breach births in the birth center. However, you can still receive prenatal care at Birth Roots and use their other services (like their monitrice program or homebirth services).

So whether you want a homebirth, a Birth Center birth, or a hospital birth, these two wonderful women can help you along the way.

I left Birth Roots Birth Center today knowing the midwife care is not just about giving birth- it’s about educated prenatal care and getting to know your caregivers. They will become your friends, even a part of your family for many years to come.

There are so many things I learned today, but in an effort to keep this post from becoming a novel I will flesh it out over several post. So if you see me mentioning Sarah and Darynee again, you’ll know who they are! They gave some great recommendations for books and resources that I will feature in it’s own post, they also mentioned some herbs and alternative ways of dealing with infertility that I will also be touching on again in another upcoming post. So be sure to keep an eye out for those!


Are you a San Diego reader?  Want to check out Birth Roots and meet Sarah and Darynee?

They are having an Open House where you are invited in for some light refreshments and a tour of the center on February 6th, 2010 from noon-6pm and February 7th, 2010 from 10am-1pm.

Check out their website for more information!  I highly recommend stopping by even if you are not pregnant yet, or even trying to conceive.  You will learn a lot and get to meet two wonderful women who can be there for every part of your TTC journey.