Where to Give Birth In Elkhart County — And Beyond!!
Originally Published February 7, 2018
As a doula, one of my biggest goals for my clients is that they are completely aware of all of their options surrounding the birth of their baby.
Because choosing a care provider is one of the first decisions you make after finding out you're pregnant, the place you plan to give birth is also decided rather quickly. That said, it should not be something to take lightly. The place you give birth can have a profound impact on how your birth actually goes.
Fortunately, we have a plethora of options right here in Elkhart County, Indiana (and just outside of it) so planning for the birth you want is definitely possible!
Let’s explore all the local birth places as well as different things you need to consider as you make your choice.
THE NUMBER ONE FACTOR
When choosing where to birth, I always tell people that the number one factor is deciding where you will be most comfortable and feel the safest.
This is because labor cannot progress well when the mother is tense and afraid. Fear is a sign to your body that now is not the time or the place for a baby to born. Unfortunately, for many moms this fear turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy. They are afraid birth won’t go well so their body slows the process down and guess what? Birth does not go well.
So finding a way to eliminate fear is step number one.
Are you someone that will only be able to relax knowing that you’re in a hospital, right down the hall from the operating room should an emergency happen? Will your support team be tense enough to stress you out outside of the hospital? If you answer yes to either of these and you’ve done your research on the safety of out-of-hospital birth, then the hospital may just be the best place for you to labor and meet your baby.
On the other hand, will constant beeping from the monitors and people continually coming in and out of your room stress you out? Will you be intimidated by all the wires and the equipment and will the knowledge of an epidural distract you from your natural birth plans? Can you truly feel at home and comfortable on a twin bed and small couch like you might see in the hospital? If these questions raise a concern, consider a birthing center with a homelike atmosphere and a peaceful environment to labor in.
Finally, does the idea of quickly packing your bags and driving to your birthplace while having contractions seem chaotic to you? For some, it’s enough stress to disrupt the flow of labor, at least temporarily. Would you be most comfortable in your own home, in your own bed, knowing that as soon as baby is born you can start to settle in to your new life? If this sounds like a dream, why not plan for a home birth?
With all of these options available locally, I encourage you to truly consider each one. Take tours of both maternity units and birth centers. Ask your friends about their experiences. Does one option stick out to you more than the others? What does your gut say? Your instincts may know more than you think.
MIDWIVES VS OBSTETRICIANS
Another big factor to consider when choosing a birthplace is if you want your birth attended by a midwife or an OB. In Elkhart County, there are different midwives who attend home births, birth center births, and hospital births but obstetricians only attend hospital births.
So what’s the difference between the two?
Obstetricians are qualified physicians who have gone through many years of schooling. They are well-trained in the various complications of pregnancy and are able to use different medical tools during birth such as the vacuum extractor, forceps, and cesareans.
Conversely, midwives typically have fewer years of schooling but are extremely well-trained in healthy, normal, low-risk pregnancies and birth. Though they may not be able to treat serious complications, they are diligent at screening for any and all issues that may arise and they follow specific protocol for when to refer a client’s care to an OB if necessary.
Therefore, if you are someone who is in good health and you view birth as a normal, physiological process that women have been navigating for centuries, you can be confident that you will be well taken care of by a midwife both in and out of a hospital.
In fact, in many developed countries outside of the U.S., midwives attend the majority of births and their birth outcomes are far better than we see here.
On the other hand, if you are high risk or issues arise during your pregnancy, you will likely be cared for best by an OB in a hospital.
COST
Another factor to consider when choosing a birthplace is the financial cost. If at all possible, money should never be the main reason you choose to birth at a specific location. It is, nevertheless, important to consider.
In general, a home birth is your least expensive option, followed by a birth center birth. A midwife-attended hospital birth will be considerably more expensive and a birth with an OB costs the most.
HOWEVER, you must factor in your health insurance when counting costs. Some insurance companies do not cover home births or birth centers which means you might pay the least out of pocket if you give birth at a hospital.
Other health-sharing ministries cover home births, birth centers, and midwives at a higher percentage because they bring the overall cost of health care down.
Every insurance company and plan is different, so be sure to thoroughly consider your options as you choose where to give birth.
LEAP FROG DATA
The Leap Frog Group is a wonderful resource to use when deciding on a birthplace because it has great data regarding a hospital’s cesarean and episiotomy ratings. Currently, in the United States, 30% of births are cesarean births. And while we can be really thankful we have that tool, the WHO suggests that we achieve best infant and maternal outcomes when the cesarean rate hangs around 10-15%.
The Leap Frog Group has issued a standard that only 23.6% of first-time mothers, delivering a single head-down baby at full term are best served by a cesarean delivery. The remaining 76.4% would benefit most from a vaginal delivery. It’s important to realize that the cesarean rates reported do not include breech, multiple, or VBAC deliveries so the actual cesarean rate is still going to be higher.
The Leapfrog Standard for episiotomies (a perineal incision during birth) is less than 5%.
The difference in Cesarean and episiotomy ratings are not purely by chance and it’s critical that we realize that when considering our birth options. Simply by walking into a certain hospital, you may be raising your cesarean risk by 5-10% compared to the hospital down the road. And when compared with an out-of-hospital birth, your cesarean risk may be 3-4 times higher.
Therefore, this is an amazing tool when evaluating your options for birth. Additionally, you may ask a provider’s personal cesarean rate as you interview different candidates to catch your baby. You have the right to ask and they certainly have access to the information. This is a wonderful way to plan for the birth experience you’re hoping for.
LOCAL OPTIONS
So now that you have an idea of what you might be leaning towards, let’s go a bit more in-depth about your specific options in the area. In Elkhart County, Indiana, we are fortunate to have two hospitals, one birth center, and several home birth midwives.
Of course, looking just outside of the county presents you with even more options (check my resources page for more) and I will briefly dive into those as well.
ELKHART GENERAL HOSPITAL
The Elkhart General Center for Women and Children is a Baby Friendly Hospital meaning that it values bonding and breastfeeding and follows specific protocol to support those processes. This includes allowing babies to room in with their parents 24-7 and constant support from lactation consultants. Furthermore, nurses will never give a breastfed baby pacifiers or formula without the parent’s consent.
Elkhart General Hospital’s facility is also equipped with an in-depth security system to keep your baby safe and a level 2-B NICU should you need it.
According to the Leap Frog Group, 17.5% of first time, low-risk, full term mothers will have their babies via cesarean section at Elkhart General Hospital putting them well below the natural target (23.6%). Additionally, 1.7% of moms receive an episiotomy here which is much better than the national target of 5%.
There are several different obstetricians who attend births at this hospital and the Beacon Medical Group OB/GYN employs a couple of midwives who manage births there as well. As far as pain relief options go, every labor and delivery room is equipped with a shower and most of them have tubs as well for labor, though water birth is not an option.
Of course, narcotics, epidurals, and even low-dose epidurals are available as well.
GOSHEN HEALTH HOSPITAL
The Circle of Caring Birthplace at Goshen Health Hospital is also a recognized Baby-Friendly hospital that values the family unit and moms are given ample resources to support breastfeeding.
They are also armed with a security system to make sure you and your baby are never separated.
This hospital did not report its cesarean or episiotomy rate to the Leap Frog Group and there are currently no midwives practicing here.
The Circle of Caring Birthplace has one inflatable tub that can be set up in a women’s suite on a first come first serve basis for use during active labor. However, water birth is not an option in these tubs.
CURRENTLY CLOSED — GOSHEN BIRTH CENTER
The Goshen Birth Center is closed.
Formerly, it was a beautiful, out-of-hospital option for local women seeking a natural birth. Equipped with 3 birthing rooms and comfortable queen beds, the Goshen Birth Center was designed to feel like home.
Big, jetted tubs allow for water births and provide much needed relaxation before and after birth.
Why still include it on this page, you may ask? Because The Goshen Birth Center was a wonderful place to give birth and though it is painful that we no longer have access to it, I hope that as a community we can move to have something like this again. I simply want us to remember that we used to have this beautiful space available for the women of our community so that someday, when the resources align, we can put something like it back in place.
BLESSED BEGINNINGS CARE CENTER
Located in Nappanee, Blessed Beginnings Care Center is another out-of-hospital option for women. They have 7 rooms equipped with a queen bed, a shower, and a jetted tub in each room. Additionally, they have one room with a whirlpool tub for water birth.
Clients have access to Nubane and anti-nausea medication to help ease pain, if needed, and they are now offering Nitrous Oxide as well. Nitrous-Oxide is a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen that helps a woman relax. She places a mask on her face at the beginning of a contraction and by the time she reaches the peak of the contraction, she is much more relaxed. She still feels everything, but it helps take the edge off. At the end of the contraction, she drops the mask and breathes normal air. She feels normal once again, making this a wonderful short-term tool to get through the hardest parts of labor. Nitrous Oxide does not affect the baby.
Certified Nurse-Midwifes with their own individual practices attend births here. Usually these midwives do not have hospital privileges so, in the event of a transfer, a hospital doctor takes over the care and the midwife becomes part of the support team.
Clients are allowed to stay at Blessed Beginnings for up to 72 hours.
My resource page has a few different midwives who attend births at Blessed Beginnings. Call 574-773-7755 for a current list of all the midwives and schedule your prenatal care.
HOME
Many of the same midwives who attend births at Blessed Beginnings also attend home births. Birth tubs are available to rent if needed and the midwife brings all necessary equipment for a safe birth. Because birth happens in the mother’s home, the environment is set up exactly like she wants it and she never has to worry about accidentally forgetting to bring certain items since they are already there.
Immediately after the birth, the new family can settle in with their sweet addition. Usually the midwife does home visits after the birth as well.
If you’re interested in a homebirth, visit my resource page for a list of current homebirth midwives.
JUST OUTSIDE OF ELKHART COUNTY
If you haven’t found the perfect birth location in any of the above, there are still some wonderful options for you. Remember that proximity isn’t everything; it can absolutely be worth the drive to birth where you feel most comfortable.
HOLY FAMILY BIRTH CENTER
The Holy Family Birth Center in Fort Wayne is an excellent option for those looking for an out-of-hospital birth place that is still very close to a hospital. In fact, if needed, the hospital is within walking distance. It’s a beautiful space with 3 large, private birthing suites, big showers, and cozy tubs to birth in. The midwives at Fertility and Midwifery Care Center attend births here and you will also have an OB on call, if needed.
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
The Memorial Childbirth Center in South Bend, IN is part of the Baby-Friendly Initiative and is fully equipped to treat some of the most high-risk patients and deliveries. They reported their cesarean rate as 21.7% and their episiotomy rate is 1.1%. The hospital is equipped with whirlpool tubs for labor and excellent midwifery care is found at Beacon Medical Group Midwifery Centered Care.
ST JOSEPH MISHAWAKA MEDICAL CENTER
The Family Birthplace at the Mishawaka Medical Center is equipped with 9 labor and delivery rooms and a Level III NICU. Their reported cesarean rate is 19.1% and their episiotomy rate is 9.0%. The midwives at St. Joe OB/GYN Specialists & Midwifery attend births here.
KOSCIUSKO COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
The Birthplace at Kosciusko Community Hospital is a newly renovated space complete with 4 labor and delivery rooms and a labor tub. Corrine Stokes is a midwife catching babies here. The hospital reported their cesarean rate at 12.6% and their episiotomy rate is 6.5%.
SO THERE YA HAVE IT
Just to reiterate the most important point in this post, choosing a birth place is about your COMFORT. It’s less about proximity and price and more about understanding how different birth can look in different places. Where you birth matters. Who you hire to catch your baby matters. And your emotions and perception surrounding your birth experience really, truly matter.
As always, feel free to reach out if you have more questions about birth places or providers in the area. I am happy to be a support for you and I would love to help you find the birth place that is right for you. And if you haven’t already, check out my resource page for all things pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, postpartum, and fertility related.
Elkhart County (and just outside of it) is truly equipped with multiple options for new, local families. This allows for most pregnant women to find the perfect fit for them and I’m so thankful for that!
