0 a place where people can give birth that has medical equipment and trained helpers such as midwives, but not as much medical or surgical technology as a hospital:
For years, certified nurse-midwives have been lobbying the Illinois Legislature for authority to run free-standing birth centers for low-risk births.
We have lower incidences of induced labor and premature birth compared to the national average, but that's partly because birthing center clients must be healthy and low-risk.
She says that women want more birth centers, midwives, and home births.
That year, 2.1 percent of Oregon women delivered their babies at home or in a birthing center, more than double the national average.
