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: --
That year, 2.1 percent of Oregon women delivered their babies at home or in a birthing center, more than double the national average.
She says that women want more birth centers, midwives, and home 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.
For years, certified nurse-midwives have been lobbying the Illinois Legislature for authority to run free-standing birth centers for low-risk births.