Birth Center Safety & Facts

The Ease Of Necessary Transfers

When Is A Transfer Needed?

Occasionally a mother may need to be transferred to another care provider due to a change in her medical status. Those changes may include the onset of:

• Gestational diabetes

• Pre-eclampsia

• Twin Gestation

• Breech Presentation

We understand how difficult it is for a client who planned to have her baby here to have to change her thinking and get to know a new caregiver. We help make that transition of care as easy as possible, and can recommend midwives/obstetricians who would continue to support a natural birth while also giving that mother and baby the medical care they require.

Where Would I Go For A Transfer?

If a client requests or needs to transfer to the hospital during labor, we transfer clients to Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater. It is just a 10-minute car ride from the birth center. Breath of Life has a strong relationship with the physicians and nurses there, and because they are a baby-friendly hospital, they have some birth philosophies that are similar to ours. The physicians and nurses respect that the mother still wants as natural a birth as possible, so they use minimal interventions that help mom balance the changes in her birth preferences.

How Would The Transfer Happen?

In most cases, a transfer is requested because the laboring mom has been in labor for a long time, and she’s tired and wants medical pain relief such as an epidural. In that case, a family member would drive her to the hospital, where a staff member would be waiting for her so they make her comfortable as quickly as possible.

However, if a client is transferring for an emergency, which happens infrequently, then the mother would be transferred by ambulance while being accompanied by a family member or friend.

Can My Nurse-Midwife Still Deliver My Baby?

A Breath of Life nurse-midwife may accompany a client to the hospital to ensure a smooth check-in process, but she does not have privileges at the hospital and therefore is not permitted to provide care for a client in the hospital. However, clients are welcome back at the Breath of Life for post-natal follow-up visits.