Alabama’s first birth center opening in South Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The first of its kind in Alabama is opening in the Rocket City, giving soon to be moms another option for bringing their child into the world.

For women who don’t want a traditional hospital setting, but also don’t want to give birth at home, this is the perfect place.

The owner tells WAFF since they made the announcement this week, they’ve already had over 100,000 people visit their website, and the messages of excitement are pouring in.

”I cried.” Tears of joy for a Huntsville woman, when she found out the Alabama Birth Center is opening in Huntsville.

“When I was doing research when I was pregnant I couldn’t find any midwives, so I actually delivered at a hospital with an OB,” Josie Church who moved from Nashville in 2019 said.

That was the year Alabama officially legalized midwife assisted births.

Josie Church says a traditional hospital birth was her only option at the time. but she’s planning to be one of the first moms to give birth at the new center on Bailey Creek Circle when the suites open at the end of 2022.

“I think everyone should be able to choose their birth experience and I think birth centers are a very important part of that it’s kind of somewhere between home birth and hospitals and for moms in Alabama, that wasn’t a choice until now,” Church said.

So what is giving birth with a midwife at a birth center like?

“These are going to be clients that are looking for low intervention, a more natural birth. So an unmedicated birth. We won’t offer pain medication for pain control, but we’re going to focus on other techniques to keep mom comfortable, like hydrotherapy, relaxation techniques,” Dr. Yashica Robinson said.

Dr. Yashica Robinson is the owner of Women’s Wellness Center and Alabama Birth Center. The new location in South Huntsville will be open for regular gynecological and obstetrician care, combined with birthing suites.

“There are some people that really do need that intervention, that are higher risk that may have other medical problems. But mom’s that are low risk, full-term than an environment like their home or a birthing center would be ideal,” Dr. Robinson said.

For new mom Alexis Eberhardt, a midwife birth was the right choice. She gave birth at Huntsville Hospital with the help of midwife Katrina Dial, the same midwife who will be working at the new birth center.

“Katrina actually was in my room when I was still in labor for probably over an hour. She was present, she was there, she was checking in on me, she was providing things that I needed. Hearing from my other friends who do have OBs, who are only in the room for eight minutes, five minutes, they caught the baby and then they left . They were like congratulations, here’s your kid and then they’re gone. I think it’s a great resource to have in this community,” she said.

The Women’s Wellness Center will open the new location on Bailey Circle on January 3.

Before the birthing suites open there, moms to be can still work with the midwife and have their delivery at Huntsville or Crestwood Hospital.

Dr. Robinson says she’s working with insurance companies to cover facility costs to make sure this is an affordable option for all women.

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