A freestanding birth center is a home-like facility outside of a hospital that uses a comprehensive approach to support pregnancy and childbirth as a natural, physiologic process within a family-centered environment. Your birth plan is customized based on what you want your experience to be. Your prenatal care, educational classes, labor and childbirth, postpartum and newborn care all take place in this comfortable setting.

Birth Center of Denver is licensed as a freestanding birth center, separate from Saint Joseph Hospital but incorporated into the SCL Health system. One advantage of being a hospital-owned birth center, is that our electronic medical records are integrated into the SCL Health system. If you, or your baby, need to be transferred to Saint Joseph Hospital, all nurse-midwives, physicians and nurses have immediate access to your medical records from Birth Center of Denver. This will help alleviate stress and a disruption in care if a transfer is needed.

Additionally, even though Birth Center of Denver operates independently, it meets the standards of the American Association of Birth Centers and can refer women to physician or nurse-midwife care, or transfer to a hospital if medical needs arise. Our Certified Nurse Midwives also have privileges at Saint Joseph Hospital, so there are several options for your birth if you need to be transferred to a hospital. Your birth center nurse-midwife can follow you to the hospital when possible, or one of her midwife partners from Saint Joseph can continue your care in the hospital.

While some hospitals refer to a labor and delivery unit within their facility as a birth center, Birth Center of Denver aligns with the philosophy of providing the natural experience of childbirth in a non-clinical and more cost-effective setting.

You want the best when it comes to you and your baby during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. As Colorado’s top baby hospital, Saint Joseph Hospital takes pride in our ability to combine experience and expertise to provide a variety of complete care options. Many families want an experience outside of the hospital for a low-risk and more natural approach to childbirth, and Saint Joseph Hospital wants to meet the growing need for families who are considering a birth center option.

Saint Joseph Hospital is the first to establish a freestanding birth center outside of the hospital setting in Colorado.

The number of birth centers continues to grow nationally with more than 345 freestanding birth centers now operating in the United States. This represents growth of 76% since 2010 (www.birthcenters.org). Freestanding birth centers are gaining more momentum in direct response to women seeking a more natural approach to low-risk pregnancy and childbirth that occurs outside of a hospital.

Birth centers typically provide a high touch, low tech approach to pregnancy and childbirth. Medical interventions are used only when medically necessary. According to the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) and the National Birth Center Study II (www.birthcenters.org), “Expecting families who choose the birth center setting in the U.S. can expect high-quality, family-centered care with a Cesarean rate of approximately 6%. Less than 2% of women who choose the birth center setting will require an urgent transfer for either mother or newborn.”

Yes. National data shows freestanding birth centers typically charge up to 50% less than the charges for an uncomplicated birth in the hospital setting.

Yes. We accept most insurance plans, Kaiser, Medicaid and self-pay.

Yes. Birth Center of Denver is accredited through the American Association of Birth Center (AABC) and the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC). This designation demonstrates our accountability and commitment to providing high-quality maternity care to childbearing families, insurance companies and our community.