2022 Year in Review
Our first full year has closed, and we are so thankful to have worked with so many incredible families! We know folks are curious, so we put together some statistics from the 2022 year. Please take a look, and celebrate with us!
73 babies were born at the Birth Center of Chicago in 2022!
Birth Centers have a history of low transfer rates, and we are happy to follow the industry standard. What is most important to us is that folks had the care they needed, and we could offer safe options for all who needed it either inside our building or through our hospital transfer partner, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
When thinking about a birth center birth, our large full-body emersion tubs are a part of many families' plans - especially after they take a tour and see them in real life! 47.95 % of the babies born last year were born in water!
This was a surprise to us - that 60% of our births were first-time birth givers! Helping low-risk birth givers learn about other safe options is one of our overall goals as a Birth Center. To see that message was received and that people felt prepared to experience birth in our setting as first-time parents is a trust we don't take lightly. Thank you to everyone who helped share about us with their friends and pregnant clients! We are also thrilled to have some siblings be a part of their family birth stories!
At what point in pregnancy did our clients give birth? Babies come when babies come, and for the majority of our clients, that was after their due date!
We have two birth suites here at the Birth Center of Chicago, and clients can choose if both are open. This year, the North Suite was the overall preferred birth room. Was it the dreamy windows with calm night-time light? Was it the space afforded for movement and varied positions? We know there isn't a wrong choice, and we do our best to have the coziest spaces to welcome your baby!
When thinking about the tools available to folks who want a community birth, we are so thrilled to offer Nitrous Oxide as a way to help cope with labor pain. This breathable gas is a mix of 50% oxigen and 50% nitrous oxide. Nitrous Oxide Pain relief was used by 28.5% of our labor clients.
Here is a fun one for you - the most common zodiac sign was Libra! Libras are born between September 23rd - October 23rd, and are known for being, “well-balanced.” We love all the babies that come through our center, and each has so many wonderful things to look forward to!
We're really big on snacks here at Birth Center of Chicago. And if you didn't know, we don't have restrictions on eating and drinking in labor! We had some folks bring wonderful totes of food to nibble on and devour after birth. But for most people, foods that are easy to get down in between contractions were the go-to energy source.
Doulas, doulas, doulas, doulas, DOULAS! You get a doula! You get a doula! We can’t say it loud enough, doulas are amazing! We talk about doula support throughout pregnancy, and especially for first time birthing people, the added support can make all the difference! We had 31 different doulas attend 49 clients this year, we hope for even more this next year! Thank you doulas for all the work, passion, and time you spend with our clients. You are so appreciated!
Come see the birth center if you haven’t yet. We offer free tours regularly and want everyone to learn more about community birth options! Our classes are open to everyone looking for information on unmedicated labor, newborn care, and lactation, and our schedules are updated regularly. If you are curious, you can sign up for a tour here!
Last and certainly not least, we all worked together to give more than 35,000 diapers to Chicago Families through Share Our Spare. We are gearing up for our annual April Diaper Drive and will be sure to keep you posted. Year-round we also are happy to take open packages of diapers your little people may grow out of. So don’t throw away your unused diapers!
