Let’s talk about your options for birthing centers in Miami & South Florida. As a maternity photographer I work with a lot of clients who prefer the alternative birthing center experience. I myself have had 3 children via C-sections at the hospital due to pregnancy complications so this is a new topic for me. So I dug in to research and get referrals from local Miami, Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale area moms. I’ve narrowed down their recommendations to the top 5 Miami birthing centers that you should check out. Before we get started though let’s learn a little bit more about birthing centers.
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What is a Birthing Center?
Birthing centers are a great in between option for those not interested in a home birth but want a more comfortable environment than a hospital.
According to Wikipedia – “A birthing center is a healthcare facility, staffed by nurse midwives, midwives and/or obstetricians, for mothers in labor, who may be assisted by doulas and coaches. The midwives monitor the labor, and well-being of the mother and fetus during birth. Doulas can assist the midwives and make the birth easier.”
I think WhattoExpect.com sums it up nicely as “A birth center is a homey, low-tech birthing option for moms-to-be who desire a natural childbirth experience.”
“Free-standing birth centers are a great option for women who do not want to give birth in either a hospital or their home but who seek a natural childbirth and care provided by a midwife. Birth centers are also a middle ground between home and hospital for women desiring a birth with limited intervention.” Magnolia Birth House
Are Miami Birthing Centers Better Than Hospitals?
For low risk patients birthing centers Miami or South Florida can be the perfect alternative to a typical hospital environment. There is a decreased risk of cesarean section and typically patients are able to go home in less than 24 hours after a vaginal birth. They can also have lower birth expenses vs traditional hospitals.
Birthing Centers are great places to think about if you’d like to try hydrotherapy, breathing exercises, massage or acupuncture as alternative pain relief options. Plus when it comes to the rooms think more hotel or homey depending on where you go than traditional hospital.
If you are looking for an all in one place that supports you before and after your delivery a birthing center in Miami might be exactly what you need. Many centers offer: counseling before getting pregnant, well woman exams, typical prenatal care, classes to learn more about breastfeeding, childbirth preparation, postpartum support and after baby birth control.
So let’s look at these top 5 recommended birthing centers by local Miami, Fort Lauderdale and South Florida moms.
Top 5 Recommended Birthing Centers in Miami
Holistic South Birth Center
Holistic South Birth Center was the top recommended birthing center in Miami by the moms I surveyed. This facility is located at 9275 SW 152nd Street, Miami, Florida 33157 and offers prenatal care, labor doula care and postpartum care. They are the only South Florida Birth Center located directly across the street from a hospital. This can be reassuring for those that want a birthing center experience but find peace in knowing that if something were to go wrong medical assistance is 2 min away.
Their website is chock full of information about the facility, classes and programs available to new parents to be.
Magnolia Birth House
With 85 reviews on Google and a 4.5 star rating it’s no surprise that Magnolia Birth House was the 2nd most recommended birthing center. According to their website “Magnolia Birth House is the first and only community-founded natural birthing center women’s health organization in South Florida.” They are located at 16821 N.E. 6th Ave. North Miami Beach FL 33162 and offer a beautiful but homey facility.
Their sister company The Gathering Place center offers birth and post partum doula services, classes and support groups specifically designed for growing families.
Miami Maternity Center
Many moms described their experience at Miami Maternity Center as “amazing”. According to their website “Whether you’re looking for the friendliest staff, the best maternity care, a waterbirth, or just the healthiest setting to bring your new little one into the world, the Miami Maternity Center will exceed your expectations.” They are located at 140 NE 119th St, Miami, FL 33161 and offer a comfortable homelike setting where the staff are attentive experienced professionals.
Natural BirthWorks
Natural BirthWorks was created by two midwives Sandy & Galena who “had a strong desire for a more natural and holistic approach to their health and lifestyle.” Their clients refer to them as superheroes in reviews because of the amazing care they give. They offer a natural birth experience along with a natural birth community. Natural BirthWorks is located at 513 Melaleuca Dr, Margate, FL 33063 and is described as a sanctuary.
Hollywood Birth Center
Rounding out the best birthing centers in the Miami area is Hollywood Birth Center. According to their website “At Hollywood Birth Center we honor every mother and nurture every baby. We believe that every person should have the choice of where, how and with whom to birth their baby, within a safe environment. Our philosophy of care is based on fact that pregnancy and birth are a normal life process.” They are located at 2316 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, FL 33020 and offer luxurious birth suites equipped with full-size bed and roomy soak-in tubs to labor and/or birth in.
If you are on the fence about a hospital birth with COVID still being an issue Hollywood Birth Center has expanded their policy on late transfers for low risk births patients. Give them a call to learn more.
After chatting with local moms and checking out the Google reviews for each of the facilities listed above I’d feel comfortable making an appointment with any of them to learn more.
We recently moved to Virginia and I’m now offering lifestyle newborn photography in the Charlottesville and Richmond areas. If you know someone giving birth up there I’d love it if you shared this post, 5 Amazing Options for a Birth Center in Charlottesville, Va!
Melissa Arlena is an award winning lifestyle newborn photographer in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia who has earned her Master Photographer Certification from NAPCP in maternity, newborn and family photography. Her natural and simple work has been featured in magazines and online blogs worldwide. She has been named Best Maternity and Newborn Photographer in Richmond and Charlottesville, VA in 2024.
