Many families start their first pregnancies feeling super excited but also very overwhelmed, and so they often go along with what feels “normal” because that feels easiest. This usually means having their baby in a hospital, with an obstetrician that their insurance covers. It’s culturally acceptable. It’s what people do …. right? A lot of people have never heard of midwives or thought of giving birth without an epidural and an obstetrician. In fact, I’d say the majority of new moms haven’t truly stepped into the birth and motherhood world until after their first baby is born. That first pregnancy comes with a super steep learning curve, usually accompanied by a lot of worry. People often feel like they are being pulled along by the strong currents of medicalized birth, unable to pause, breathe, or envision what they actually want.
Because of this, many women end up experiencing a very standard model of birth care. Maybe their first birth was induced, pushing them down a path of increasing interventions that felt out of their control. Maybe they left the hospital feeling unheard, like their body and voice mattered less than the hospital’s protocols. Or maybe the birth went “according to plan,” perhaps they even liked the nurses and doctors that were present, but after the fact they realized they didn’t love the hustle and bustle of the prenatal care or the hospital environment, and that the whole thing felt just too impersonal for such a personal event.
Each experience is unique, and many first births occur without much awareness or vision for something different. But there’s a common thread connecting so many stories: after the first birth, women often realize they want something different. They want to have more choices about their experience. They want their ideas and preferences to be heard. They begin to imagine a birth that feels powerful and intimate, not cold and clinical.
They want prenatal visits that aren’t brief and impersonal check ups. They want to really know and feel known by the person who will help them give birth. They begin to long for care that understands them, their fears, their preferences, their bodies, not just their numbers and risk factors. And in that shift, many families turn toward midwives and birth centers. They want someone who is an expert in birth and sees it as a super power instead of a sickness. They want to work with someone who sees them, empowers them, and trusts their capacity to birth and care for their baby afterward.
This is exactly why so many second and third time moms choose to birth here, at our birth center. They’ve decided for themselves: instead of just following the cultural habit of going to a hospital to have their baby, they want something different. They want birth care that supports their dignity, their strength, and their voice. And we love witnessing that transformation in our families.
What Often Drives the Shift
Here are a few of the reasons women often shift after their first birth:
- A feeling of disempowerment. When birth feels like something done to you rather than something you actively do, many women walk away wanting the next birth to feel different.
- Interventions that don’t feel necessary. Inductions, continuous monitoring, or mandatory steps that feel unwelcome or rushed can make people question the default path.
- Environment matters. The hospital setting, the lights, the noises, the routines, can feel invasive, especially in those early postpartum hours when connection matters most.
- Desire for relationship, not just procedure. People begin to imagine care where the midwife knows them, listens deeply, and adjusts to their individual rhythm—not the other way around.
- Trust in their body. After going through pregnancy and birth once, many women come to believe: my body is capable. They want care that affirms that trust.
What Shifts When Choosing Midwifery and Birth Center Care
When women turn to midwifery for subsequent births, some beautiful changes happen:
- Prenatal visits slow down. Instead of long wait times and short check ups, midwives offer the luxury of longer visits. You get to ask your questions – all of them. You get to speak what’s on your heart.
- Continuity of care matters. The midwife you see during pregnancy is the same person who attends your birth and supports your postpartum transition. That consistency builds trust, security and safety.
- Birth is honored as physiological. Movement, water, choice of position, silence, intimacy, all these tools are accessible and supported.
- Postpartum is held gently. You go home sooner to your own space, with follow-up care that comes to you in the hours and days after birth.
- You don’t just survive your birth, you feel seen through it! The midwife listens. They partner with you and adapt alongside you, stepping in when needed.
Some Stories from our Bellingham Families:
“My first two births were in the hospital setting, by the third baby I knew I wanted different. I wanted to push my body because I knew the process and knew I could trust myself. I also wanted to be home in my own bed a lot sooner than what the hospital allows. So I reached out to the Bellingham birth center and started receiving my prenatal care there. The team was beyond amazing with my prenatal care and delivery with both my third and fourth babies. Being able to freely move about during labor with the option to be in the water was so great! Overall the level of care and love with both of my births there were so incredible! I recommend them to everyone interested in a non-traditional hospital birth.”
- Words from Tristin Stanbro
“My second birth was at Bellingham Birth Center and it completely exceeded my expectations. Having had a traumatic hospital birth with my first, birthing at the center was exactly what I needed. The facility is clean and very cozy and the midwives are incredible. My midwives were always quick to respond, answer all of my questions, and provide the support I would have never have gotten from a hospital setting. Incredible experience 10/10 and I can’t wait to do it again!”
- Words from Heather Kreimerman
“Had amazing care and my beautiful redemption birth at the birth center. Absolutely an amazing experience with such a caring and knowledgeable team.”
- Words from Danika Troupe
Our Invitation to You
If parts of your first birth left you feeling unsettled or even if everything went “as planned,” but you’re still imagining something more personal and connected for next time, midwifery care might be exactly what you’re seeking.
You deserve care that honors your voice.
Care that listens without rushing.
Care that sees you as a whole person, not just a patient.
Care that trusts your body, your wisdom, and your unique birth story.
At Bellingham Birth Center, we believe your next birth can be different – not just medically safe, but deeply personal and powerful – a birth where you feel seen, steadied, and supported from your very first visit to those sacred early hours postpartum.
If you’re pregnant again (or planning to be soon) and wondering, “What if it could be different this time?” we invite you to reach out. We’re here to walk with you towards the birth experience you actually want. One rooted in connection, trust, and care that’s tailored to you.
You don’t have to settle for how it’s always been done. You get to choose differently. And if that leads you to our birth center, we’d be honored to be part of your next beginning.
Photos by : littleearthlingphotography.com
