Out-of-hospital birthing center to open in Twin Falls

For women who are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant, there will be another option of giving birth rather than going to the hospital soon.

New Beginnings Birth Center is based in Meridian and they plan to open in Twin Falls.

"We do full-scale maternity care, so from the time that they’re pregnant to six weeks postpartum, we can follow them," explained Beth Hartman, a certified professional licensed midwife with New Beginnings.

She said they have certified nurse midwives as well as prescribers.

"We offer everything that you can get in normal OB care, ultrasounds, anatomy scans, genetic testing," she said. "All those things that people's 'What if’s?' We can diagnose those things," she explained.

"There's a really big difference," said Julia Nelson, who used Hartman for her fourth child.

Nelson had a midwife with her in the hospital for her first child, two other children with doctors at the hospital and then Hartman.

"They just come right at the very end to catch the baby, they’re not there for the whole thing," Nelson said of doctors at the hospital.

For Nelson, who opted for a natural birth, she said she'd rather be in control.

"I think if you want to go pain medication free, you want to be in control of your positioning and what you can do," she said, as opposed to a hospital where there are rules in place.

For Chloe Morrin, who used a midwife for her second child, she felt it was more intimate and enjoyed having someone who knew her better than a doctor who didn't.

"There was nothing better than to have somebody that was on my side and what was best for me was what I was most comfortable with," Morrin said.

The same could be said for Kaila Neimeyer who used a midwife for her second child as well.

"I felt like my support was so much better and who could say they message their doctor on Facebook or have phone calls in the middle of the night when they’re unsure about what’s going on and are comfortable enough to speak specifically to their doctor at a moments notice," Neimeyer said.

Nelson said her husband was a little skeptical at first with giving birth at home.

"I think the biggest concern for my husband at first is, is it going to be safe. It made him really nervous," she said.

However, Hartman said they all know their boundaries.

"Everything is normal. Normal childbirth and when they risk out, we know what that line is and we do a really seamless transfer of care," Hartman said of taking them to the hospital if that's what it comes to.

She said the center saw a need of them coming to southern Idaho, as they already had a couple of clients from Twin Falls who were using them even two hours away.

"With Twin Falls' growth, it just makes sense to now come down here and serve the women and families," Hartman said.

They don't have a free-standing clinic just yet, she said they have a temporary home.

"We're taking possession of a home that we are going to convert at this time," she said.

They hope to have a permanent location in August.

"I would encourage people to do their own research and seek out information wherever they can," Neimeyer advised.

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