The first time you get to hold your baby is a magical experience. Not only have you dreamt of this moment for years, but you’ve spent the past several months feeling your baby move while you imagine all the possibilities. One of the best ways to ensure the moment lives up to your expectations is to choose a birth center that will empower you to make and follow your own birth plan. Whether you want an unmedicated delivery in a home-like atmosphere or need extra help in a comfortable space, there’s a birth center dedicated to helping you out. If you’ve been looking at the best options for your delivery, I’d love to tell you about a top Jacksonville birthing center. I’m positive you’ll be able to find a spot that matches your style perfectly! 

4 Jacksonville Birthing Centers Prioritizing Your Voice & Desired Birthing Plan

Transitions Birth Center

Transitions Birthing Center is a Jacksonville space operated by Certified Nurse Midwives and Registered Nurses. All the professionals are highly experienced and dedicated to providing you with control throughout your labor. From the beginning of your pregnancy, you’ll work with a midwife in the practice who will ensure you feel completely prepared for everything ahead. She’ll check your progress and have an open discussion where she’ll address any concerns and provide knowledgeable answers to your questions. The center provides additional childbirth education classes that will teach you about different methods for getting through labor. 

Once the contractions start, you’ll go into the center and be placed in a room where you can labor however you see fit. The center has been designed to feel like home. Two private suites have comfortable beds and plenty of space to move around. Each of the rooms has large birthing tubs for hydrotherapy. The center focuses exclusively on unmedicated births. Following your delivery, you’ll remain at the birth center for several hours to initiate breastfeeding and be positive you’re on the path to healing. Their priority is always your safety. If they have concerns throughout your labor, they’ll enact their transfer protocol so you and your baby can have a positive birth experience.

Baptist Health

For more standard birthing, Baptist Health is a fantastic Jacksonville center! The hospital has several locations throughout Florida, including right here in Jacksonville. The center provides comprehensive prenatal care and will accept all patients regardless of their risk level. Because several obstetricians deliver out of Baptist Health, you can find a provider who works for you. You’ll be able to take childbirth classes virtually and in person to feel prepared once contractions start.

The center offers an app showing you where to go once you enter labor. You’ll also be able to preregister from the app. Once you enter the birthing center, you’ll go to a private suite where a team of experts will attend you. The rooms are spacious, with sunny windows, comfortable couches, and flat-screen televisions. The center has been recognized for its excellence in anesthesia. It will provide you with options should you choose this route. The hospital has a Level IV NICU just down the hall from the birth suites. They also provide high-risk obstetrics services for every point of your pregnancy.

Ascension St. Vincent’s Southside Family Birth Place

Ascension St. Vincent’s Southside Family Birth Place is another birthing center option for Jacksonville families wanting a traditional hospital delivery. The hospital allows you to work with an obstetrician or a midwife throughout pregnancy. They also have Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists for high-risk pregnancies. You’ll have all your appointments at the center and can take childbirth courses leading up to your due date. 

The hospital makes it as easy as possible to get checked in. After you park, you’ll enter the first floor via elevator and use the telephone. This line connects directly to the nurses’ station so they know to be ready for your arrival. You’ll be placed in a private suite where you can move around during early labor. The hospital provides wireless monitoring depending on your case, giving you more freedom of motion. The hospital is baby-friendly and certified sleep-safe. They offer a Level III NICU with private rooms that allow you to stay by your baby’s side should they need to be admitted.

Fruitful Vine

Fruitful Vine is a midwife-run birth center that specializes in natural births. The practice opened in 1992 and provided families across Florida exclusively with home births. Seven years later, they decided to expand the practice and became the first freestanding birth center in Jacksonville. The center focuses on creating a personalized birth plan that puts you in control every step of the way. You’ll be paired with a knowledgeable midwife who will meet with you for all your appointments and make sure you feel equipped to have the childbirth experience that’s right for you. 

While the midwives still attend home births, they adore using their center to provide parents with a comfortable space for labor. You can choose to have your guests in the room with you, but if you’d prefer, the center does have a cozy waiting area. Your room will have a seating area, a large bed, and plenty of space to move around. At any point throughout your labor, you’ll have access to a large tub. You’ll stay at the center for a minimum of 4 hours and will have a home visit 24-48 hours following your birth.

Jacksonville Birthing Center

The birth of your baby should be an empowering experience! With these Jacksonville birthing centers, you’ll have access to a space that prioritizes your voice while letting you have a safe delivery. 

While making your birth plans, don’t forget to schedule some pictures! I’m a Jacksonville-based family photographer, and I love supporting families as they prepare to meet their little ones. As a mom myself, I know that scheduling pictures with little ones tends to be a hassle. That’s why I’m always looking at simplifying the process so you don’t have to worry about a thing.

I’ll handle wardrobe styling, hair and makeup, and ideas for displaying the finished images. If you’ve been considering booking a session to celebrate your baby, I’d love to chat to see if I’m the photographer for you. Let’s connect today!

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