Austin Area Birthing Center

My wife and I wanted to have an all natural childbirth, with no drugs or any medical interventions of any kind. At 36 weeks we had to a cephalic version done to turn my daughter around (she was breech). A Dr. Mirto did the version. By the way, she seems to be a very understanding and great Doctor.

While we did have to call on some medical interventions to help my wife make it through the event, we still were able to have our daughter berthed at the Austin Area Birthing Center with our midwives. I am personally grateful that the midwives have medical training and can intervene when needed. I am a nursing student and just finished L&D and Post-partum clinical rotation and I have seen the snowball effect that medical interventions can lead to, in childbirth. First the pitocin, to speed up labor; then the epidural to alleviate the unnatural pain the pitocin caused; then the oxygen for the mother because now the baby is stressed from the extreme contractions; and finally the c-section because the baby is getting too stressed. The midwives at AABC are aware of this and I believe that they would not offer interventions unless necessary to promote healthy childbirth.

Elsa went into early labor around 10 pm Monday; we went to the birthing center at 5 am Tuesday. Around midday Tuesday, the baby still had not progressed or descended even though Elsa had been dilating (she had a large amount of water in front of her head). We opted to have the midwife break her waters. This helped, but it still took many hours for her head to mold. Elsa did get one injection of Nubain (pain med) to allow her to be able to moderately rest between contractions in the early evening on Tuesday. This only lasted 3 hours, but it was enough to help her continue her long labor. During the later hours of labor the baby's head completely closed off Elsa's urethra and prevented her from voiding. We had to insert a catheter on 3 occasions to drain Elsa's bladder. Towards the end of her labor, Elsa's ketones spiked and, because she had not eaten very much (despite my efforts to feed her), her energy was waning. We decided some IV fluids were called for. This helped VERY much. Elsa's contractions increased in strength and she started to progress again. When it finally came time to push, I don't think Elsa spent more than 60 minutes pushing. She was a Champion!! I am so proud of her! She never gave up! After approximately 30 hours of labor, my wife berthed to our daughter at 3:33 am on Wednesday May 28, 2008. My daughter tipped the scales at 7 lbs 8.5 oz. She is beautiful!! We are all home recuperating from the event.

The midwife that assisted us all day Tuesday prepared me for the possibility that we may have to be transported to the hospital. It turns out that she believed that our baby's head may have been too big for Elsa's pelvis (this possibly being the reason she was originally breech). After Elsa having to have pain meds, catheters, and IV fluids I was feeling like a failure as a coach. I made the decision that I was going to make sure we did everything possible to fulfill Elsa's desire to have a hospital free birth. In the end, the interventions, Elsa's sheer determination, and the fact that the midwives never gave up on us, made it possible. Once our daughter was born, we realized why Elsa had such a hard time. She was larger than we thought and she had a really large noggin (like her father)!

My wife and I are certain that if we had gone to the hospital for this birth, the doctors would have insisted on a c-section (due to my wifes difficulties and our daughter being breech for so long), at the very least, they would have started a Pitocin drip that could easily have started the snowball effect.

The midwives at the Austin Area Birthing Center have my undying gratitude!! I would recommend them to anyone who wants a natural childbirth, with the added insurance of having medical staff on hand for the possible emergency, but does not want to be in the hospital. Thats not to say you have to have interventions. On the contrary, the midwives at the birthing center are very natural birth oriented, they never pushed any of the interventions on us, they simply gave us the options. Thankfully they just happen to know what to do if a problem arises. They are all outstanding!

One more thing to add, another writer listed her dissatisfaction about meeting a different midwife at each prenatal visit. This is intentional!! It allows the parents to meet and get to know all the midwives! They work in shifts; as a matter of fact during our 30+-hour stay, 3 different midwives attended to my wife and I. I trusted all of them equally and had the utmost faith in all of them.

If we have another baby in Texas, YOU BET YOUR SWEET PATOOTIE WE WILL RETURN TO THE AUSTIN AREA BIRTHING CENTER!!

Sincerely,
A very happy father and husband

As the owner of AABC, I want to thank all those who have written such wonderful reviews about us...it means a lot to me and to our hard working midwives.
To any clients with concerns or questions, please phone or email me at jstokes@austinabc.com and I will get back to you, asap.

Childbirth outside the hospital can be safe and joyous. AABC is part of an important movement in this society to eliminate fear and to give birth back to the family. AABC accomplishes this by stressing client education in each prenatal visit and by encouraging couples to realize their own power to create an ideal birth. AABC: Imagine a Beautiful Birth.

I really wanted to like the birthing center and so I gave them a shot. What I found out is similar to what others have stated. The owner, Jean, is crazy. She talks down to you and acts like you don't know anything. She even acted fake with the staff, with a fake smile. We could tell all she wanted from us was our money. It seems that the staff is over worked. I saw a different midwife at almost every visit. My husband and I are very intelligent people and didn't appreciate any of this. I decided to do a homebirth, which was awesome!

There was one thing we really liked about the birthing center. Joan Smith, one of the midwives, was really awesome. She always made me feel comfortable. If she would have been willing to do a homebirth, we would have been extremely happy.

I just had my second birthing experience at Austin Area Birthing Center and I just can't say enough about this amazing place. Not only is the physical place beautiful, warm, comfortable and inviting, but the midwives provide top-notch personal prenatal, perinatal and postnatal care. If you desire to have a natural childbirth in a warm, cozy, homey environment surrounded by loving women who encourage you to embrace the natural process of childbirth as something that we as women are created for, I encourage you to check out this wonderful place. The first time that my husband and I visited (he was a total skeptic about the whole natural childbirth process), Jean Stokes (the owner) spent over an hour and 1/2 with us answering all of our questions free of charge. My husband was sold (as was I) and we have gone on to have two amazing birth experiences at both the old and the new birthing center facility. If you are even considering having a natural, unmedicated birth, you should definitely consider checking out this amazing place

My son was born December 22, 2006 @ 5:13 am at Austin Area Birthing Center. It was the best moment of my life and I owe so much to the midwives and Owner Jean Stokes. I was sick several times throughout my pregnancy and they were always there to care for me. I had to go in many times with no appointment and even after hours. They always took such wonderful care of my baby and myself and never made me feel like they were fitting me in or rushing me out the door. Jean is a very honest and forthright person, whenever we had a question she would be detailed in answering and very animated so you never miss what she is trying to say. She is not pushy though, she gives you honest information and lets you make your own decision as long as it is safe. She was an absolute blessing to us. She even came in on Christmas Eve for our follow up visit herself, I dont know many owners who would do that! She is completely down to earth and has a great sense of humor too!I cant say enough about the midwives either if you call at 2 or even 4 in the morning (which we did several times)you get a call back right away just as if you had called at 2 in the afternoon. My son was delivered by Joan Smith. She is an angel she was right by my side through it all, feeding me popsicles so I didnt get dehydrated, rubbing my back, cheering me on and all the while respecting our wishes listed in our birth plan. My son was 8 pounds at birth and now he is 4 months old and weighs 16 and pounds (all breast milk!) some of this credit goes to the birthing center, the postpartum caregivers were great with helping me to breastfeed right away and staying supportive when things got rough. I am so happy the birthing center is available to women who want a natural birth experience in a relaxed atmosphere, it may not be for everyone but I will never go anywhere else!!!!!!

I felt compelled to write a review after experiencing two amazing births at the Austin Area Birthing Center. I went into my first birth very scared and unsure as to how this whole process would unfold. Jean Stokes, a midwife and owner of the center, was the midwife on call that day and as it turned out she was the perfect person to deliver my baby. She is very confident and experienced which reassured me that I was in good hands. I was so afraid. Jean encouraged me to listen to my body and allow it to do what it by nature was mean't to do. She guided me through the process giving me suggestions while at the same time allowing me to be intuitive to what I needed. She's an amazing midwife who I am blessed to have delivered my first born. Two years later (exactly 5 weeks ago) I'm back at the same birthing center and had the honor of having Joan Smith, nurse practitioner and midwife, deliver my son...another amazing experience!! I was much more confident this time. Once again I felt like I was in good hands. Joan has years of experience catching babies! She was very nurturing and supportive through the birth. She encouraged me to listen to my body. She was extremely thorough checking my blood pressure and the baby's heartrate many times. I felt very taken care of through out my entire experience with the birthing center both times. I found the facility to be very pleasant and peaceful. It's a wonderful place to bring a baby into this world!!

When I became pregnant, I was very interested in having a natural birth as "birth" is a natural process. My husband and I had the tour of the facility and we received warm welcome by the receptionist, Tamara. Since there were several midwives, we had the opportunity to get to know each one of them for each appointment. Each midwife was very supportive and gave us the sense of security and comfort. They also educated me about the "pleasant pain" during the labor, which helped me to be mentally prepared. Whenever I had questions, they were always available to answer (24 hours and 7 days a week) and which gave me the sense of security. We always felt that we were in good hands and EVERYTHING was going to be just fine. We also felt that we always had their support in my point of view and they made sure that they were giving me options to chose from and I we were comfortable with the choice that we made.Prior to becoming pregnant, I watched many TV programs on baby delivery in a hospital, which made me feel it was more like a surgical procedure. After I pushed my baby out, my baby and I bond in a significant way. My midwife (Roswitha) immediately put my baby on my chest and the baby made his eye contact with me. The baby was also connected to me with a umbilical cord for awhile. Then Roswitha put the baby next to me and he naturally found the breast and began sucking. They didn't take my baby away and let us rest in the birthing room and we came home after 5 hours! The Founder and midwife, Jean, took care of us for the follow up appointment. She helped me with breastfeeding technique and gave me a confidence on nursing. We really miss going to our regular appointment! Thank you for the best pregnancy and natural birth experience!

My family was just blessed with our third child and we were just as pleased with Jean and her staff as we were with our two other children's births. From our first meeting with Jean Stokes (owner) six years ago we knew this was the only place for us. She birthed our first daughter and with my two following children I could hear her calm soothing voice in my head even though she wasn't present for there births. Our newest arrival is quite a healthy boy weighing in at 9-12 with a 15 in. head and Roswitha was wonderful as our midwife, just as she was as our after care nurse for our second daughters birth. All of the staff has always been extremely loving and professional at the same time. I would have been pleased with any of the midwifes for our sons birth. You combine that with the quiet serenity found throughout the center and I can't imagine a better place for the miracle of birth.

After having my daughter unmedicated in a hospital in New York State, when I moved to Austin, the first thing that I did was look for a birthing center. I visited the Austin Area Birthing Center for the first time for my annual exam (I wasn't even pregnant yet) and was very impressed with the midwives and the facility. When I found out I was pregnant, I was so excited to birth there. The prenatal care was excellent and I just loved all of the midwives. I just delivered my son yesterday and had a wonderful experience. We arrived at the birthing center at ~9pm and I was having strong but manageable contractions. I was 5cm dilated and we were given the Winston room. It was so quiet and peaceful, I distinctly remember hearing trains going by every so often, which added to my sense of calm. The midwives, Joan and Jenny, were wonderful. When Joan first saw me, she recommended walking and squatting during the contractions to get the baby into a favorable position. Then she left us alone, which was exactly what we needed. When she came back, she'd suggest another position to get the birth going quickly and comfortably. We were always moving, laying the bed, spending time in the tub, walking around the room, and I was reminded that in the hospital, it was a struggle to get the nurses to let me out of bed and I was so uncomfortable laying down. Just before midnight, my contractions became very strong and I had so much pelvic pressure, I was sure that I was in transition. I was 9 cm dilated and the bag of waters was still intact. We decided to break the bag and my son was born at 12:21. The second phase was difficult, but fast. I experienced some heavy bleeding. The midwives were so professional and attentive. I delivered the placenta shortly after the baby (~10 minutes later) and was given time to bond with my new baby. The most wonderful thing was that my son never left me. I was given almost two hours to hold and nurse him before he was weighed right next to me. We had skin to skin contact all night. At one point, due to the heavy bleeding that I experienced, my blood pressure dropped. My husband got the midwives and they again handled everything professionally and expediently. I was given an IV and within minutes, my blood pressure was recovering. We all went home around 8 hours after the birth and Jenny has called to make sure that things are OK here. I honestly feel that I could not have had a better birthing experience in any other setting and am so happy that I chose to birth at the Austin Area Birthing Center. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to experience a natural childbirth.

I just delivered my third baby with the AABC. As many third births go, mine was completely different than the other two. My first two came in four hours, this one took nearly thirty hours. The only thing that kept me mentally confident and sane was the calm and wise voices of the midwives, particularly owner Jean Stokes. I am a pro-medical individual, meaning I don't have any negative feelings about medical intervention for birth, illness, etc. But, from the moment I met Jean Stokes six years ago I felt instantly at ease, despite the fact that I knew that choosing her facility would mean no epidural. The AABC is a very conservative birthing center as far as midwives go. They will not accept high-risk patients, and they are very good about listening to a woman's instinct. They are very concerned with a mother's relationship with her caregivers. I highly recommend any pregnant woman checking them out, taking the tour, talking to Jean. We are living proof of what a tremendous blessing this center is.

I just gave birth to my first child at the Austin Area Birthing Center a few days ago. I was very pleased with the prenatal care I received during the pregnancy - it was always a pleasure to come in for the appointments and all the midwives were very professional and caring. They made the birth a truly memorable experience, one that I would gladly repeat at the birthing center if I have more chidren. Jean Stokes personally attended my delivery and she worked with me and my husband toward our goal of having a healthy and natural birth. We are very grateful to the Austin Area Birthing Center and would recommend them to expecting families.

From the prenatal exams, to labor and delivery, to the postnatal care, I felt the Austin Area Birthing Center staff and midwives were giving my baby and me the best medical care and advice possible. I was treated as individual, not just a medical chart. My labor felt particularly long (my baby was born about 10 hours after I arrived at the birthing center) and the owner, Jean, even came back to the birthing center at 9 p.m. to assist the on-call midwife. I plan to use the birthing center for my next pregnancy.

11 years ago I was expecting my first child, and was seeing an OBGYN with the intention of having a standard hospital birth. On one of my visits I expressed to my OB that I wanted to have a natural birth without the use of an epidural and my OB just smiled, patted my arm, and said "That's nice, but I will make those decisions for you." I knew at that moment that I would not be delivering my baby in a hospital. I started doing my research on midwives in Austin and thankfully came across AABC. When my husband and I first met Jean Stokes, we immediately clicked and were 100% sure that this was the way to go. I knew that I wanted to use a midwife, but not necessarily deliver at home, so I was relieved to find a birthing center that was warm and inviting with the coziness of being at home, but with the professional touch of an experienced midwife. Jean and her staff were always there to answer questions and were very encouraging throughout the whole process. Jean delivered my first son and went on to deliver my other three kids as well. My husband and I have had 4 wonderful birth experiences because of Jean's expertise. That is why I only recommend AABC.

The midwives at AABC are so caring and experienced, making for a fantastic pregnancy and birth. Roswitha and Heather, in particular, are amazing midwives and I always felt well cared for and respected. During exams, they took the time to answer all my questions. If you are looking for a more natural birth experience with as few medical interventions as possible, in a warm yet professional environment, this is the place.

Hi, I've got a baby underfoot, so not a lot of time to write this review . . . but I had a fine experience at the birthing center. Even with a somewhat problematic pregnancy! (P.I.H. with partial bedrest.) I definitely connect more with some of the midwives than others, but compared to what I hear about most OB office experiences, it's been a pleasure to be at AABC. I'm now 7 months pregnant with another baby, and chose the Birthing Center for a second time. All births are unpredictable, but I've felt at home, comfortable, and well-cared for at AABC.

My partner and I just had our first baby with the help of the Austin Area Birthing Center. We knew we wanted to experience as natural a pregnancy and birth as possible. The prenatal care with the midwives was fantastic. No excessive poking or prodding, just good advice, information and encouragement. They operated without any disrespect to hospitals or women who choose to have children by other means.

When it came time to have the baby, the midwives actively monitored both me and the baby and offered all the resources they had for me to birth the baby at their facility. When we discovered the baby had turned face-out (a difficult position to deliver), they did what they could, but when my family realized the midwives' resources would fall short of what the baby and I needed, the staff did not hesitate to expedite me to St. David's. We followed a midwife (who had no directional challenges getting there) in our own car and she stayed with my mom throughout the C-section to answer any questions she had.

As with any birth experience, the mother-to-be needs to take a certain amount of responsibility for educating herself about what tools she's willing to utilize when it comes time for labor. If you don't want to be induced (take castor oil, cohosh, etc.) or have your cervix stretched or use certain techniques they offer, you don't have to. My birth wasn't perfect, but I still trust the midwives and would recommend their services.

My first baby was born at St. Davids. It was a horrible experience that was capped off by the doctor tring to forcably pull the placenta within a few minutes of the birth ( which was excrutiatingly painful, not to mention dangerous). I was determined not to have an experience like that with my second child. The birth center made that possible. The amazing midwives and staff were always there to support me and my family. They responded immediately to our questions and concerns. Our second baby was delivered peacefully and safely in their center. I felt in control and safe throughout the entire process. It was the most amazing experience of my life. My only wish is that I would have found them for my first baby.

My experience at the birthing center has been very pleasant. The midwives are caring, nurturing, and understanding to all my feelings and needs. When I call to ask questions they are always right there. The center is personable and attentive. I would highly recommend them.

I have had two children at AABC and I am very happy and pleased with both experiences. The nurse midwives are fabulous!!!! They took the best care of me during my pregnancy as well as through the birth and follow-up care for my babies. They were very respectful, professional, knowledgeable, and they made me feel at home with each visit. My birth experience with each baby was amazing. The staff at the birth center helped me to have the birth experience I had always wanted in an environment that was comfortable and relaxing. The birthing rooms are absolutely beautiful and I felt like I was at home, only better because I had gentle, caring, encouraging, and competent midwifes by my side through the whole birth process. I could not have imagined a better pregnancy and birth experience. Additionally, we found the expenses for the birth center, from prenatal care through postnatal care, very reasonable and affordable. For the quality of care, the wonderful home-like birth environment, the reasonable fees, and the absolute top-notch midwives, I highly recommend the Austin Area Birth Center. After what I have experienced at AABC, I would not want to go anywhere else.

My wife and I delivered our first baby with the ladies at Austin Area Birthing Center. Our experience was wonderful from beginning to end. The midwives were caring in everyway especially compared to a visit we had with an OB. My wife felt in control of the birth and emotionally supported by the midwives. Roswitha, the one from Germany told her she could do it and she believed her and she did it !
There were some problems with breast feeding but they worked us in for lots of extra visits at no charge. We would definatley recommend AABC to anyone. They did an awesome job.