How do birth settings differ?

Places where women give birth can vary in important ways:

• Their culture about the birthing process (also called “philosophy of birth”). (For example, do they view the childbirth process as heavily dependent on technology or on healthy body processes?)
• Style of practice, such as how much time care providers spend with you, how much information you receive, your involvement in decision-making, and the types of interventions (like cesarean birth) that care providers might use and how quick they are to use them.
• The number and type of care providers who practice within the setting and patients’ access to specialized care.