birthing center

American  

[bur-thing sen-ter] / ˈbɜr θɪŋ ˌsɛn tər /

noun

1. a medical facility for the labor and childbirth experience in a family-friendly, homelike environment.

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Etymology

Origin of birthing center

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Inpatient hospice facilities have the atmosphere of a bed-and-breakfast, or a birthing center, but for the dying.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2025

Midwife Ximena Rojas and her team of two doulas run a birthing center and offer sexual and reproductive care to migrants.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2025

Jade Godbolt, of Dallas, had her second child at a birthing center in 2021, partly to avoid hospital risks of COVID-19 and to experience a more natural environment.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022

A former labor and delivery nurse from Boston, Mitchell wants to open Birth Sanctuary Gainesville, a free-standing birthing center for those who don’t want to have their child in a hospital.

From Washington Post • Aug. 25, 2022

We met a nerve-racked Dad at the birthing center, which was nothing like a doctor’s office.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman