A birth center is an alternative to a hospital where you can have your baby if you are a low-risk patient. So some birth centers are free-standing, meaning they're not within a hospital setting, and some are inside a hospital. But they're usually staffed by certified nurse midwives and some doctors as well, and they usually provide more low technology care, meaning occasionally they have the option of IV pain relief but usually not epidurals or other anesthesia. So they're more set up for women who want to experience natural child birth. When you walk into a birth center, the environment is usually very homely; it almost feels like a bed and breakfast. You don't really see the equipment in the same way, and the environment is very inviting. And it almost feels like you're in your own house.