Where To Give Birth In Brighton and Sussex
Choosing where to give birth can feel like one of the biggest decisions you make during pregnancy. You might already know exactly what you want, or you might have no idea whether a hospital, midwife-led unit or home birth would feel right for you. The good news is that there isn’t one “right” place to give birth. The best choice is the one that feels right for you, your pregnancy, your baby and the kind of birth environment you would feel most comfortable in.
If you live in Brighton, Hove or the surrounding areas of East Sussex, you have several options to consider, including hospital birth, midwife-led care and home birth. As birth doulas based in Brighton, we spend a lot of time talking to families about their birth preferences and helping them understand their options. We don’t tell you where you should give birth. Instead, we help you gather the information you need to make your own decision and feel confident about it.
Where can I give birth near Brighton?
For families living in Brighton and the surrounding area, the main options you may want to consider include:
* Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton
* Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath
* Worthing Hospital
* Eastbourne Midwifery Unit
* Crowborough Midwifery Unit
* Other maternity services in Sussex, depending on your circumstances and where you live
* Home birth through the community midwifery service
* Home birth with an independent midwife
Your own maternity team will be able to advise you about which options are available to you and whether there are any circumstances that might affect your choices.
Home birth in Brighton & East Sussex
As well as all the available hospital options, you can also decide to birth your baby in your home. For some women, home is the place where they feel safest, most relaxed and most able to surrender to the process of labour. Home birth is an option supported by community midwifery services, but depending on the reliability of services in your area, you may also consider working with an independent midwife. One of the lovely things about preparing for a home birth is that you can think about the environment in which you want to welcome your baby.
You might consider:
* lighting
* music
* temperature
* a birth pool
* where you want to labour
* who you want with you
* how your partner will be involved
* what will make you feel calm and private
* what you might want immediately after your baby is born
It is also worth remembering that planning a home birth does not mean you are committing yourself to staying at home regardless of what happens. Your midwives will monitor you and your baby and will advise you if transfer to hospital becomes necessary, and you can choose to transfer at any time if you would like to consider options that are only available in hospital (like epidural or caesarean birth. For many women, having a plan for both their preferred birth and their “if plans change” scenario makes them feel more confident. Everyone begins their birth at home if they plan to birth without induction, so it can be helpful to think of a homebirth as where you will start anyway - the only difference is you’re doing it with a midwife present instead of just your partner and doula.
How do you choose where to give birth?
Rather than starting with: “Which place has the best birth?” we suggest starting with: “What matters most to me?”
You might want to think about: How important is being close to medical facilities? Some women find the availability of obstetric and neonatal care incredibly reassuring. Others feel more comfortable in a midwife-led environment or at home. How important is the environment? Do you imagine yourself feeling comfortable in a hospital? Would you prefer somewhere quieter and more homely? Would being at home help you relax? What are your feelings about pain relief? Think about what you would ideally like to use, while remembering that your feelings may change during labour.
You might want access to:
* water
* gas and air
* other medication
* an epidural
Understanding what is available at each setting can help you make an informed choice.
How important is being able to move freely? If staying upright, mobile and active during labour is important to you, ask what facilities are available and what the usual practice is. What happens if things change? This is one of the most important questions. You can have a beautiful birth plan while also understanding that birth is unpredictable.
Ask:
“If I need additional medical care, what happens?” “How would I be transferred?” “How long would transfer usually take?” “Would my partner and doula be able to come with me?” Understanding the answers doesn’t make your birth plan less positive. It can actually make you feel more prepared.
Questions to ask your midwife
If you’re unsure about where you want to give birth, take a list of questions to your next appointment.
You could ask:
* What birth settings are available to me?
* Am I eligible for a midwife-led unit?
* How would you support me to birth at home?
* What facilities are available at my local hospital?
* Is there a birthing pool?
* What pain relief options are available?
* What happens if I want an epidural?
* What happens if I need an assisted birth?
* What happens if I need a caesarean?
* What neonatal facilities are available?
* What are the circumstances in which I might be transferred?
* Where would I be transferred to?
* Can I have my partner with me?
* Can I have my doula with me?
* When should I make my decision?
* Can I change my mind later?
And perhaps the most important question:
“Can you help me understand all of my options?”
Your maternity team should be able to help you make an informed decision about where and how you give birth.
What does a doula actually do?
If you’ve never met a doula before, it can be difficult to understand exactly where we fit into all of this. A doula isn’t a midwife. We don’t examine you, monitor your baby, diagnose medical problems or make clinical decisions. Instead, we provide continuous emotional, physical and practical support before, during and after birth. That might mean helping you prepare for birth during pregnancy, talking through your hopes and fears, helping your partner understand how they can support you, providing reassurance during labour, suggesting comfort measures and helping you feel informed when decisions arise. Most importantly, we are there to support you. Your midwife may change during a long labour. Your doctors may change. Circumstances may change. Your doula is the person who already knows you, your preferences and what matters to you. We don’t advocate for a particular type of birth. We advocate for you having the information, support and confidence to make your own choices.
Can a doula support me if I have a Caesarean?
Absolutely. Having a doula isn’t only for women planning a physiological or unmedicated birth. We support women planning Caesareans, women who have previously had a Caesarean, women planning VBACs, women having inductions, women expecting twins and women whose pregnancies require additional medical care. Sometimes having a doula becomes even more valuable when your birth doesn’t look like the birth you originally imagined. Our role is not to protect a particular birth plan. It is to help you feel supported through your birth.
What if my birth plan changes?
This is something we talk about a lot with our clients. You can prepare for the birth you’d love while also preparing emotionally for the possibility that things may unfold differently. Birth preferences are not a contract. They are a way of communicating what matters to you. Perhaps you want to labour in water but decide you want an epidural. Perhaps you plan a home birth but need to transfer to hospital. Perhaps you hope for a vaginal birth but end up needing a Caesarean. None of these things mean that you have failed. Having good support means having someone alongside you who can help you navigate those changes without losing sight of yourself in the process.
You don’t have to decide everything at once. If you’re pregnant and feeling overwhelmed by the number of choices in front of you, take a breath. You don’t have to have your entire birth figured out today. Start by finding out what is available to you. Visit the places you are considering. Talk to your midwife. Talk to other parents. Think about what makes you feel safe. And talk to people who can help you understand your options without telling you what you should choose. The more informed you feel, the more confidently you can make decisions that are right for you.
Birth support in Brighton & East Sussex
We are Lauren and Charlotte, experienced birth doulas who have recently moved from London to Brighton. After supporting more than 200 families through pregnancy, birth and early parenthood in London, we’re now bringing our experience to families across Brighton and East Sussex. We believe that birth preparation isn’t about creating the perfect birth plan. It’s about helping you understand your options, prepare emotionally and practically, and feel supported whatever your birth brings. If you’re considering doula support and would like to find out more, we’d love to hear from you.
Book a free, no-obligation chat with us →
The Brighton Doulas
Birth doula support in Brighton & East Sussex
