For women who wish to give birth naturally and with maximum safety, there are currently 9 birth centers in France which are operating on an experimental basis. How does a childbirth go? Zoom on the birth centers.

Birthing centers are autonomous legal structures managed by midwives who deliver future mothers whose pregnancies they have followed. These spaces of at least 2 rooms are real houses (with living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc.). They are attached to a maternity hospital with which the birth center has signed an agreement. Direct access to the maternity ward allows rapid transfer in the event of a complication during childbirth.

Women who give birth there are not accommodated before or after childbirth. A decree (July 30, 2025) set the operating conditions for birth centers. As an experiment, 9 birth centers have been authorized to operate in France.

Women who want a childbirth more respectful of physiology and without medical intervention (epidural anesthesia, synthetic hormone infusion, etc.) may want to give birth in a birth center. They are guaranteed to be able to be transferred very quickly to the gynecology-obstetrics department of the health establishment in the event of a complication or if they wish to have an epidural because the birth center has direct access to it.

In addition, a delivery in a birthing center is the guarantee of being delivered by a midwife that we know because she has monitored the pregnancy.

Only women with a non-pathological pregnancy and no proven risk can give birth in a birth center. Thus, women presenting a pregnancy with breech presentation, a twin pregnancy, a history of cesarean section, etc. are not accepted in the birth center. Another condition for being able to give birth in a birth center is to live at a maximum of 40 minutes from the birth center.

The birth center is open on demand when a woman comes to give birth there. It is better to register in a birth center at the start of pregnancy. The maximum deadline for registration in a birth center is 28 weeks of amenorrhea (28 weeks).

The birth center is run by midwives who must be at least two in number. They offer comprehensive pregnancy care (pregnancy monitoring, childbirth, subsequent diapers).

The cost of this personalized follow-up is 500 to 650 euros, not covered by Social Security.

Parents practice what is called Unassisted Births (ANA).

It is not compulsory to give birth in the maternity ward (or even to be followed by a health professional, which is of course strongly discouraged). However, you should know that if a complication occurs during an unassisted birth at home, the parents are responsible, even if they call for help. This unassisted delivery is a high risk delivery for the baby and for the mother. It is obviously strongly discouraged by the medical profession.