Agencies
Services
Birth Centers
Birth centers are designated sites, other than a hospital or the pregnant person’s usual place of residence, in which births are planned to occur following a normal, uncomplicated, and low-risk pregnancy. Birth centers are dedicated to serving the childbirth-related needs of pregnant persons and their newborns and have no more than 10 beds. Birth centers offer prenatal care and community education services and coordinate these services with other health care services available in the community. Birth centers do not provide general anesthesia or surgery (except as allowed per Sections 264.1800(h) and (i). (Section 5 of the Act).
Medical Patient Rights of Women (Pregnancy and Childbirth)
Under Public Act 101-0445, effective January 1, 2020, the Medical Patient Rights Act was amended by requiring information about rights with regard to pregnancy and childbirth to be posted on this website.
In general, with regard to pregnancy and childbirth, every person has the right to:
- Receive health care before, during, and after pregnancy and childbirth
- Receive care and their infant’s care that is consistent with generally accepted medical standards
- Choose a certified nurse midwife or physician as their maternity care professional
- Choose their birth setting from the full range of birthing options available in their community
- Leave their maternity care professional and select another if they becomes dissatisfied with their care
- Receive information about the names of those health care professionals involved in their care
- Privacy and confidentiality of records
- Receive information concerning her condition and proposed treatment
- accept or refuse any treatment
- Be informed if their caregivers wish to enroll them or their infant in a research study
- Access their medical records
- Receive information in a language in which they can communicate
- Receive emotional and physical support during labor and birth
- Freedom of movement during labor and to give birth in the position of their choice
- Contact with their newborn
- Receive information about breastfeeding
- Decide collaboratively with caregivers when they and the baby will leave the birth site for home
- Be treated with respect at all times before, during, and after pregnancy by their health care professionals
- Examine and receive a reasonable explanation of their total bill for services
The exact language regarding a person’s rights to pregnancy and childbirth can be found under Medical Patient Rights of Women under Laws & Rules.