2023 Year In Review
Each year at Burr Ridge Birth Center we experience a special essence in our work, the clients who come through our doors, the babies and their sacred journeys earth side, the guest educators and community partners we collaborate with, and the events that bring our community together.
We are constantly amazed and humbled by the lives and stories of the people in the community we serve. Although we cherish and respect each individual and their unique experience at BRBC, we track important yearly statistics to better understand our overall impact.
Below are stats and facts we know folks are curious about and intrigue us as a staff. Please take a look, and celebrate with us!
We are proud to announce that 116 babies were born at Burr Ridge Birth Center in 2023. Our first and last babies were born 353 days apart.
We did it again! All three years BRBC has been open, we’ve welcomed more little ones in our large fully immersive bathtubs than we welcomed on land.
In 2021 our waterbirth rate was 54.55%. In 2022 our waterbirth rate was 55.96%. In 2023 our waterbirth rate was 55.17%.
Our cutest clients at the birth center never failed to ignite awe and joy in our hearts. It was an honor to witness their first breaths, the calming effects of uninterrupted skin-to-skin time, as well as capture those treasured initial weight and height measurements. Of the 116 babies birthed in our cozy birth suites, the largest was 10lbs 4oz and the smallest was 5lbs 8oz.
Parents can be eager to meet their little ones at the end of pregnancy. Clients at BRBC are able to birth their babies in our cozy birth suites between 37 weeks of pregnancy and 42 weeks of pregnancy. In 2023, 60.34% of our babies chose to be born between 39 weeks and 40 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy, 27.59% of our babies chose to be born between 41 weeks and 41 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy, 9.48% of our babies chose to be born between 38 weeks and 38 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy, and 2.59% of babies chose to be born between 37 weeks and 37 weeks and 6 days pregnancy.
Our Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) and Birth Assistants work on a rotating on-call schedule to ensure quality care to all clients during labor, birth, and postpartum. Despite the schedule being evenly distributed among our clinical staff, babies are born at their own pace and time. The CNM at the Burr Ridge Birth Center who attended the most births in 2023 was Mary Murphy, and the Birth Assistant who attended the most births was Registered Nurse Libby Berry.
At the Burr Ridge Birth Center, our clients birth on their terms. Clients follow the cues of their body and our team is there to support and encourage! Our collaborative care model, where bodily autonomy is uplifted, is supportive of the second stage of laboring (the pushing stage). This support led our clients to have zero severe tears and no episiotomies in 2023.
The above photo is courtesy of Erin Loughlin of Loughlin Birth & Family Photography.
Our birth center is partnered with UChicago Medicine Advent Health Hinsdale Hospital, just 3 miles from our location. In 2023, we had 136 clients eligible and admitted into our care during labor. Of those 136 clients eligible and admitted into our care in 2023, we had 0 urgent transfers during birth and 0 urgent newborn transfers. We had 3 urgent postpartum transfers, 4 non-urgent postpartum transfers, and 10 non-urgent newborn transfers.
The most common time for a client to transfer was during labor for non-emergent reasons. Non-emergent reasons include clients desiring an epidural for pain relief and clients desiring medication to augment labor due to arrest of labor. 20 clients were transferred in labor to Hinsdale Hospital for non-emergent reasons in 2023.
The rhythm of birth and how clients utilize comfort measures available in our birth suites is an individualized experience. Despite the distinctive elements that makes up our client’s birth experiences, there were notable patterns in 2023.
One, our clients loved the water. 93.38% utilized hydrotherapy during labor. Two, our clients loved birthing in positions that were non-weight bearing on the sacrum or the large tailbone at the base of their spines. Of those positions:
29.31% of clients birthed in the hands and knees position
11.21% of clients birthed kneeling on one knee
10.34% of clients birthed kneeling on both knees
7.76% of clients birthed standing
What 2023 statistics are most intriguing to the BRBC Team?
Whether our clients birthed at the birth center or moved onto hospital care before or during labor, overall, 93.38% had a normal spontaneous vaginal birth.
We love Doulas and we’re happy our clients do, too. 54.41% chose to hire a private doula to be a part of their birth team.
One tool we are delighted to offer clients to help cope with pain is nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. The laughing gas BRBC offers is a blend of 50% Nitrous oxide, and 50% oxygen. 30.15% of our clients utilized this comfort measure in 2023.
Families of all sizes give birth at BRBC. In 2023, we were about 1% more popular among families who already had a child than among those having their first.
The National C-Section rate according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is 25.6%. In 2023 at Burr Ridge Birth Center, six clients that began labor at BRBC had a Cesarean birth (5.15%). Seventeen clients who received prenatal care at BRBC, including clients who transferred before labor and clients admitted to the birth center in labor, had a Cesarean birth (8.90%).
We love hearing about our clients' experiences at Burr Ridge Birth Center. Check out another testimonial we shared on Instagram in 2023!
We are beyond excited to continue a legacy of empowered birth and well-body care in 2024 for folks all across the Chicagoland area. If you are considering BRBC for your birth this year, begin your journey by booking a free tour and orientation (a pre-requisite to becoming a client with us).
So much gratitude for all your support and for witnessing our continued growth in bringing high-quality empowered midwifery care to our local community!
