Birthplace decisions Information for pregnant women and partners on planning where to give birth

What is this guide for?

You have the right to decide where to give birth. The birth setting you choose should feel like the safest place for you.

This leaflet will help you plan where to give birth. You can use the leaflet to support discussions with your midwife or obstetrician and your partner or support person.

This leaflet:

• describes where and how maternity services in Scotland can provide labour and birth care.
• highlights what is important to think about when making this decision and having discussions with your clinician.
• provides information and data, including birth outcomes and complications in different birth settings, and explains how to request your local data.
• provides information about why a certain birth setting may be advised by your clinician and what information you may want to consider before deciding where to give birth.

In this leaflet the term ‘clinician’ is used to mean your midwife, and if you have one, your obstetrician. It may also include other members of your maternity care team.

The terms woman and women have been used throughout this document as this is the way that the majority of those who are pregnant and having a baby will identify. For the purpose of this document, this term includes girls. It also includes people whose gender identity does not correspond with their birth sex or who may have a non-binary identity.

All healthcare services should be respectful and responsive to individual needs, and you should be asked how you wish to be addressed throughout your care.^[1]

There are weblinks to further information in this leaflet. If you are unable to access the links, please let your clinician know so they can print out the information for you.