BUSINESS FEATURE AustinArea Birthing Center After more than 30 years, the baby business is still growing A ustin Area Birthing Center has been in the baby business since BY MAGGIE QUINLAN
prioritized skin-to-skin contact between a baby and its mother right after birth, Evans said. During the pandemic, the center has also been able to allow more visitors than hospitals have, she said. Jean Stokes, former owner and founder of Austin ABC, started the business in North Austin. Now, a second location in south Austin employs ve certi ed nurse midwives and professional midwives, two of whom are on call. On top of the prenatal appointments, postpartum care and the 20 births per month that the center manages, the South Austin location will soon add in-house ultrasounds and at least one new employee who could specialize in massage therapy, acupuncture, lactation consultation or a combination, Taylor said. “Our clients don’t have to be like iron women,” Evans said. “They’ve made a decision that they want to have as few interventions as possible, and we’re here to support that.”
Owners Rebecca Taylor (left) and Samantha Evans (right) plan to expand services at Austin Area Birthing Center’s south location in 2022. (Photos by Maggie Quinlan/Community Impact Newspaper)
AUSTINAREA BIRTHING CENTER The center o ers women di erent options for labor, including a tub—where 1 in 5 women give birth—and a stool. 1 Tub: About 1 in 5 mothers at Austin ABC will give birth in one of its tubs, though most will spend at least some time in it, owner Samantha Evans said. 2 Shower with bench: Most mothers at Austin ABC nd the warm water relaxing during labor, Evans said. 3 Birthing tools: A birthing stool, yoga balls, ski ropes to pull on and other birthing tools can ease the process, Evans said. 4 Queen-sized bed: Most clients will spend between six and eight hours at the center after birth for recovery, Evans said. 5 Postpartum care: Midwives call new moms 24 hours after birth to check in. Follow-up appointments come after another two days as well as at two and six weeks postpartum. 6 Certi ed nurse midwifes: These are registered nurses with additional training as a midwife. Certi ed professional midwives meet education requirements set by the state and only practice outside hospitals.
spring 1987, but its newest owners, Samantha Evans and Rebecca Taylor, took the torch in 2019. They plan to build on the center’s relaxing environment by adding new services in 2022. Evans, a registered nurse and midwife, started her decade-long career at Austin ABC. “This is a place to come to feel like you’re in a home-like environment,” Evans said. “Without the bright lights and without so many people around and without equipment beeping around you—for a low-risk client and their baby, having a space where they feel safe and relaxed can make birth unfold more e ciently.” She said some di erences from a hospital birth experience include easy access to a tub, freedom to eat solid foods, encouragement to move around and
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Most mothers will use the tub at some point, midwife Samantha Evans said.
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Birthing stools can be helpful during labor, Evans said.
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Parents often sleep for six to eight hours in bed after labor, Evans said.
AustinArea Birthing Center 2500 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 503, Austin 512-243-8066 www.austinabc.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Sat.-Sun., on call for labor
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TRAVIS COUNTY WANTS TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU Travis County Purchasing Office is located at 700 Lavaca Street Suite 800 Austin, Texas 78701 Phone: 512 854-9700
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