When Devin Petrzilka went into labor with her first baby, she didn’t expect to leave the hospital traumatized.
The baby had passed stool while still in her uterus, which led her doctors to give her Pitocin, a drug that aids labor by strengthening contractions. But what followed was a miserable, traumatic labor that left her wishing her first birthing experience had been much, much different.
When she was pregnant with her second child, she had more of a plan, and knew exactly what she didn’t want: Pitocin. But when labor began, her doctors told her she would likely need the drug again because she wasn’t contracting regularly enough.
“Which was devastating for me,” she said. “That was a big deal to me, that I wanted to avoid Pitocin at all costs.”
Her labor ended up progressing quickly enough that she was able to avoid the medicine, but regardless, she left the hospital with severe postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she largely attributes to her lack of birth satisfaction for a second time in a row.
“So with our third, I knew I wanted something different,” said Petrzilka, who lives in Hickman. “I wanted someone that would respect me as a woman and my baby — and that is what I found at the Birth Center.”
There, she felt comfortable, heard and empowered. Her birth plan had been followed precisely, and she was constantly reassured that she was capable of pushing through the pain. It felt more women-focused, too, like she mattered just as much as her baby, Petrzilka said.
Her experience at CHI Health’s Lincoln Birth Center, where women have access to certified nurse midwives, was exactly what she had been searching for following her first two deliveries. She returned for her fourth, too, and would have planned to go back if she ever found herself pregnant again.
But, now, she wouldn’t be able to, and neither will any woman in Nebraska.
In late July, CHI Health announced plans to no longer allow women to give birth at the Birth Center, which has been open since 2017, after reportedly seeing a decrease in the number of women who weren't eligible for delivery outside of the hospital. The final day of deliveries at the center will be Aug. 31.
The health system said in a statement in July that a big reason the center is closing to births is because a high percentage of women who wish to deliver there are forced to give birth at CHI Health St. Elizabeth instead due to the high-risk nature of their pregnancies.
CHI Health said it had its highest-ever number of births at the center in 2023. However, only one in five women who were under the care of a midwife — or 19% — were actually able to deliver there. So far this year, only 14% of women were able to give birth at the center. The health system did not provide exact numbers of births.
Women can continue to receive prenatal and postpartum care at the Birth Center, and midwife deliveries will still be available at St. Elizabeth. Women will also still have access to water births and other low-intervention options at the hospital.
"We know moms want access to the birth experience they desire. We are providing that in a different location at St. Elizabeth," the health system said in a statement. "We continue to be committed to providing compassionate care to moms and babies in our community. "
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But some women say it isn’t enough.
Since the decision was announced, hundreds of women in Southeast Nebraska have been lobbying against the decision by taking to social media and signing a to reinstate birthing options at the center.
As of Friday afternoon, more than 900 people, including people who had previously given birth at the center, certified nurse midwives and others who just wanted to share their support, had signed the digital petition.
When Petrzilka heard the news, she was instantly upset, she said.
“Honestly, I was pretty disgusted. That was my gut reaction, because it was like how are we going backwards? It's 2024, and we're going backwards,” she said. “So I was disgusted. I was shocked. I was sad, especially for the moms that are seven eight months pregnant, and now have had to change everything about their birth plan.”
In Nebraska, it’s illegal for certified nurse midwives to attend at-home births, which is part of why the Birth Center was such an important facet of the community for mothers, Petrzilka said. The center allowed women to access the more holistic approach midwives take to labor and delivery without having to give birth at home without a certified medical provider or have a traditional hospital birth.
Birth is life changing, she said, and the Birth Center was something of a safe haven for her after her first two traumatic deliveries. Having an empowering experience while giving birth helped her heal some of the trauma she faced.
“To have places that are also focused on the person that is giving birth, and to be able to have that be an amazing experience, sets a mom up so much better than traumatic experiences,” she said.
For Chantel Hovermale of Lincoln, the center allowed her to have a peaceful and relaxing delivery after previously giving birth to two babies at the hospital. There were no harsh lights or beeping monitors, which eased her longtime fear of hospitals, she said.
At the center, women had the opportunity to personalize their delivery experiences. They could do water births, lay in real beds, dim the lights or turn on music.
“It feels more like home,” Hovermale said.
Alison Tvrdy, who gave birth to one of her four children at the Birth Center, said she felt really sad about CHI’s decision, not only because it meant many mothers who planned to give birth there soon would be forced to change their plans last minute, but because it meant mothers would no longer have this as an option.
Having the opportunity to give birth at the center allowed mothers more power over their bodies and birth stories, and without it, women are losing some of their right to choose what they feel is the best delivery option for themselves, Tvrdy said.
“I think that women for so long have been stripped of their autonomy, especially when it comes to their body and reproductive rights,” she said. “And I think just that little bit of grace that we were getting by being able to have a baby outside of the hospital, that was a big step for us. And now it's like we're taking this giant step back, and it kind of makes you wonder how many more steps back we're going to take.”
Devin Petrzilka poses for a photo with her daughters Sage Petrzilka (left), 1, and Remi Petrzilka, 3, at their home Friday in Hickman. The mother of four is among women lobbying against the decision by CHI Health to close its Lincoln Birth Center by taking to social media and signing a to reinstate birthing options at the center.