Home or hospital
Do you want to go deliver your baby at home or in hospital? Our midwives discuss this with you and your partner.
Home
A home delivery has the advantage that you are in your own familiar environment. Once the childbirth has begun, please contact us. Our midwives will usually come by your home a few times before labor has advanced to the stage that your baby is expected within a few hours. Then we will decide to stay to guide you through delivery.
The person providing maternity care is called and we make sure all the required items are ready. It is important that you make the necessary preparations and all the necessary items must be present. After delivery, the maternity care provider ensures that everything is cleaned up, washed and your baby is taken care of. Together with your partner, you can rest.
Hospital (outpatient)
The delivery takes place in the hospital with a stay of up to 24 hours. The outpatient delivery is technically a home delivery, just at the hospital. If there are no medical indications, we can guide the delivery: our midwives decide independently if the care needs to be transferred to a gynecologist. Safety of mother and child is paramount to our obstetricians. In case of (expected) complications, we refer you to the gynecologist or pediatrician.
For an outpatient delivery, a personal contribution is required by your health insurance, please inform with them.
If you have contacted one of us, we will first come by at home. Generally, you will go into hospital at five centimeters dilation. The first part of deliver will happen at home, and at that point you’re still mobile enough to go to the hospital with your own transport. Cervical dilation happens more easily at home, in a relaxed atmosphere. We might meet with you at home again before going to the hospital.
Perhaps needless to mention, but home delivery is definitely as safe as a hospital delivery. According to some studies, even safer. There is less chance of unnecessary surgery and a lower chance of (hospital) infections. Most important is that you (and your partner) feel good about where you are delivering.