Childbirth
Giving birth at home
Where to give birth?
If your pregnancy is uncomplicated and you give birth between 37 and 42 weeks, in the Netherlands you can choose where you want to give birth. This is unique in the world! You can choose to give birth at home or in the hospital. It is important to give birth where you feel most comfortable, because this will speed up the course of your labor. The decision of where to give birth is not made until you are actually in labor. If health and safety for you and your child allow, you may decide where you will give birth. Sometimes there is an indication to give birth in the hospital, for example because of medication use, a complication from a previous birth or a high BMI. Depending on the indication, you will simply give birth in the hospital with one of our midwives. There are also situations where the advice is to give birth under the supervision of the hospital gynecologist. Examples are:
- Cesarean section (sectio) in your history
- High blood pressure in your current pregnancy
- Growth retardation of your baby
Need help deciding where to give birth? Discuss it with us, we are happy to help! And you only really have to choose what you want during childbirth. For us, any choice is good.
Are you considering a home birth? Read here in advance what is important to know and what you need to give birth safely at home. The choice of where to give birth is very personal. It is important that you give birth where you feel comfortable. For some, this means at home in your own familiar surroundings where you have more control. For another, this means giving birth in the hospital because it feels more comfortable.
We are always here for you
The Dutch system of highly qualified home obstetric care (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) is unique in the world and is made possible in part by our good cooperation with the maternity nurses and the hospital medical team under the responsibility of the gynecologist.
Benefits of giving birth at home
The great advantage of giving birth at home is that you are in your own environment. This gives you and your partner more control over the birth: You determine the conditions in which you want to give birth and you are in familiar surroundings (your own bathroom, toilet, bedroom, etc.). You don’t have to go anywhere after the birth and everything is cleaned up for you by the maternity nurse and the midwife.
Disadvantages of giving birth at home
A disadvantage of giving birth at home may be that you still have to go to the hospital during labor, because there is a medical reason for a delivery in the hospital under the supervision of the gynecologist. This, of course, can be a major setback. Fortunately, we are trained to foresee these complications in time and act accordingly. In principle, we always accompany you to the hospital should complications arise in order to make the transfer to the gynecologist as smooth as possible. If labor is already well advanced, we will also stay with you in the hospital until your baby is born.
This is what researchers say about it
A home birth is just as safe for the baby and/or the mother as an outpatient birth. This is according to a large survey of 500,000 Dutch women.
The person behind care
Assia
el Fakiri
obstetric - team blue - ultrasound technician - miskraambegeleiding
When can you give birth at home?
You can choose a home birth if you are at least 37 weeks pregnant and your pregnancy is without medical indication for delivery. A very large study has shown that with proper risk selection by the midwife, giving birth at home and giving birth in the hospital are just as safe. It is also very rare to have to be rushed to the hospital during labor. In addition, midwives have medical equipment on hand at home for care in unexpected situations. Therefore, giving birth at home is possible within the limits of what is medically acceptable. However, it may still be necessary to go to the hospital during or after delivery. Even if you give birth in the hospital, you will be at home for the first part of the birth and during the dilation you will go to the hospital together with the midwife. Usually this does not have to be urgent and your midwife will advise and support you in this. The choice is almost always yours, unless there really is no other way:
Going to the hospital is necessary if:
- You have an indication for care by the gynecologist during your pregnancy or delivery
- You have previously had a cesarean section
- You give birth at a gestational age of less than 37 weeks
- The baby is transverse or breech
- You want medical pain relief, such as an epidural
- Complications occur
The place of delivery is a topic of conversation every pregnancy. It is important that you give birth in a place where you feel safe and where you can get the care you need. A home birth is fully reimbursed in the basic health insurance.