From 37 weeks you can give birth under the care of a midwife. We don’t mind where you chose to give birth, at home or in the hospital. Everyone is allowed and is able to deliver at home, as long as there are no complications during the pregnancy and/or delivery. In case a medical indication causes the need for a hospital birth, we will advise you to go to the hospital. Once labour sets in, it is still possible you need to be transferred to hospital to give birth under the supervision of a gynaecologist. If this is your first child, the probability of this is more than 50%. If this is not your first delivery, the percentage lies lower.
It is important to give birth wherever you and your partner feel the most comfortable, whether at home or at the hospital. Fortunately this decision does not need to be made at the beginning of your pregnancy. Even in the middle of labour, you can still change your mind. At home or in the hospital, in both cases we will guide you through the birth.
Home delivery
If you chose a home birth, it is important to check whether your home meets the safety requirements. In principle this means the chosen delivery room cannot be above the first floor. The staircase (not a spiral staircase) must be easily accessible and be equipped with a handrail. In addition there must be parking space available outside your house, in case emergency services need to attend. Also, your bodyweight can play a role in our security requirements. We have agreed with the hospitals and ambulance that a home birth is not allowed in case of a BMI of 35 or above. A BMI between 30 and 35 or weighing more than 100kg at 36 weeks of pregnancy, you will need to choose a delivery room on the ground floor.
Outpatient birth
If you chose to give birth as an outpatient (giving birth in hospital) you would then rent a hospital room so to speak. Check with your insurance company if you are fully covered for this before you arrive at the hospital. Even if you choose an hospital birth you start labour at home. We will always first come visit you at home before you go to hospital. We work with three hospitals in the area:
– Diakonessenhuis (geboortehuis Utrecht) in Utrecht
– St. Antonius Ziekenhuis in Leidsche Rijn
– Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis (WKZ) in Utrecht.
It is not possible or indeed necessary to book the hospital facilities in advance as you won’t know when you will be giving birth exactly. When you start your contractions we will call the hospital of your choice to check if there is a room available.
If your first choice is the Diakonessenhuis, you will then give birth at the Geboortehuis Utrecht. For more information visit the website of the Geboortehuis. To give birth at the Geboortehuis, you will need to be registered as a patient beforehand; you will receive a patient number when you register. The same rule applies if you want to give birth at the St. Antonius Hospital. It is possible to register online.
Virtual tour and information evening
Would you like to know more about giving birth in hospital? The St. Antonius Hospital and the Diakonessenhuis host (online) information evenings. The WKZ and the St. Antonius also have videos on their websites offering a virtual tour of the hospital.
In our own (Dutch) online information video we also discuss the (small) differences between the hospitals. Around week 30 of your pregnancy you will receive a link to this information video. Would you like to receive it sooner? Ask the assistant!
