Maternity clinic: checklist and tips

Really a maternity hospital?

There are many criteria that speak in favor of giving birth in a maternity clinic. So before you start choosing a clinic, you should think about which place of birth is suitable for you. You can find help for the decision, as well as information on the subject of home birth, birth center and clinic, in our article “ Birthplace: clinic, birth center, home birth? “

When to choose a maternity hospital?

You should think about choosing a maternity clinic early on, because there are big differences between maternity clinics in terms of equipment and attitude. It is often advantageous to get to know your favorite maternity clinics in advance and to register with your favorite clinic. This increases the likelihood that the maternity clinic will be able to accommodate your wishes (rooming-in, family room, etc.). In principle, however, every maternity clinic has to accept you. No woman giving birth may be turned away. So you can rest easy. If necessary, you can only make a decision shortly before the birth.

How much does a birth in the maternity clinic cost?

Criteria for the maternity hospital

Is the maternity clinic easy to reach from your home?

The shorter the way, the better: You can stay at home as long as possible, because the way is not far. Especially if there were a lot of quick births in your family, a short distance plays an important role. So ask your mother and grandmother. Help can also be provided quickly in emergencies. If the way to the maternity clinic is a little longer, you should go to the maternity clinic at the first signs that indicate the birth. It is best to drive the trail to get a feel for the travel time and to understand if there may be traffic problems during the day or at night.

Does the maternity hospital have a good reputation?

On MomaSquad and many other sites on the Internet you will find reviews and testimonials about hospital births . It is best, however, to ask friends, neighbors and acquaintances who have already given birth in the maternity clinic. If you don’t have any friends or acquaintances who have given birth in this clinic, birth preparation courses can be used as an exchange.

Attend information events at maternity clinics

You should have visited the maternity clinic before giving birth, because your gut feeling is often the decisive factor as to whether you could imagine the upcoming birth in the clinic or not. All maternity clinics offer information events where you can get to know doctors, midwives and the facilities and rooms better.

Video: Finding the right maternity clinic

Setting and equipment of the maternity clinic

Ward room, single room or family room?

If you would like your partner to be able to stay with you in the maternity clinic for the first few days, you should clarify this with the clinic beforehand. It should also be clear whether the baby can stay in your room (which is actually the case in all clinics by now). If you would like a single room or a family room, you should inform the maternity clinic in advance when registering. Look at the rooms. Do you like the atmosphere? Then you will definitely feel comfortable there after the birth.

Attitude to PDA, painkillers and Co.

You can find out more about the hospital’s attitude towards painkillers, obstetrics, labour-inducing measures and alternative healing methods at the clinic’s information events, but also in conversations with midwives, friends and acquaintances. Finding a hospital that supports your vision of childbirth is important.

What equipment do the delivery rooms have?

If you would like a birthing pool, a birthing stool, climbing walls, hanging ropes or other equipment, you should pay attention to this when viewing the premises.

What care in an emergency?

If an emergency occurs during the birth – which is statistically very rare – every minute can count. It is therefore important for some parents-to-be that a pediatrician or neonatal intensive care unit is attached to the clinic or can be reached in a very short time. If an operation is necessary, it is also good to have an anesthetist in the house. Unfortunately, this emergency care is available in only a few clinics. So you have to carefully weigh up the other criteria and your need for security.

Maternity hospital statistics?

How many pregnant women give birth in the maternity hospital each year?

Does a high number calm you down because you can then be sure that the clinic has sufficient experience? Or would you prefer a smaller number so that you can be sure that you don’t get lost in the crowd later on?

How often does the clinic perform caesarean sections per year?

Here, too, the question arises to what extent it is relevant for you: if you are considering a caesarean section , a maternity clinic with a high number of caesarean sections is certainly a reassurance, as it has enough experience. If a caesarean section is not an option for you, the rate of emergency caesarean sections can be interesting information. According to a MomaSquad survey of 3,500 mothers, about 22 percent of all births involve an emergency C-section. In this maternity clinic, does one quickly resort to a caesarean section in the event of complications? Or do you support a natural birth as much as possible?

Does the maternity clinic have experience with outpatient births?

If you wish to have an outpatient birth, you should ask the maternity clinic beforehand whether they support this.

What is the episiotomy rate?

Modern maternity clinics nowadays try to avoid an episiotomy . Because a perineal tear usually heals better than a cut. If there is a noticeable number of episiotomy in a clinic, this indicates an outdated attitude to the subject. It definitely needs an explanation. According to our MomaSquad survey, about 27 percent of all births still involve episiotomy.

You should ask yourself all these questions, weigh up their importance and, if necessary, discuss them with your partner. If you can’t decide between two or three maternity clinics, you should always listen to your gut feeling, because the most important thing is that you feel comfortable. You can also find more information in our special “ Birth preparation ”.