Home birth & hospital birth
In the Netherlands, women with an uncomplicated pregnancy may choose where and how to give birth. As mentioned above, this can be at home, in a birthing centre or the hospital. We will assist you and arrange everything for you concerning the birth. In the uneventful case of a complication we will refer you to a gynecologist. If you would like to deliver in a hospital by choice (poliklinische bevalling), you don’t need make any arrangements in advance. When the delivery has started we will organise everything for you and guide you through it. Many people think hospital births are safer because doctors and medical equipment are nearby. However, we use the exact same medical equipment at home as in the hospital.
Home birth
If you choose a home birth, we will attend your birth, aided by a maternity assistant. We will bring our own equipment, which always includes a neonatal resuscitation set and oxygen, iv-drip, suturing set and other necessities. Research has shown women labor more easily at home due to the fact that less stress hormones are produced in an intimate, quiet environment. Moreover, home births have shown to increase maternal satisfaction. In the comforts of your home surroundings, it is easier to relax, and you are free to move around according to your own wishes.
Bevalcentrum West
Sometimes you cannot or do not want to give birth at home. Your house may not be suitable due to renovation. Or you might have the feeling you can better relax in the proximity a hospital. In this case you can choose to go to Bevalcentrum West which has a more homely feeling. There are 4 rooms, of which 2 have a big birth pool. They offer the same freedom and comfort of a home birth, while ensuring that total medical support is standing by just a few steps away. All facilities are designed to emphasize the normality of birth. BCW provides gas & air.
Poliklinisch (hospital birth by choice)
When you would like to give birth in hospital by choice (without a medical reason) it’s called a “poliklinische bevalling”. You will have to pay the hospital around €380. Some health insurances will cover this expense. Your birth will still be attended by one of us and an (obstetric) nurse who is employed by the hospital. Usually, and contrary to other countries, women will leave the hospital a couple of hours after birth.
(Medical) hospital birth
Women who have an increased obstetrical risk will give birth in hospital (without extra costs). A clinical midwife or an obstetrician in training will attend to you during labour and birth. They will call upon an obstetrician if a serious complication arises. After birth, when you are back home again, we will step in and take care of you and your baby together with the kraamzorg (maternity nurse).
Always 1 to 1 care during birth
At Verloskundigen 101 you can choose that we continue to guide your delivery if a medical indication arises (i.e. pain relief, prolonged labour or induction). The hospital staff will take over the medical responsibility but we remain as a coach to ensure that you feel continuously supported by a familiar face during delivery: 101+ care.
An advantage of this is the guarantee of a continuous support of labour by your midwife, regardless of how your delivery will last. This gives you more peace and confidence, so that you often look back more positively and experience more control over your delivery.
Continuous support of labour
During pregnancy we start to build a relationship of trust. During labour and birth, coaching and guidance takes on more meaning. We see it as our task to help you in every way to feel completely supported and guided throughout labour and birth. We emphasize on shared decision making. There are many choices to make during labour. For example the choice of birthplace, or whether or not to break the membranes and having an internal examination. We enjoy to guide you in how to cope with labour pain and pain relief. With 101+ care, one of us will guide you through the entire labour and birth, from the moment you need us until the birth of the baby and placenta.