Where can you give birth in Rotterdam?
Why choosing the right location is important
Choosing a birthing location is personal. Go with your gut. One person will immediately indicate that she wants to give birth at home, the other will choose the hospital. Your choice is always good, because it is important that you and your partner feel safe and comfortable in order to relax properly. This is important for the course of childbirth. If you choose a hospital, there are several options. In this article you can compare the different locations and their advantages and disadvantages.
If you wish to give birth at home, please discuss this with us as soon as possible. We will then work with you to see if your home is suitable for a home birth. Sometimes some minor adjustments are necessary to make it possible to give birth at home, such as putting a bed in the living room if the bedroom is on the third or fourth floor.
What can you choose from?
If you give birth at the midwife's office, you can choose to give birth at home or at the birth center or hospital (also called an outpatient birth).
We cooperate a lot with the Birth Center Sophia (in the Erasmus MC building) and with the Franciscus Gasthuis. Other options are the IJsselland hospital, the Ikazia hospital or the Maasstad hospital. Because these hospitals are often further away, we do not come here as standard.
Deliveries are done at Erasmus MC, but this is not something you can choose to do yourself. Because this is an academic hospital, only the most complicated deliveries are done here. This is on referral from the obstetrician. You then always give birth with a gynecologist.
Medical indication or complication?
If you have a medical indication, you will always give birth in one of the hospitals. An example of this is if the baby has defecated in the amniotic fluid, or if you want to give birth with an epidural. For certain indications you will give birth with our supervision (this is called an outpatient birth), for other indications you will give birth under the supervision of the obstetrician of the hospital or the gynecologist (this is called an inpatient birth), for example in case of a cesarean section. If this applies to you, we will discuss this with you.
It is possible that a complication arises during childbirth, because the safety of you and your child is always paramount, the standard is to give birth in the hospital. It varies per hospital whether we, as hospital midwives, continue to supervise your birth or whether we hand over the supervision to the hospital midwife or obstetrician. We always stay with you during the entire delivery.
Is there room?
Hospitals and birthing centers have specially equipped birthing rooms. Sometimes it happens that your first choice location has no room at the time your labor has started, because all the birthing rooms are already occupied. The midwife will then call another location in consultation with you and your partner.
Maternity Hotel and Birth Center
The maternity hotel or a birth center are locations where you can stay after giving birth. You can choose this if you don't want to go home immediately after your delivery. Here you do not have to arrange your own maternity nurse and the advantage is that the maternity nurses who work here are available 24 hours a day.
This is an alternative to maternity care at home and again you have to pay a legal co-payment for this. With supplementary insurance, however, this can be reimbursed by the insurer.
Sometimes you can also combine a stay in a maternity hotel with maternity care at home. You then spend the first night(s) in a maternity hotel, after which the maternity care comes to your home.
Compare all locations and their facilities
Giving birth at home
In many countries, people are surprised to hear that you can give birth at home in the Netherlands. Yet we are proud that this is a choice we can safely offer in the Netherlands. We know that in the event of a complication, we can get to one of the nearby hospitals quickly enough.
We always do look at what your home situation is like. Can you get to the car easily if you have to? For example, if you live on the third floor, with a steep stairwell, that's not the case.
We have seen many times that the fire department had to come in to lift a woman in labor out the window. And that was usually not in the delivery plan.
If you want a bath birth, you can rent a bathtub and set it up at home. Your own shower is also often very nice during labor. If you give birth at home, the maternity nurse will come directly to you to support the midwife during labor.
Advantages:
- Your own home, the atmosphere the way you want it music, light. Nothing beats home.
- After delivery, you crawl right into your own bed with your little miracle. You don't have to go anywhere
Disadvantages:
- For pain relief, you can only use the TENS at home
- Should you want more pain relief or a complication occurs, you will still go to the hospital.
- Do you have a noisy house? If so, your neighbors may also enjoy your delivery. Maybe you don't care, but still something to think about.
Sophia Birth Center
Facilities: The birthing room is a kind of hotel room equipped to accommodate childbirth. You have a private bathroom at your disposal with shower and relaxing bathtub. If you want to give birth in a bath, a birthing bath can be put in the room. You pay a contribution for this. The room also has a skippy ball and a birthing stool. You may stay in this room for 24 hours. This means that after the birth of the baby you can get used to the new situation quietly and often spend the night. For your partner, a bed is placed in the room so that you can be together as a family.
At the Sophia birthing center there is also a maternity hotel. You can stay here up to a maximum of 5 days, these rooms are really next to the delivery rooms, so nice.
Should a complication arise during delivery, you can almost always go to Erasmus MC, which is in the same building.
Pain relief: In the Birth Center, you can choose nitrous oxide as pain relief. This form of pain relief is given by the midwife, so you will remain under the care of the midwife if you choose this option. Nitrous oxide is given for the last centimeters of dilation, because it only works for a few hours.
If nitrous oxide does not help sufficiently or if it is still too early in labor to start with nitrous oxide, you can opt for other forms of pain relief. At that point, we hand your supervision over to the gynecologist. We try this first at Erasmus MC, because it is very close to the birth rooms of the Birth Center. At Erasmus MC you can get the epidural. If they don't have a place, we will look for another hospital. In that case, you will have to move during childbirth (in principle with your own transport).
If a complication occurs (for example, if the baby has defecated in the amniotic fluid or if the dilation phase takes longer than expected), care is transferred to the gynecologist. Again, we try to get a place at Erasmus MC first.
Advantages:
- Fine facilities with relaxing bath and bed for partner
- May stay for 24 hours
- Erasmus MC hospital in the same building
- Birth center present
Disadvantages:
- Nitrous oxide only as pain relief
- Should you need other pain relief, or if a complication occurs, you will have to go to another location during delivery
Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland
The Franciscus Gasthuis and Vlietland have merged. Deliveries always take place at the location in Rotterdam, so if you give birth here you will always get an official Rotterdammertje!
Facilities: In the Franciscus Gasthuis you have your own room at your disposal with a private bathroom. This bathroom has a shower. If you want to give birth in the bath, a birthing bath can be placed in the bathroom (for a personal contribution). You can use a skippy ball and/or birthing stool. After giving birth, you will stay in the room for a few hours, until you have eaten, drunk and showered and you feel well enough to go home (until 3 hours after giving birth).
Pain relief: If you want pain relief, at Franciscus Gasthuis you can choose remifentanyl (pain pump) or the epidural. The epidural can be done fairly early in labor. The pain pump is used for the last centimeters of dilation. In both cases, the gynecologist takes over the delivery. You do stay in the same room.
If a complication occurs (for example, if the dilation or extrication phase takes longer than expected), care is also transferred to the gynecologist.
Specializations: At Franciscus Gasthuis, we as obstetricians are allowed to continue to supervise the birth if the baby has defecated in the amniotic fluid. You will receive CTG monitoring (heart monitor), but we will stay with you to guide you.
Advantages:
- If you start labor here, there is a very good chance that you will not have to move if a medical indication arises.
- Even when the baby has defecated in the amniotic fluid (something that can happen quite often), we continue to supervise the delivery.
- Possibility of bath delivery.
Disadvantages:
- No possibility for nitrous oxide
- You may stay only 3 hours after delivery
- No birth center present for postpartum stay (longer than 3 hours).
IJsselland Hospital
Facilities: In the IJsselland Hospital you always have your own room with a bathroom with shower. A number of rooms have a birthing pool. There is a sofa that can be converted into a bed, so your partner can stay the night if needed. After giving birth, you will stay in the hospital for a few hours until you feel well enough to go home. There is no birth centre in the IJsselland Hospital where you can stay after giving birth.
Pain relief: In the IJsselland hospital you can opt for laughing gas as pain relief. This form of pain relief is given by the midwife and therefore you will remain under the care of the midwife if you choose this option. Nitrous oxide is dilated for the last few centimeters, because it only works for a few hours. If nitrous oxide does not help enough or if it is still too early in the delivery to start with nitrous oxide for an epidural or the Remifentanil pump.
If a complication occurs (for example, if the dilation or extrication phase takes longer than expected), care is also transferred to the gynecologist.
Advantages:
- If you start labor here, there is a very good chance that you will not have to move if a medical indication arises.
- In addition to laughing gas, there is also the possibility of epidural and Remifentanyl as pain relief
- Possibility of bath delivery.
Disadvantages:
- No birth center available for stay after delivery.
- If you give birth in the IJsseland, your child will receive Capelle a/d IJssel and not Rotterdam in the passport (more important for some than for others).
The following locations are birthing locations that you cannot choose for yourself, but you may give birth there.
Erasmus MC
Even though Erasmus MC is not a choice you can make for yourself, because you can only give birth here on medical grounds, it is possible that you will give birth here. These are always clinical deliveries (so not under our supervision).
Facilities: Basically, partners cannot stay overnight here. However, you can return to the Sophia birthing center where you can stay with your partner. In Erasmus MC there is no possibility for a bath birth.
Pain relief: At Erasmus MC, you can only get the epidural if you need pain relief.
Maasstad Hospital
You will also give birth at Maasstad Hospital only on medical grounds. Because it may well happen that you give birth here, we have described the facilities of this hospital as well.
Facilities: Since only deliveries on medical grounds take place here, you cannot opt for a bath birth here. At Maasstad Hospital is Geboortehuis Maas, a birth center where you can stay after giving birth.
Pain relief: You can get the epidural at Maasstad Hospital if you need pain relief. We then transfer the care to the gynecologist. If a complication occurs (for example, if the dilation or expulsion phase takes longer than expected), care is also transferred to the gynecologist.
Ikazia Hospital
Like Maasstad Hospital, Ikazia Hospital is often too far to drive. But it may happen that we have to divert to this hospital, which is why we also describe the facilities of this hospital.
Facilities: The Ikazia has one room with a delivery bath. Otherwise, all rooms have a private bathroom with a shower. There is a chair that can be made into a sleeping place for the partner.
Pain relief: If you want pain relief, you can choose remifentanyl (pain pump) or the epidural at the Ikazia Hospital. The epidural can be done fairly early in labor. The pain pump is used for the last centimeters of dilation. In both cases, the gynecologist takes over the delivery. You do stay in the same room. If a complication occurs (for example, if the dilation or expulsion phase takes longer than expected), care is also transferred to the gynecologist.
Making Your Choice
Choosing the right birthing location is an important step in your pregnancy. It is a decision that depends entirely on your personal preferences and what you need to feel safe and comfortable. Here are some tips to help you make the best choice for you and your baby:
- Listen to your gut: Your intuition plays a big role. Do you feel most relaxed and safe at home, or in a hospital? Your comfort is crucial to a positive birthing experience.
- Consider the facilities: Look carefully at what each location has to offer. Do you have specific needs for pain relief? Check to see if these options are available.
- Accessibility: Consider the distance and how quickly you can get to the location, especially if labor starts suddenly. Make sure the route is known and that you can park easily.
- Plan B: Sometimes things don't go according to plan. It's good to know what the alternatives are if your first choice is not available or if complications arise.
- Personal advice: Discuss your preferences and concerns with your midwife. They can give you valuable advice and help you make an informed choice.
Remember, there is no right or wrong choice. What matters is that you feel comfortable and can focus on your baby's arrival. We are here to support you wherever you decide to give birth.