At home or in the hospital

In the Netherland home deliveries are common, but there is always the option to choose a hospital delivery.
In principal, if there are no complications during your pregnancy or delivery, you are allowed to choose where you want to deliver: at home or in the hospital (policlinical). In both cases we can guide you during your delivery. If there are medical reasons why you have to deliver in the hospital, than the medical care for the delivery is usually placed in the hands of the hospital and done by someone from the delivery-rooms (either midwife or doctor).

Research done on half a million deliveries has shown that, as long as there is a good risk selection by a midwife, at home deliveries are just as safe as in the hospital. It is rarely necessary to go the hospital in a hurry during an at-home-delivery. Aside from this we have medical equipment at home in case of unexpected situations.

The choice for the location of the delivery is very personal. It is important that you deliver where you feel comfortable; because adrenaline (stresshormone) counteracts oxytocin (labor-hormone). For one person this might mean home, in your own environment where pregnant women and child have more control over everything. For the other, this means the hospital because it reliefs stress.

In case you choose for a policlinical delivery, you will experience the first part of the delivery at home. The moment you go to the hospital is decided through mutual agreement. Depending on the time of the delivery and how the delivery proceeded, you will go home about 2 hours after the baby is born or you will stay in the hospital for the night. Depending on your health-insurer you will sometimes have to pay part of your policlinical delivery.During the office-hour we will always ask you if you’ve made a choice. However, it is also possible to make the choice during the delivery.

We do policlinical deliveries in two hospitals: Maxima Medisch Centrum in Veldhoven and Catharina Ziekenhuis in Eindhoven. Both hospital provide tours of their delivery-rooms. 
Information evening 'We are pregnant' - Maxima Medisch Centrum
Information evening 'Bevallen in het Catharinaziekenhuis'