Ambulant birth (walk-in birth)
You are here: Startseite / For parents / Birth /
Ambulant birth = delivery in hospital + (early) postpartum period at home
If you decide for an ambulant birth, mother and child leave hospital/the birth centre already a few hours after birth – always taken granted that both of them are fine and it was a vaginal birth. This option allows to combine the need or desire for a hospital delivery with the cosiness of enjoying the first few days after birth at home.
Time line of an ambulant birth:
Pregnancy:
If you plan an ambulant birth, try to contact a midwife as early as possible. Many midwives offer a first meeting to get to know each other without any strings attached.
In course of the pregnancy there are two midwife consultations paid for by the health insurance. These meetings provide an opportunity to ask questions and to make sure that your home is ready for you and your baby after birth.
A good preparation of your home and care situation is decisive for a postpartum period that allows for rest and recovery.
Delivery:
When the birth begins, it is time to move to the hospital/birth centre, where the baby is born. After the birth if mother and child are healthy and well, they can leave for home already a few hours later.
Postpartum period:
During the first five days after birth, the midwife visits mother and child at home every day to check on all aspects of maternal and neonatal well-being, including involution, healing and the development of the baby. The young family can ask all the questions emerging in this completely new situation. In addition, the health insurance pays for up to seven home visits between day 6 and the end of the eighth week after birth: here you can find an overview on the health insurance services.
Preparation for an ambulant birth
Midwife search
Use our tool Midwife search online – your midwife near-by is just a few clicks away!
Try to contact her as early as possible – it’s not only an organizational advantage but allows you to get to know your midwife early in pregnancy!
Pediatrician
In your baby’s first week of life an examination by a pediatrician is planned and part of your Mutter-Kind-Pass schedule. In case of an ambulant birth, it might be useful if the pediatrician does home visits.
Organising support
As the first week after birth should be solely spent on rest, recovery and getting to know each other, it is essential to organise who is going to do the household chores. Maybe one of your family members or friends could help out? There are also organisations who offer staff that can help families in their first time, especially if there are already more kids or the social context is more challenging.
A midwife hack
Prepare greater amounts of healthy food in the weeks before the delivery and freeze some portions. After birth you will be happy to just grab something from the freezer and have nourishing soups, hearty meals or your favourite food on your table without having to spend hours in the kitchen.
News
Sorry, we couldn't find any articles. Please try a different search.