How to choose where to give birth in France

In France, once you have confirmed your pregnancy with a doctor, you should already choose where to give birth. Yes, that early! Don’t panic now, you still have time. But for some special places, the beds are rare and that’s why it’s first come first served.

What are your options for giving birth in France?

Hospital, Maternity or Clinic

In France, 99% of mothers give birth in a hospital, maternity or clinic. If this is the case for you, your pregnancy will be supervised by a gynecologist or a midwife. And the day your baby is coming, you will get help from the hospital staff that is present that day at that time.

I have chosen to give birth in a maternity that is attached to a hospital and I have not regretted it. Even if you want to give birth without an epidural anesthesia, you have the option here. The risk is that your labour and delivery can feel like too medical. This means that you might be monitored a lot, receive vaginal exams from several people, get a cesarean more easily and so on.

To make sure that your labour and delivery will be just what you wished for, you can write your very own birth plan. Read my post on how to write a birth plan here.

You also have the option to choose a maternity “amie de bébés” (baby’s friend). I will soon write another blog post about this.

Maison de Naissance

The so-called “house of birth” is a little piece of paradise. It is all about making labour and delivery as pleasant as possible. You prepare for delivery in a room that is equipped with a bathtub, green plants, armchairs, and so on. But… There is only a handful in France.

You can find one in Paris (les Bluets), Castres, Vitry-sur-Seine, Grenoble, Baie-Mahault, Saint-Paul, Bourgoin-Jallieu, in Alsace (Sélestat) and in Nancy.

Plateau technique

One option would be to give birth in a “plateau technique”. This is basically a delivery room in a hospital that can be rented by independent midwives. This option gives you the possibility to prepare delivery with one single midwife. Over the 9 months of pregnancy you will be able to create a strong bond with your midwife. She is a person you know and trust and who will know exactly what you do and what you don’t want during labour and delivery.

You will be surrounded simply by baby’s daddy and your midwife who will examine you and monitor your baby only whenever necessary.

This is merely an option for pregnancies that don’t present any risk for mom or baby. Your pregnancy needs to be non-pathological, without diabetes, you carry one single baby and your baby is in the right position, with her head down.

In case complications arise, you will directly be transferred into a classical delivery room of the same hospital. There the whole staff, meaning doctors, nurses and midwives will be able to take care of you and your baby.

Please don’t forget to check with your health insurance (mutuelle) first if they will pay for this kind of delivery. Otherwise you might have to pay 300€ or more out of your own pocket.

At home

This is the most natural way to give birth. But not at all frequent in France. Several countries in Europe are way ahead of us. For exemple, in the Netherlands it is much more common to give birth at home.

For most doctors, having a baby at home equals putting baby and mom at risk. Even though studies have shown that medical interventions are less frequent and the risk of mortality for baby or mom is not higher at home.

Why is it nice to give birth at home?
– You might feel the need for intimacy or a familiar place.
– It is the most natural way with very few interventions.
– You can keep your baby on your belly (skin-to-skin) for as long as you like
– Daddy can be more active and really help
– It’s an adventure for the whole family, brothers and sisters can meet their new sibling very early and in a natural environment
– It’s your responsibility and you are more autonomous
– It can help repair a bad experience from a previous birth

It is best to have the support of a midwife during this experience. You can also contact a close hospital to which you would like to be transferred in case you would need medical attention. But in theory, no hospital has the right to send away a mom who has started delivery.

You can give birth at home, in a birth centre, in a hospital, maternity or clinic. Your options about where to have your baby will depend on your needs, risks and, to some extent, on where you live.

Do you have comments, questions or a story to share? Let me know!