Cost of childbirth in hospital

Cost of childbirth in clinic

In an approved clinic, delivery costs and accommodation costs, up to a limit of 12 days, are covered 100%, on the basis and within the limit of the health insurance rates. They are reimbursed directly to the establishment by your health insurance fund. Fee overruns and the cost of television or single room are on the other hand in charge.

In a private clinic, the principle is the same, but the prices charged are generally higher and you will have to pay the costs in advance. So find out well in advance and ask your complementary health care provider how it covers excess fees and costs for personal comfort.

The different levels of maternity

In some, the course of pregnancy does not leave the choice of motherhood. If it is considered to be at risk (multiple pregnancy, risk of premature birth, etc.), your doctor will direct you directly to the structure most able to guarantee you and your baby the most appropriate care. Since 1999, French maternity hospitals have been classified into three levels corresponding to varying degrees of neonatal care offer:

• Level I maternities. These are the most frequent, they represent almost half of maternity hospitals in France. With an obstetrics unit with an organized presence of midwives, obstetricians, pediatricians and anesthetists-resuscitators, they welcome deliveries that do not present any risk of particular complications. They are nevertheless equipped to be able to perform caesarean sections.
• Level II maternities. They have the same obstetrics unit as level I maternities, to which is added a neonatal unit that can accommodate newborns requiring special care because they are considered at risk. They welcome in particular multiple pregnancies and those which are known to expose babies at risk of prematurity (born from 32 weeks of amenorrhea, weighing more than 1500 g).
• Level III maternities. Representing around 10% of maternities, they are also equipped with a neonatal resuscitation unit making it possible in particular to take care of very premature babies (born before 32 weeks of amenorrhea, weighing less than 1500 g). They are often located in large hospitals.

Questions to ask yourself, whatever your choice

Who do you want to be delivered by?

If it is necessarily by your gynecologist-obstetrician or by the liberal midwife who follows you, you must register in the maternity unit where they practice, knowing however that their presence can never be 100% guaranteed the day you give birth. In the clinic, even if you are accompanied throughout labor by a midwife, a gynecologist will be called to proceed with the expulsion. In the hospital, when all goes well, the midwife manages everything from A to Z. The doctor is only called if it is necessary to use instruments to help the baby come out, to perform a cesarean …

Do you have specific wishes or needs?

Each maternity hospital has a very specific identity. Some are known to be very medical, others on the contrary to promote pain relieving techniques alternative to epidurals and so-called physiological birthing positions (not necessarily the feet in the stirrups). Some bring young mothers and their babies home after 5 days, others after 3… Do not hesitate to call them for information and to play word of mouth. Also note that there is a label “Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative”. It guarantees, among other things, that the structures favor skin-to-skin contact, support breastfeeding as well as possible and generally respect the needs and rhythms of babies and their parents as much as possible.