The Birth

Information on the birthing options available; including hospital or ambulant birth deliveries, home births and water births...

Births may take place at a private or public maternity hospital. The doctor will provide information on the available choices, as well as information regarding how to book a clinic or hospital and when. 

Ambulant births (Eine ambulante Geburt/Accouchement ambulatoire) are permitted in Swiss hospitals. This allows the mother to give birth at hospital but return home after a few hours if she and the baby are both well. This is not the case in all cantons. A mother usually stays in hospital for 3-4 days after a natural birth and up to days after a C-section. After the mother returns home a midwife visits the mother and baby regularly for up to ten days.

Women may also give birth in a maternity facility known as a birth house (Geburtshaus/maison de la naissance), where the atmosphere is deliberately more home-like and less clinical. Women are attended by experienced midwives and the birth is allowed to proceed at a pace which suits mother and baby.

Mothers also have the option of home birth with an attending midwife.

La Leche League is a non-profit organisation offering free of charge breastfeeding advise and support.