Buying guide
How to choose a maternity hospital
State or private, level of care, neonatal intensive care, birth partner, rooming-in. What to ask on the visit and what really matters.
In short
- Choosing the maternity hospital usually goes hand in hand with choosing the doctor who follows your pregnancy. Decide on both together, from the second trimester.
- Ask about the hospital’s level and its neonatal intensive care – it matters if the birth doesn’t go as planned.
- Ask specifically about the birth partner, rooming-in, breastfeeding support and what you need to bring.
- The distance and the journey there, at any hour, matter more than how the wards look.
The maternity hospital is where you will spend a few important days, but it is also the place that needs to know what to do if things don’t go as planned. That is why this guide doesn’t start with the wards, but with safety. The rest – comfort, food, the colour of the walls – comes after.
In Romania, choosing the maternity hospital usually goes together with choosing the obstetrician who follows your pregnancy: most of the time you give birth where he or she works. Decide on both together, from the second trimester.
Safety first
- The hospital’s level. Maternity hospitals and neonatology wards are classified by levels of competence. The higher the level, the more complicated the cases they can care for.
- Neonatal intensive care. Is there one in the hospital? If not, where is a newborn who needs it transferred, how long does it take and how is it done?
- The anaesthetist and the neonatologist on call, at any hour.
- The blood bank, or quick access to one.
- High-risk pregnancies. If you are expecting twins, have a chronic illness or your doctor tells you the pregnancy is high-risk, a high-level maternity hospital is usually the right choice. Talk to your doctor.
What to ask on the visit
Many maternity hospitals organise visits or information sessions. If not, ask your doctor or phone the ward.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What level is the hospital and where is the transfer made if needed? | Your baby’s safety if a complication arises |
| Can I have a birth partner? Under what conditions? | Documents, tests, a course; sometimes different for a caesarean |
| Is rooming-in practised? | Your baby stays with you in the room |
| Who helps with breastfeeding? Is there a lactation consultant? | The first days of breastfeeding matter |
| What options do I have for pain relief in labour? | For example, whether an epidural is available at any hour |
| What do I need to bring? What does the hospital provide? | The concrete list for your hospital bag |
| Can the birth be registered from the hospital? | Some hospitals have a civil registry office |
| What are the costs, if any? | Reservations, birth partner, extra services |
State or private?
Both can be good choices. The differences are mostly about:
- Level and equipment. Some state maternity hospitals are high-level, with a large neonatal intensive care unit; some private ones are smaller. What matters is the actual level, not whether it is state or private.
- The doctor. You usually give birth with the doctor who follows you, so he or she matters too.
- Comfort and costs. Rooms, birth partner, food. With a private hospital, ask for a full price, including what happens if you need a caesarean or your baby needs intensive care.
Distance and the journey
- How long does it take to get there at night, at rush hour and in winter?
- Do you know the emergency entrance and where you park?
- Do you have a back-up plan if you can’t reach the hospital you chose?
Do the journey once before week 36, so you know exactly which way you’re going.
What matters less
- Renovated rooms. Nice, but you’ll only be there a few days.
- Photos on social media. Ask mums who gave birth there recently how they were treated, not how the place looks.
- Packages of extra services that you didn’t ask for.
Our recommendation
In the second trimester, choose the doctor and the maternity hospital together. Ask first about the level and neonatal intensive care, then about the birth partner, rooming-in and breastfeeding support. Do the journey once before your due date and ask for the concrete list of things to bring. For what comes next, see the hospital bag and the first weeks at home.
Frequently asked questions
What does a maternity hospital’s level mean?
In Romania, maternity hospitals and neonatology wards are classified by levels of competence, from I to III. The level shows which cases they can care for – from births without complications to very premature babies and newborns with serious problems who need intensive care. Ask directly what level the hospital is and where babies who need more are transferred.
Can I have a birth partner?
It depends on the hospital and, sometimes, on the type of birth. Many maternity hospitals allow one partner at a vaginal birth, some also at a caesarean, under certain conditions (documents, tests, a course). Ask on the visit what they require and whether the rule also applies at night or at weekends.
What is rooming-in?
Rooming-in means the baby stays in the same room as the mother, not in a separate newborn nursery. It helps with breastfeeding and with getting to know your baby. Ask whether the hospital practises it and whether you can ask the staff for help at night.
Think it could help someone else?
Send the guide to your partner or to a friend who is expecting a baby.