Information about birth in Romania
Childbirth is free in public hospitals and costs between 5.000 and 12.000 RON in the private sector, depending on the package you choose. Some private hospitals are the only maternity units where you can sign a birth plan with a midwife, the obstetrics doctor and the neonatalogy department. Very few public hospitals let the newborn in continuous contact with the mother right after birth, for the Magic Hour.
In Romania birth assistance services are free in public hospitals, regardless of your insurance status.
You need your file with all the investigations you've done during your pregnancy, an identity document and, in some hospitals, a maternity bag.
Some hospitals have Ukranian or Russian speaking doctors, it is likely you will be attended to by one of them during your pregnancy.
Natural birth will be assisted by the doctor on call, or the midwife, in some hospitals. If you need to schedule a C-section (only in extraordinary cases) you will be able to give birth with the doctor who tracked your pregnancy, who will schedule you when they are on call.
We recommend that you access parental courses where you will find out about birth preparations, about breastfeeding and about the mother and child Romanian healthcare system particularities.
For parental education, perineal recovery, breastfeeding support and help in navigating the maternity sistem to choose one fit for you and your baby, you can call on the Support for refugee women program where you will recieve information and access to the above mentioned services directly from Ukranian speakers.
Choice of maternity ward
If your pregancy is low risk and you wish for a natural birth, we encourage you to find the right maternity for you and to give birth with the hospital team that is on call, avoiding a needless C-section.
In Romania in some hospitals doctors schedule many surgeries because of a habit of giving birth with the same doctor who tracked the pregnancy. However, this can only happen in the private sector, to the degree that the midwife/doctor is available at the moment of the birth. Childbirth is a physiological process in most cases and it belongs to the woman.
Discharge after birth
In the case of natura births, discharge happens within 24-48 hours.
In the case of a C-section, discharge usually happens around 72 hours after the birth.
If the birth takes place before week 34 you are required to give birth in a level 3 maternity, meaning a hospital that can handle the possible complications of prematureness. In this case both you and the baby will remain in the hospital until the baby will be stable and reach a weight of 2000 grams minimum.
Childbirth, like pregnancy, is a physiological episode in a woman's life, most often. Exceptionally it is possible that you will need interventions, such as an episiotomy to a natural birth or a C-section.
If complications occur, you or your baby will recieve certain interventions, and as soon as everything is in order you will be allowed to request to stay in the room with your baby, in the case that you chose a hospital which provides rooming-in.