Having a baby in Ireland presents you with multiple options within the maternity services. We have listed these options so that you can choose the one that suits you.
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What is the Maternity & Infant Scheme?
It provides free Maternity care to all expectant mothers in Ireland
The Scheme is provided by your GP alongside a hospital obstetrician / midwife / self-employed community midwife
You don’t need to have medical / GP visit card
Most GP’s in Ireland cover the scheme
You are also covered for two post-natal visits to a G.P.
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Home Birth Options
1. Self Employed Community Midwives
Midwife is registered with HSE but practices independently
Midwife will provide all of your antenatal and postnatal care
Often there is a choice to do shared care with G.P
You will usually register with hospital of your choice
Blood tests and scans then take place there
Midwife will attend your birth in your own home
Available to low risk women
The service is a free service but there may be a top up charge levied by individual midwives depending on where in the country you are based.
Always a second midwife on the scheme paid by the HSE (but again depending on where you are there may be an additional cost).
Some private health insurance schemes may provide cover for this service
2. Hospital Homebirth Scheme
Offered in certain hospitals around Ireland
Where offered, there will be a catchment area
Small team of community midwives will provide your antenatal care in your home, community or hospital
Postnatal care is provided at home
Usually done in conjunction with G.P, under shared care scheme
If any complications arrive during your pregnancy or labour you will be transferred to hospital care
May have option to labour in a birth pool
Free service
3. Private Midwives Ireland
Provides Private Midwifery Care
New development in maternal care in Ireland
Not a free service, there will be a fee
Provides all your antenatal care once booking commences
You need to book in with hospital of choice
Provides antenatal and postnatal care to client’s individual needs
Provides home birth service but also antenatal care, postnatal support in hospital.
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Hospital Birth Options
Your choices are between the obstetrician or the midwife care options. Each option has a number of supports available to you.
Obstetrician Care
1. Public System
2. Semi-Private System
3. Private System
Midwife Led Care
4. Midwife Clinic
5. Domino Scheme
6. Early Transfer Scheme
7. Midwife Led Unit
Obstetrician Care
1. Public System
You attend antenatal clinic in the hospital or community
Usually see midwife first on each visit
You will see a consultant (or a Registrar or SHO)
You will probably see someone different on each appointment
During labour you will have midwife support
You may not see consultant during labour unless needed
After birth you will stay in public ward (1-5 days depending on birth experience)
Free service
2. Semi-Private System
You will attend a semi-private clinic and see a consultant or his / her team
You may not see the same person for each visit
Consultant / member of the team may attend birth, if they are available
You may get a semi-private room after the birth of your baby, but it’s not guaranteed
It is not a free service, there will be a fee (averaging €1,000)
If you have private health insurance your plan may cover some/all of the costs of this fee
3. Private System
You choose your own consultant & meet them at every antenatal visit
They will usually attend your hospital birth
Hospital birth will be in a public hospital
You may get a private room after the birth of your baby
Not a free service, there is a fee (averaging €4,000)
If you have private health insurance your plan may cover some of this fee
Midwife Led Care
4. Midwife Clinic
Antenatal service only - for low risk women
You see a midwife at antenatal visits (hospital / community)
Not available in all hospitals
During labour you will have access to both midwife and consultant care
Waiting times are reduced
If you become high risk during pregnancy you will switch back to obstetrician led care
5. Domino Scheme
Antenatal care provided by a team of midwives, usually in a community setting
Same team of community midwives will support you during your hospital birth
Transfer home within 6-12 hours of giving birth
Postnatal visits at home (up to 5 -10 days after the birth)
Available to low risk women
Not available in all hospitals
There is usually a catchment area
If your pregnancy or labour you become high risk, you switch to obstetrician led care
6. Early Transfer Home
Post Natal Care
Available to low risk women
Women leave hospital 12 - 36 hours after birth of baby
Postnatal care then takes place in their own home
Can be booked after birth of baby
Many hospitals offer this service
There is usually a catchment area
Option may also be open using semi-private care
7. Midwife Led Unit
2 separate units in Ireland: OLOL Drogheda and Cavan General Hospital
Small team of midwives working in the units
Units are more home-like than on a hospital labour ward
Both units have birth pools available for women to labour in
Emphasis is on physiological birth
Early transfer home (from 6 hours after birth of your baby)
Home visits from team of midwives up to a week after birth
Daily phone support provided in the first week as well
Available to low risk women
© 2021 Birth Options | website: rothklee
doula support
1. Birth Doula
Birth Doulas are there to provide you with physical, emotional and educational support throughout your pregnancy and will be there alongside you and your birth partner as you have your baby.They are committed to providing non-biased, evidence-based information should you require it and are there to support you during your labour to have a positive birth experience. A doula is there to support you and your birth partner with your choices. They will not take over and tell you what you should do; they provide non-biased and evidence-based information so that you can make informed decisions every step of the way.Often the woman’s birth partner will worry if the couple hire a doula they will be left out. However, in our experience, doulas can be a fantastic resource for your birth partner as well. They can support and guide your partner offering them knowledge, tools and information to help you during your labour. They can also enable your partner to take a break - even just to go to the toilet or get some food.A doula can attend your birth in a hospital or home setting. Normally yourself and your birth partner will meet with your doula once or twice during your pregnancy to help you write up your birth plan, go over comfort techniques with you, or provide birth preparation - depending on your individual needs.
With these visits, couples can chat about what their ideal birth would be or any fears they may have. These visits are also a chance to talk about the benefits and risks of various options that can be offered to a couple during the birth. When labour begins, while a doula cannot speak up for the couple, they are able to remind them of the discussions during pregnancy so that the couples can make an informed decision on the day.From 37 weeks on, your doula will be on-call for you and when you go into labour is there to support you until your baby arrives. During this time the doula will be at the end of the phone day or night if needed.When labour begins the Mum usually calls the doula when she feels she needs that extra support - usually when labour is becoming more intense. A doula will reassure the Mum and her partner, remind her how great she is doing, offer physical comfort measures to Mum to help her manage her labour, remind her to eat and drink, help her partner to support her and a myriad of other supports.Often women think that since they are hoping for an epidural that they will not need a doula. However, a doula can be a great support with an epidural as well. They are there to keep Mum company if their partner needs to take a break or if Mum is feeling anxious, they also have tools such as the peanut ball which can help reduce the rate of Caesarean births that can increase with having an epidural.Depending on the package you choose, after your baby is born there will be postnatal visits offered by your doula, and some women choose to hire a post-partum doula to help them postnatally as well.
2. Postpartum Doula
Postpartum Doulas provide non-medical physical and emotional support and household assistance after the birth of your baby(ies).They provide evidence based support to help your emotional and physical recovery from birth and assist you with the care and feeding of your new baby, including breastfeeding assistance, bathing, and comfort measures.A Doula will not take over care of your baby, but assist you in learning to care for your baby’s needs yourself. They assist with family adjustment, including sibling emotions or savouring your new dynamic in your relationship with your partner and family. They can provide childcare during naps so that parents can get some much needed rest.Doulas will also be glad to do some light housekeeping including laundry, household organization and tidying. Many Doulas are wonderful cooks and bakers and love nothing more than preparing home cooked meals to stock your fridge!Postpartum Doulas help each family ease into the transition of parenthood. Finding their new ‘normal’ or balance. Each family a doula will work with is unique and postpartum doula support will allow your family to thrive during those first few weeks with your baby, not just survive!
© 2021 Birth Options | website: rothklee
Something to Consider...
Irish Maternity System is mainly obstetric led
This means that the vast majority of women will be under the care of an obstetrician and their team
Obstetricians are trained to deal with difficulties during pregnancy and labour and high risk cases
Most Irish women (approx. 85%) will have normal pregnancies
Some of the options mentioned may not be available in your area, or may only be available in a limited capacity
Others may not be available due to your health, or how your level of risk is perceived
Do your research and make an informed decision as to which option is the right one for you
Work toward making that option happen, if possible
useful contacts
List of Self Employed Community Midwives (SECM)
| SECM | Contact No. | Area | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niamh Bates | 086 155 6115 | Dublin | n/a |
| Nanni Schultz | 086 331 1531 | Dublin | midwife-nanni.com |
| Ali Murphy | 087 222 3100 | Dublin | n/a |
| Carolyn Coughlan | 086 358 3245 | Dublin | dublinhomebirth.com |
| Aine Hennessy | 085 729 7529 | Kildare | ahmidwifery.com |
| Angela Cotter | 086 885 3577 | Westmeath | Facebook Page |
| Aisling Dickson | 087 764 1447 | Westmeath | n/a |
| Brenda O'Toole | 086 832 8858 | Laois | aleanbh-antenatal.ie |
| Deirdre O'Leary Vos | 083 866 9209 | Cork | westcorkmidwiferycare.ie |
| Mary Cronin | 087 279 6325 | Cork | corkandkerryhomebirth.com |
| Caroline Corcoran | 089 256 6198 | Cork | corkmidwife.ie |
| Elke Hasner | 087 252 5771 | Cork | corkhomebirth.ie |
Maternity Hospitals in Republic of Ireland
| Dublin | Coombe Women's Hospital | National Maternity Hospital | Holles Street | Rotunda Hospital | ||
| South & South East | Cork University Maternity Hospital | Kerry General Hospital, Tralee | South Tipperary General Hospital | St Luke's General Hospital Kilkenny | Waterford Regional Hospital | Wexford General Hospital |
| West & North West | Galway University Hospitals | Letterkenny General Hospital | Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar | Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe | Sligo General Hospital | |
| Midwest | University Maternity Hospital, Limerick | |||||
| North East | Cavan / Monaghan Hospital Group | Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda | ||||
| Midlands | Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar | Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise |
Maternity Hospitals in Northern Ireland
*Alongside Midwifery Led Unit | ^Stand Alone Midwifery Led Unit)
| Belfast Area | Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital Delivery Suite | Active Birth Centre at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital* | Midwife Led Unit at the Mater Hospital^ | The Labour Ward at the Ulster Hospital | Ulster Hospital Home From Home* |
| Antrim | The Delivery Suite at the Causeway Hospital | The Labour Ward at Antrim Area Hospital | |||
| Lisburn | Lagan Valley Hospital Midwife Led Unit^ | ||||
| Downpatrick | Downe Hospital Midwife Led Unit^ | ||||
| Newry | Daisy Hill Hospital Midwife Led Unit* | ||||
| Craigavon | Delivery Suite in Craigavon Area Hospital | Craigavon Area Hospital Midwife Led Unit* | |||
| Enniskillen | The Delivery Suite in South Western Acute Hospital | South Western Acute Hospital Midwife Led Unit* | |||
| Derry/Londonderry | The Delivery Suite in Altnagelvin Area Hospital | Altnagelvin Midwife Led Unit* |
© 2021 Birth Options | website: rothklee