Intensive care nurseries for babies
It is important to remember that giving birth to a baby is usually a normal process for up to 85% of women and that most babies are born on time and healthy. This means the majority of women have an excellent chance of having their baby where they plan to. Even in the instance of the mother's or baby's health deviating slightly from the norm, a competent caregiver with the basic equipment in a chosen place of birth can usually deal with these circumstances safely and effectively. However, occasionally more serious complications arise (for the woman or her baby), meaning the birthplace originally chosen cannot provide the sophisticated intensive care facilities required to deal with their unexpected ill health.
Homebirth, birth centre and some small hospitals
Private hospitals or smaller public or rural hospitals
Homebirth, birth centre and some small hospitals
When planning to have your baby at home, or in a birth centre, the reasons for transfer to hospital are usually health conditions that vary from the norm, requiring monitoring or medical attention. This can also apply to some smaller maternity hospitals in rural and metropolitan areas that function in similar ways to birth centres. Ask your caregiver if this is the case.
Reasons for transfer vary from hospital to hospital, birth centre to birth centre and homebirth practitioner to homebirth practitioner, so it is important to ask your caregiver(s) about the possible situations that could mean you (or your baby) would need transfer.
As a general guide, some of the more common reasons for transfer include:
Illness for the mother
Premature labour
Breech baby
Twins, triplets or more
Induction and augmentation
Labour complications
Epidural
Illness for the baby
Illness for the mother.