The following is a comparative list of the natural birth facilities at hospitals in Israel. It’s far from comprehensive, but gives an exact rundown of basic amenities and availability of natural birthing suites and costs! It was published in Ha Aretz newspaper this weekend 8/10/10 – I thought an English version might be helpful to someone out there. (p.s. I’d love it if WordPress would have an option to create an easily readable grid, but until I figure that out, this will have to do, bear with me!)
Ziv Hospital, Tsfat. Number of beds: 7. Private midwife: no. Private doula: yes.Private doctor: no. Cost: agreed privately between doula and client. Special pain relief options: Jacuzzi in the natural birthing suite, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy etc. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: no. Number of private rooms: 4, free, subject to availability. *
Ha Emek Hospital, Afula. Number of beds: 7. Private midwife: no. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: no. Cost: agreed privately between doula and client. Special pain relief: shiatsu and massage by a certified midwife. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: 4, free.
Rambam Hospital, Haifa. Number of beds: 9. Private midwife: no. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: no. Cost: agreed privately between doula and client. Special pain relief options: Jacuzzi in the natural birthing suite, oil for massage, birth ball, no extra cost. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: 4, free subject to availability.
Carmel Hospital, Haifa. Number of beds: 8. Private midwife: no. Private doula: yes. Private doctor, no. Cost: agreed privately between doula and client. Special pain relief options: Massage and Reiki by a trained midwife, free. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: 4, free.
Halel Yafet Hosptial, Hadera. Number of beds: 8. Private midwife: no. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: no.Cost: Either private hire agreement between doula and client, or through the “B’reshit” program: 900 NIS per birth, or birth plus 3 treatments 1,500 NIS. Special pain relief options: Birth ball, aromatherapy massage and reflexology by a certified midwife. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes, during the day only. Number of private rooms: none.
Laniado Hospital, Netanya. Number of beds: 10. Private midwife: yes, from the list of Laniado midwives. Private doula, yes. Private doctor, yes. Cost: Private midwife- 3,400 NIS, For one on one midwifery care in the natural birthing suite – 1,050 NIS, Private doctor – $300 to Laniado hospital and the remainder payable to the private doctor’s agreement, Doula – agreed privately. Special pain relief options: water therapy in the natural birthing center, birthing balls and other props for aiding active birth. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: 6, at the cost of 450 NIS. Shvil Ha Leida website (There is no English website option, but you can use google translate, and they do often provide English translation on a hospital tour if requested.)
Meir Hosptial, Kefar Saba. Number of beds: 9. Private midwife, no. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: no. Cost: agreed privately between doula and client. Special pain relief options: Jacuzzi in the natural birthing rooms, most of the certified midwives are trained to provide alternative therapies such as shiatsu, massage etc for free, as well as availability of TENS machines for pain relief. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: none. Virtual tour of natural birthing room found here; there is also information on birthing classes in the Meir For You page.
Liss Hospital (also known as Sourasky or Ichilov), Tel Aviv. Number of beds: 16. Private midwife, no. Private doula, yes. Private doctor, no. Cost: agreed privately between doula and client. Special pain relief options: A variety, from water therapy and massage with oils, to use of a Dutch chair and ball pit, free. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: 12, free. **
Sheba Hosptial, Tel Hashomer, Tel Aviv. Number of beds: 12. Private midwife: yes. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: no. Cost: midwife- 3,300/4,300 NIS, Hospital doula – 2,300 NIS, Private doula – agreed privately. Special pain relief options: Jacuzzi (in some of the rooms), acupressure, free. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: None. **
Ma’ayanei Yeshua Hospital, Bnei Barak. Number of beds: 11. Private midwife: yes. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: yes. Cost: Private doctor – 8,000-9,200 NIS, Private anesthesiologist – 1,200 NIS, Private midwife – 2,900 NIS, doula – agreed privately. Special pain relief options: Massage with essential oils, birthing ball, volunteer support from the hospital’s Tamar project. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Private rooms: 2, $80 per night.
Rabin Hospital (also known as Bellingson), Petach Tikva. Number of beds: 11. Private midwife: no. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: no. Cost: agreed individually between doula and client. Special pain relif options: Shiatsu, Reiki, essential oils, free depending on how busy the delivery suite is. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: 8, free.
Wolfson Hospital, Holon. Number of beds: 9. Private midwife: no. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: no. Cost: agreed individually between doula and client. Special pain relief options: Massage, Shiatsu, reflexology – free. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: 6, free.
Asaf Ha Rofe Hospital, Tzrifin, near Rishon Le Tsion. Number of beds: 11. Private midwife: yes. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: no. Cost: Private midwife – 3,300 NIS, Birth assistant – 2,300 NIS, Therapy given by an alternative medicine specialist – 2,300 NIS. Special pain relief options: Jacuzzi, water, warm compresses, birth ball etc. Alternative therapies in the birthing room by specially trained hospital staff. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: 4, free.
Hadassa Har Hatsofim, Jerusalem. Number of beds: 7. Private midwife: no. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: yes. Cost: Private doctor – 8,500 NIS-21,500 NIS, Private doula – agreed individually between doula and client. Anesthesiologist on call for birthing suite – no. Number of private rooms: none.
Hadassa Ein Kerem, Jerusalem. number of beds: 9. Private midwife: only in the natural birthing suite. Private doula – yes. Private doctor: yes. Cost: Private midwife – 3,500 NIS, Private doctor – 8,477-12,750 NIS. Special pain relief options: Jacuzzi in both natural birthing rooms, essential oils, wireless waterproof monitoring equipment, massage, guided meditation, TENS machine, birth ball and gas and air (nitrus oxide), free. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes, until 11 pm. Number of private rooms: 2, free. **
Shaarei Tsedek, Jerusalem. Number of beds: 13 (+10 in triage). Private midwife: no. Private doula, yes. Private doctor: yes. Cost: Private doctor – 7,000-14,000 NIS, Private doula – agreed individually between doula and client. Special pain relief options: Showers, massage, free. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: Yes. Number of private rooms: none.
Bikur Holim, Jerusalem. Number of beds: 6. Private midwife: no. Private doula, yes. Private doctor: yes. Cost: Private doula – agreed individually between doula and client, Private doctor 9,522-14,173 NIS, Epidural daytime – 2,500 NIS, Epidural nighttime – 3,500 NIS. Special pain relief options: none. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: no. Number of private rooms: none.
Kaplan Hospital, Rehovot. Numberof beds: 9. Private midwife: no. Private doula: no. Private doctor: no. Special pain relief options: Alternative active birth practices that were developed at Kaplan hospital, free of charge. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Number of private rooms: 8, free.
Souraka Hospital, Beer Sheva. Number of beds: 10. Private midwife: no. Private doula, yes. Private doctor: no. Cost: agreed individually between doula and client. Special pain relief options: Shiatsu, reflexology, guided meditation, offered by midwives for free. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Private rooms: yes.
Yoseftal Hospital, Eilat. Number of beds: 2. Private midwife, no. Private doula: yes. Private doctor: no. Cost: agreed individually between doula and client. Special pain relief options: Water birth – free, must be scheduled ahead of time. Anesthesiologist on call for delivery suite: yes. Private rooms: none.
Special notes: At Sheba (Tel Ha Shomer) Hospital there are two kinds of private midwife – the more expensive cost is for the natural birthing suite, and the lower cost is for a private midwife in the regular birthing rooms. At Bikur Holim Hospital the cost is according to the type of birth – the least expensive is for a normal daytime birth, the more expensive is for a nighttime cesearean section. At Shaarei Tsedek the cost differs according to the time of day of the birth, the type of birth and the doctor’s standing. At Hadassa Ein Kerem the cost for doctor’s services is according to the type of birth.
*I’m assuming this refers to the postnatal ward. **These hospitals have a post-birth mother/baby/father Maternity Hotel option. Price not listed in this article.
Helping mothers give birth joyfully without fear 