How to choose a maternity unit and doctor in Italy

Begin comparing maternity units after the anomaly scan and make the final decision during the third trimester. First match the pregnancy to the level of obstetric and neonatal care, then consider the journey, pain relief, arrangements for a birth partner and how to register or book with the chosen unit. If there is a risk of premature birth, a multiple pregnancy or maternal illness, the clinician will recommend a unit where the baby can receive the necessary care immediately after birth.

Level of care and support for the newborn

For an uncomplicated pregnancy, you can choose a unit that supports physiological birth and has an obstetric team on duty around the clock. If premature birth is expected or the baby may need intensive care, ask for referral to a hospital with the appropriate neonatal unit. Send the specialist’s report in advance so that the hospital can arrange its handover appointment.

Ask which care is available on site and where the mother or baby would be transferred if complications occur. For a planned caesarean or high-risk pregnancy, check whether an operating theatre, blood bank and relevant specialists are available around the clock. The answers indicate whether separation after birth might be necessary and how a transfer would be organised.

Distance and admission arrangements

Before week 36, find the address of the obstetric assessment unit, the night entrance, telephone number and rules for attending without an appointment. If the journey is long, discuss this at a late-pregnancy appointment: the clinician will take account of the stage of pregnancy, any previous rapid birth and medical risks. Save the route on your phone and show it separately to the person who will drive you.

Towards the end of pregnancy, the maternity unit arranges its presa in carico, or handover of care. Bring test results, ultrasound reports, the group B streptococcus result and records of previous operations. Once it has reviewed the file, the unit gives you a monitoring schedule, the next appointment date and instructions for labour.

What to ask about the unit

On the maternity unit’s official page, look for the annual number of births, caesarean rate, level of neonatal care and service list. Read the figures in the context of the hospital’s role: a high-risk centre treats more complex cases, so its caesarean rate alone says little about quality. If the data is not published, ask during a visit.

Also check the number of individual rooms, handovers between midwives, the postnatal ward and whether the baby stays with you. On a tour, follow the route from the assessment area to the labour ward and ask what the hospital supplies. If no tour is offered, add these questions to the handover appointment.

Can you choose a doctor for childbirth in Italy?

At a public hospital, the on-call team provides care even if one private gynaecologist has managed the pregnancy. That doctor can prepare a summary and recommendations, but personal attendance at the birth must be arranged separately. If a particular specialist matters to you, request a written proposal from the hospital or clinic.

The contract must include the doctor’s name, replacement procedure, night call and cost of participation in vaginal delivery and caesarean section. Ask if the amount includes an assistant, anaesthetist and re-attendance after delivery. The birth plan may change for medical reasons, so clarify the procedure and financial terms in advance.

Epidural anaesthesia in the hospital

Ask whether epidural analgesia is available around the clock and whether an anaesthetist’s consultation is required in advance. Check where to arrive for induction and outside normal hours, including nights and weekends. If the hospital provides a list of tests, complete them within the specified period and bring the results; the anaesthetist uses them to assess contraindications and choose the method of anaesthesia.

If you have not completed the consultation before labour, ask whether an anaesthetic assessment can take place after admission. It is useful to know this in advance because access depends on the on-call team and the urgency of other operations. Rimini states that its epidural service operates around the clock, including weekends and public holidays.

Presence of a partner at birth

One chosen support person is usually allowed for a vaginal birth. The hospital sets requirements for identification and clothing and the rules for leaving and re-entering the unit. Ask separately about the operating theatre: during an emergency caesarean or when medical restrictions apply, the partner may need to wait elsewhere.

Ask when the support person may enter: during the initial assessment, after admission or only once active labour begins. Check the rules separately for induction, which may begin on a shared ward, and for a planned caesarean. Before admission, the support person should know the night entrance, waiting area and which items are allowed.

Water birth and labour-room equipment

If you are considering a water birth, ask how many birth pools are available, which medical criteria apply and when you may enter the water. Access depends on the course of labour and room availability. Also check for showers, birthing balls, upright supports and wireless fetal-heart monitoring.

Caesarean section and childbirth after previous surgery

For a planned caesarean, check the preoperative tests, admission date, type of anaesthesia and arrangements for the support person. If you are considering a vaginal birth after a previous caesarean, bring the operation report showing the type of uterine incision and reason for the first caesarean. The maternity unit will assess these details alongside the current pregnancy. Choose a unit able to perform emergency surgery promptly if necessary.

Birth plan and consent to procedures

Record your preferences for support, pain relief, positions during labour and pushing, the birth itself and the first hours with the baby in a concise birth plan. Discuss it with the midwife when the unit takes over your care, and raise any points requiring advance consultation with an anaesthetist or doctor. Bring another copy on admission; the on-call team will review it against the clinical situation at that time.

A maternity hospital in another region of Italy

You may choose a maternity unit outside your area of residence. Before travelling, ask whether it accepts documents remotely, at which week you must attend in person and where monitoring takes place after the estimated delivery date. These details determine when you need to arrive and how long to stay nearby.

Obtain a pregnancy summary, laboratory results, ultrasound reports and the follow-up plan, then give them to the new maternity unit. Once registered, you will receive admission instructions and a list of any missing examinations. If you return home after discharge, arrange the baby’s health-service enrolment, paediatrician and your postnatal follow-up where you live.

Public or private maternity hospital

In a public maternity unit, the on-call team attends the birth and the health service covers the hospital stay for eligible patients. A private clinic offers a contract for a particular room, doctor and service package. An accredited private clinic may provide both publicly funded and self-funded care.

Before choosing a private option, check whether an operating theatre and anaesthetist are available around the clock, what newborn care is provided and how transfer to another hospital is handled. The written estimate should reflect these arrangements.

Ask the clinic for two estimates: one for vaginal birth and one for caesarean birth. Each should identify the doctor, midwife, anaesthetist, neonatologist, room, included nights and rate for an extra stay. If some specialists invoice separately, the clinic should state those charges so that you can compare the total with the insurance limit.

When to contact the selected hospital

After the anomaly scan, review the official pages of two or three maternity units and book a tour or antenatal course. At the start of the third trimester, choose a preferred unit and a backup, then request a handover appointment. By 36–37 weeks, provide the results and obtain final admission instructions.

If a complication develops in the second half of pregnancy, revisit the choice sooner. A specialist’s report may change the required level of neonatal care, likely hospital stay or mode of delivery. The new unit needs a medical summary and must arrange continued monitoring.

Maternity care in Rimini

The maternity unit at Ospedale Infermi is at Viale Settembrini 2, in the DEA emergency building on the fifth floor, corridor 2. It has six individual rooms, two birth pools and two operating theatres for planned and emergency caesareans.

The epidural service operates around the clock, including weekends and public holidays. During an uncomplicated labour, birth and the first two hours afterwards, you remain in the individual room with the baby and one chosen support person.

Frequently asked questions about choosing a maternity hospital in Italy