Hospitals

While this section is titled "Hospitals", it also offers a guide to the main alternatives available in Vienna for giving birth. The three main places where you can choose to deliver are:

- Hospitals (public or private)
- Birthing center
- At home

Hospitals

Hospital Care is classified as either general (allgemeine Klasse) or special (Sonderklasse). The allgemeine Klasse can only admit people who have Austrian KK or are from a country with a special treaty with the Austrian KK (which includes most European countries).  Wards vary in size, visiting hours are restricted, and there is no choice of doctor (you'll be attended by the doctor on duty). 

Sonderklasse provides you with a private or semi-private room, more flexible visiting hours, more personal care, and your choice of doctors. Your obstetrician can attend to you as long as he or she has privileges at that particular hospital. During your first appointment, your obstetrician will usually discuss which hospitals he or she works with and which ones you can choose from. This also means that in non-emergency admissions, your hospital will be determined by where your doctor has privileges. Most private insurance plans cover the cost for Sonderklasse, but unless you also have the Austrian KK, you may also be required to make a substantial down payment upon hospital admittance. This deposit may be waived if your foreign insurance company contacts the hospital prior to your admission. There is no direct billing with non-Austrian insurance companies.

Upon admittance, make sure that you have your Sozialversicherungskarte if you're insured under the KK and/or your private insurance card. 

Length of Stay in Hospital
If you have decided on a hospital birth, you can also decide on how long you would like to stay in the hospital after the baby is born. There are two main alternatives. The first option is to go home a few hours after the birth, presuming there were no complications. This is known as an ambulant birth. If you go for an ambulant birth you have to arrange for a midwife and pediatrician to visit you at home after the birth to perform the necessary checks on you and your baby.

The second option is to stay in hospital for a number of days after the birth. The standard length of stay in Austria is five days for a normal birth and slightly longer for a caesarean. This option is known as Wochenbett (which literally means a week in bed). In Austrian hospitals (private and public) everything is provided for mother and baby during the Wochenbett (clothes, nappies, cloths, wipes, etc. for the baby; and sanitary towels, disposable underwear, nightshirts, towels for the mother). 

The week stay is recommended, particularly for your first child, as there is no formal support infrastructure for home visits or baby clinics.  Thus you learn all you need to about breast- or bottle feeding and baby care in the hospital during this time. 

Registration
The majority of hospitals require you to register yourself for giving birth there at around the 20 week mark, though it is not normally a problem to do this later. A few hospitals (notably SMZ Ost) require you to register earlier in your pregnancy.

Public Hospitals
The following is a list of some of the more popular public hospitals amongst the English-speaking community in Vienna:

Ignaz-Semmelweis Frauenklinik
Bastiengasse 36-38
18th District
Tel: 476 15 300
Open Days: Every Thursday at 15:30 or 17:30, Haus 1
Delivery rooms: 5
This hospital is very patient-oriented. The birth is typically led by an experienced midwife and the clinic is renowned for its natural approach (e.g. aromatherapy, homeopathic remedies, acupuncture are all on offer before and/or during labour). That said, a doctor is always on duty should there be complications and the patient can also opt for more conventional pain relief such as an epidural. The post-natal ward (Wochenbettstation) offers excellent facilities for both mother and baby.

Universitaets-Frauenklinik (AKH)
Waehringer Guertel 18-20
9th District
Tel: 404 00-0
Open Days: Information sessions are no longer offered. Q&A for those giving birth there are held. Call the number above for dates and time.
Delivery rooms: 8
This is the largest hospital in Vienna and, as you would expect, has a vast range of facilities and specialists. This hospital also has neo-natal emergency care. For this reason, it is often the choice for women with high-risk pregnancies. When registering for the birth, priority is always given to women with high-risk pregnancies and those with a "normal" pregnancy will only be allowed to register to give birth there if there happen to be free places at the time they are due to deliver (this policy was adopted in 2004).

Other public hospitals:

Wilhelminenspital
Montleartstrasse 37
16th District
Tel: 491 50-0

SMZ Ost
Langobardenstrasse 122
22nd District
Tel: 288 02-0

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Private Hospitals
If you have private health insurance, your obstetrician will be present at the birth and you will give birth at a hospital with which he/she is affiliated. The following is a list of some of the more popular private hospitals amongst the English-speaking community in Vienna. These hospitals cater exclusively to patients with private health insurance:

Goldenes Kreuz
Lazarettgaasse 16-18
9th Distirct
Tel: 401 110
Open Days: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month
Delivery rooms: 4
This is a popular private hospital with a friendly, patient-oriented, English-speaking staff. Rooms have TVs, telephones and bathrooms. Rooming-in is allowed 24 hours a day. Many choose this hospital because it is close to the Allgemeines Krankenhaus (AKH) and University Childrens Hospitals, in case neonatal care is needed.

Rudolfinerhaus
Billrothstrasse 78
19th District
Tel: 360 36-0
Open Days: By individual arrangement
Delivery rooms: 3

Privatklinik Doebling
Heiligenstädter Str. 57-63
Tel: 360 66-0
Email: privatklinik@pkd.at
19th District

A list that includes some other hospitals can be found in this online directory.

Birthing Center

Midwife Centre (Hebammenzentrum)
Lazarettgasse 6/2/1
9th District
Tel: 408 8022
Mon, Tues: 9:00–13.00 and 14:00-17:00; Tues, Thurs: 9:00–14:00
Email: freie-hebammen@hebammenzentrum.at
This is a midwife-led information and advice centre for parents-to-be.

Oesterreichisches Hebammengremium
Webgasse 14/15
6th District
Tel: 597 1404
This organisation publishes a list of independent midwives in Vienna.

Home Births

Home births are not as popular in Austria as in other parts of the world, but it is still a viable option. To arrange a home birth you must establish contact with an independent midwife who will help you prepare for birth through regular pre-natal visits and will be on call for your delivery. She will deliver the baby, register it, and visit daily for seven to ten days after the birth to check on both you and the baby. If a hospital visit is necessary, she can accompany you.

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Private Midwife

You are able to hire a private midwife to help you through your pregnancy and childbirth. Elizabeth Bauer is highly recommended by a VBC member. She speaks English and specializes in homeopathy. Contact her at 0699 1050 9500.