Home Births in a Hospital Setting: The Kyiv Perinatal Center Explains How the Program Works
29 June 18:21
The Kyiv City Perinatal Center offers a program known as “home births” —a format in which a child is born in the most comfortable setting possible, one that closely resembles a home environment, but under the constant supervision of medical staff and with the ability to immediately receive highly specialized care if needed, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
As explained by the medical facility, this is not about giving birth at home, but rather an alternative approach to natural childbirth, where a woman has greater freedom of movement, chooses comfortable positions on her own, and can actively participate in the first stage of labor.
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
To this end, the perinatal center has set up a special delivery room that resembles a home environment more than a typical hospital ward. It features a large bed, a spacious bathtub, a wall bar, soft mats, pillows, a special birthing chair, and a modern birthing chair, should it be needed during childbirth.
Active Childbirth: Why Movement Matters
The center explains that the first stage of labor—the dilation stage—is the longest. For first-time mothers, it can last from 8 to 12 hours, sometimes longer. In subsequent births, this stage is usually shorter—about 5–8 hours—although every birth is unique.
It is during this time that expectant mothers are advised not to lie in bed constantly, but to move around, change their body position, and choose positions that make contractions easier to manage.
A wall bar helps during contractions to change body positions, perform bends, or shift weight onto the arms, which reduces strain on the lower back.
A large exercise ball or soft pillows are used for sitting, rocking the pelvis, and performing exercises that promote the baby’s proper descent through the birth canal and help relax the muscles.
A special birthing chair allows you to assume an upright position. According to doctors, gravity in these positions can help the baby move through the birth canal more effectively.
During contractions, a woman can also lie on a mat, assume a kneeling-elbow position, or use other positions that help reduce pain.
A large bathtub plays a special role . Warm water helps relax muscles, reduce tension, alleviate pain, and create more comfortable conditions for experiencing contractions. Water treatments are used only in the absence of medical contraindications and under the supervision of medical staff.
Not a rejection of medicine, but a different approach
The Kyiv City Perinatal Center emphasizes that the home birth program does not mean a rejection of medical standards or oversight of the mother’s and baby’s well-being.
Dmytro Govseev, Director of the Kyiv Perinatal Center.
“Our main goal is to make childbirth as natural as possible, while ensuring it is safe. We give women freedom of movement, the opportunity to choose comfortable positions, and the use of various pain-relief methods, however, the entire process takes place under the constant supervision of obstetricians-gynecologists, midwives, and neonatologists,” notes Dmytro Govseev, director of the Kyiv Perinatal Center.
If any signs of danger or complications arise, the management strategy is immediately adjusted.
“If a situation arises during labor that requires emergency surgery, the patient is transferred from the home-birth room to the operating room within minutes to undergo a cesarean section. This is the main advantage of hospital-based home births—the woman enjoys the comforts of home without losing access to modern medical care,” explains the doctor.
The center also emphasizes that, at the woman’s request, epidural anesthesia may be administered during such births. The use of anesthesia does not contradict the concept of hospital-based home births and is administered based on medical indications or at the patient’s request.
Who Is This Program Suitable For?
As medical professionals explain, hospital-based home births are recommended for women with a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy, provided there are no contraindications to natural childbirth.
Before participating in the program, the expectant mother consults with a doctor who assesses the course of the pregnancy, the condition of the mother and child, and determines whether this birthing format is right for her.
Dmytro Govseev , director of the Kyiv City Perinatal Center, adds that modern obstetrics offers women various birth options, but safety always remains the top priority.
“There is no single ‘right’ way to give birth. Some women want the most active natural birth possible, others choose medication for pain relief, and sometimes the medical situation requires a cesarean section. Our task is to ensure an individualized approach for every woman, to support her choice where it is safe to do so, and to be ready at any moment to provide all necessary medical care to both mother and child,” he emphasized.
As previously reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", the demand for “home births” is growing in Kyiv.
