The birth of a child We are the only centre in Catalonia to offer all healthcare procedures relating to pregnancy. Even when the situation calls for highly complex procedures. You will not be separated from your baby under any circumstances. We favour as natural a birth as possible Each pregnant woman is assigned a childbirth team, comprising a midwife, a specialist in obstetrics and a gynaecologist, as well as a resident physician. We favour as natural a birth as possible, with tools such as: a birthing chair, to promote a natural posture harnessing gravity, hydrotherapy and spherodynamics, a technique using a ball to aid dilation during the preparation phase. We also promote mobility and intake of food during the whole process. We also prioritise vaginal birth in the case of twins, early caesarean and breach births, where the mother prefers. Why have your baby with us? We respect the mother’s preferences. You can see this in our use of late clamping of the umbilical cord, which promotes blood flow, increases nutrients and oxygen and increases baby’s birth weight. We also promote ski-to-skin contact (the kangaroo method) and support for mother in both vaginal births and caesareans. After giving birth, each mother has an individual room. This means you are guaranteed a relaxed, intimate ambiance for you and your family as you welcome your child into the world. We offer an early voluntary discharge programme. This includes a visit by a midwife to your home to check up on mother and baby, and the rest of the family. What do you need to bring? If you need to come to the Maternity and Children's Hospital, you should bring: For mother: paper underwear, sanitary towels and breastfeeding bras. For baby: nappies, wet wipes, a comb, clothes, a knitted hat, socks or knitted shoes, a woollen blanket or towel for swaddling. Bear in mind that it is not possible to pierce the baby's ears at the hospital. Registering the baby in the Civil Registry After the birth, and after the first 24 hours, you must go to the Civil Registry Service located on the ground floor of our hospital, in order to formalise registration of the baby in the Civil Registry. To do the paperwork, you will need to indicate the name of the baby and bring the parents’ ID cards and family book. If you wish to register your baby in the Civil Registry in the town where you live, you must pick up the documentation at the Civil Registry Office of the hospital. Breast milk bank There is a breast milk bank where you can donate milk if you have just become a mother and are breastfeeding. Of course, this is only possible if you have enough milk and there are no medical reasons why you should not donate. By donating breast milk, you can help premature and underweight babies (between 800 and 1,500 grams) who cannot be breastfed by their own mothers. The breast milk bank guarantees that selection, drawing, acceptance and processing of milk is done effectively and safely. SERVICES Custom attention We aim to adapt to the needs and wishes of patients. We guarantee personalised care and we advocate humane and individualised care, and we understand the involvement of the family as a key element of the process. Obstetrics Department Neonatology Department Virtual visit We invite you to take a virtual tour of our facilities and look through the frequently asked questions about giving birth at Vall d’Hebron. You’ll find 360-degree images of all the areas where mothers-to-be are attended to, from the admissions area to the patient rooms. We also offer online information sessions with our team of professionals, twice a week, where you will meet the team who will take care of you during childbirth and find out about the hospital programmes to make you more comfortable, such as non-medicalised birth, breastfeeding support sessions and early voluntary discharge back to the family. More information