Has any forum members had their baby at the Hirslanden Klinik in Zurich?
Looking into having our baby there in May, but would like to know from first hand experience how it is.

Thank you

Yes I had my baby there, it's like a 5 star hospital very comfortable BUT if you have any slight issue with breast feeding they may not be so helpful. They have a 4 hourly feeding routine which really dos not help with breast feeding. If I were you and you want to breast feed then you tell them you will be feeding on demand and not sticking to their 4 hour schedule. They will be fine with this but unfortunately for me I didn't realise any of this back then. Oh and keep your baby with you if you plan to breast feed too. They offer to take your baby to the baby room at night which is all lovely and you get nice sleep but again it hinders breast feeding and milk supply

PM me of you have any further questions

We had over first baby boy at Klinik Hirslanden Zurich (not Klinik in park) last July.

We had above the top care and health service. We could not find a single thing to complain about. Mid wives there are extremely professional. No issue with languages with staff or doctors.

You may know this already but you have to pick your Gynocologist from their list. Let me know if you need reference of our doctor.

Good luck :-)

Excellent!!

.....

Thanks Guys for your reviews.

We are originally from the UK, but were living in Tenerife, where I am not a fan of there healthcare, we moved to Colorado USA last year and had our Daughter in Boulder, the hospital there was amazing, very expensive but worth every cent.
My Husband now has to go to Switzerland, a place I have never been before, and being as advanced in the pregnancy as I am this kind of information is priceless as we haven´t the time to go around all the klinks.

I am planning on breastfeeding, and would not have them take our new baby away, our other Daughter is 13 months, and she hasn´t left my sight since she was born! The new baby would have to room in with me.

Are they flexible with birth plans, I know most go to pot once you´re in the throws of labour, but I would like to know they would respect my wishes on certain aspects like no drugs, immediate contact with baby etc....

And also, Ob/Gyn recomendations would be appreciated, I prefer male to female, after 3 children I find male Gyn´s are no nonsense straight to the point, whereas the females I have encountered foreced their opinions on me too much.

Will thank you all in a mo, as this will be my 10th post!!!

We had our little girl in Hirslanden at the end of last year and I can not recommend the hospital highly enough. As someone else said it was like being in a 5* hotel (my wife is privately insured) and for the week my wife and baby were in hospital I stayed there most nights as they brought in an extra bed for me (standard bed rather than a camp bed / fold away that i had expected).

Birth plan I can't really comment on as we ended up with a cesarean after complications but the staff did everything possible to accommodate our wishes, even letting me tag a long when the baby was taken direct from the operating theatre (after my wife had a short cuddle) into the side rooms to be checked out etc I never left her side.

I understand most German but I can't recall any of the staff that couldn't switch to English if they had to explain something.

For a gynaecologist that works with Hirslanden I can recommend Dr Vogel on Forchstrasse.

We have spanish healthcare insurance, DKV, not sure if it excepted in Switzerland, it wasn´t in America, but we do not mind paying the full whack if it is good hospital. The hospital in America cost close to US$30,000, and that was only for treatment from 36 weeks until birth and a few follow up appointments.

These reviews are really greatly appreciated.

I only heard good thingsabout Hirslanden, very good reputation.

Concerning respecting yourwishes, Switzerland has changed in the last years, according to my doctor, thewishes of the mother are taken seriously.

If you enter the countrypregnant, the basic insurance will certainly cover you, but I am not sure you'dget the private insurance to cover the expenses of private room and extra servicesat Hirslanden. The best is to get aquotation from them and your Gynecologist.

Good luck!

Hi again. The baby does room in with you but you have the option of them taking the baby away at night if you want. The first night I did. I was a little dazed and confused but for the rest of the stay he stayed with me at night

I have had about 5 stays in the hirslanden 3 times for a week or more and I wasn't rushing to get home it is a great hospital and as this is your second and you have breast fed then it won't be a problem. My lack of knowledge and they're 4 hour routine threw me

Thanks, I´m really excited now.. which Gyn did you use?

I am with Dr Lang and as he only works at the Hirslanden this i why I ended up in the Hirslanden so many times. I chose my gyne not the hospital but turned out it was a good choice on both accounts. However you do need semi private or private insurance to go to this hospital - if you don't then you would have to pay the difference from basic

We are prepared to pay in full, like we did in America, we have braced ourselves for the cost!!!
We have DKV insurance in Spain, which is a German company so possibly accepted in Zurich, it was in America, just not at the hospital we chose! just our luck.

I will look Dr Lang up on the website, I much prefer a male Gyne to a female.

Thank you so much for your input.

Heidi,
Hirslanden maybe a good hospital in all respects but just keep in mind that if (god forbid ) but something goes wrong and there are complication with either yourself or baby they do not have a neonato ward nor an intensive station.
wish you a wonderful birth and happy motherhood

Wow, that´s intersting to know, how can such a reputable hospital not have these facilities?
Thank you for this information, I will look further into it.

I can confirm that the statement is true. I gave birth to my son in Hirslanden end of last year via a C Section. My son had some complications had to be transferred to Kinderspital the very next day as Hirslanden did not have any neonatal facilities. The facilities in Hirslanden are excellent though, the nurses were great but I could not stay on knowing my son is in a different hospital. As Kinderspital did not have enough space, they subsequently transferred my son to Zollikerberg the following day and I ended up staying in Zollikerberg as well for the rest of my hospital stay.

Zollikerberg Spital.
Excellent!

I recently had my second child at the HIrslanden. I too struggled with breast feeding first time round but this time found the help and support much better. I would recommend the hospital as it is lovely with large rooms. If you are fully private you partner can also stay too.

I had both my children at the Hirslanden. It is excellent. Nurses were great and the accommodation was very good. You can get a quote from them for a full private or semi private stay for maternity. It can cost anything up to approx. 18,000CHF for your maternity stay. We paid for full private with my first baby and my second baby was covered by our insurance. Thank goodness the second one was covered by the insurance because I was in for two weeks, with one week of bedrest before the birth while baby 2 was trying to get out early. The final bill was 30,000CHF and we did not pay anything due to our insurance covering it all. I had two c-sections. Your ob/gyn must have that hospital on their list if you wish them to deliver your baby there. Your baby rooms in with you, but you have the option for it to stay in the nursery while you eat or sleep. They will not deliver babies there under 35 weeks as they have no neonatal. Zollikerberg is also a very good hospital and it has neonatal. If you deliver at the Hirslanden and your baby needs further care, then it is likely that you would be moved there or the baby would go to the Kinderspital. Also the food at the Hirslanden is very good. I was sad to leave!

What a fabulous review... We have budgeted about 30,000CHF, as we only have basic Insurance and want the full works!! The USA was about $30,000, that included my stay and Gyne delivering. I am 35 weeks now, and my 4th baby, no problems with the other 3, all full term and healthy as can be, so fingers crossed number 4 will be a smooth ride too!

By the way, which Gyne did you use? if you don´t mind me asking.

I had 2 weeks also, 1 week bedrest first and I was also sad to leave - my UK friends didn't understand at all why I wouldn't want to leave hospital, they all left the same day or next day.

I didn't realise the under 35 week rule, I was just under 35 weeks when i was admitted, glad I could hang on a little longer