we will do our best to support you in having a birth that is unique to you,
according to the wishes of mothers and their families.
Before delivery
First consultation
If you wonder ‘Am I pregnant?’, visit Gynecology Dept. （in the morning between Monday to Friday, appointment not required）. You will have necessary exams for early stage of pregnancy and consultation.
If your pregnancy is already confirmed by a doctor at other medical institution （hospital or clinic）, prepare a referral letter from the institution and make an appointment in advance, then visit us on the appointed day.
How to make an appointment（Only for the patient with a referral letter）
Call our hospital main line 047-384-8111 （Only in Japanese language）, and tell that you would like to see our Obstetrician at our hospital.
If you do not speak Japanese, ask someone who speaks Japanese to call us on behalf of you, or visit our hospital with a referral letter and make an appointment.
Maternity checkup
At the checkup, we will check health conditions of mother and baby. Frequency: once a month from the early stage until 23 weeks of pregnancy, once in 2 weeks from 24 to 35 weeks. Visiting us every week will be a standard after 36 weeks of pregnancy until delivery.
※Come to the hospital with someone (including family and acquaintance) who can interpret for you.
Childbirth reservation
If you wish to deliver at our hospital, please apply for the delivery until 22 weeks of pregnancy. If your first visit will be after 22 weeks of pregnancy for some reason, we will explain this to you at your first visit. In this case, please apply for the delivery at your next visit.
Midwife consultation
We offer you 2 midwife consultations, one in early and another in later stage of pregnancy, 30 minutes each. If you have any anxieties and questions, this is a good opportunity to tell us your problems.
※Come to the hospital with someone (including family and acquaintance) who can interpret for you.
About delivery
Natural birth and active birth （freestyle delivery） upon your request are available at our hospital. Still, you may need to deliver your baby via Caesarean section according to the situation of your baby or delivery itself.
Attending a delivery
Your family can attend your delivery.
Your older children （baby’s siblings） can attend your delivery if one meets the conditions including required vaccination.
LDR room
LDR （Labor, Delivery, and Recovery） room provides for the entire process including labor pain, delivery, and recovery. It will relieve your strain since you don’t need to transfer to a delivery room during labor pain and we will be able to monitor you and your baby in the same room after delivery.
Both of Japanese and western-style LDR rooms are available.
After delivery
Delivery day is regarded as Day 0. Usually you can go home on Day 5 after a vaginal delivery, and on Day 7 after a Caesarean section. Still, hospital stay may be extended due to mother and/or baby’s conditions.
Lessons
Our midwives will provide you the following lessons during your hospital stay. They may help new mom to raise her baby.
- Feeding .... Breast milk production, how to feed and hold your baby, changing a diaper, and others
- Rooming-in .... Notice on staying in a same room with your baby and this will be held on the same day of feeding lesson
- Baby bathing .... How to bathe a baby
- Life after discharge .... Mother and baby’s life after discharge, baby care after returning home
Rooming-in
At our hospital, we encourage mothers and babies to stay in a same room. This is to make mothers to have confidence in themselves with increased feeding frequency and experience child rearing little by little.
Still, we are happy to take care of your baby when you are not feeling well or
tired. Feel free to ask us for help.
Pediatricians are here for you and your baby
Our pediatrician will take care of your baby from Day 1. Any abnormalities and concerns will be found and cared at an early stage by our specialist.
Mother’s class and Parents’ class （Only in Japanese language）
We offer mother’s class （3 sessions） and parents’ class （1 session） during pregnancy.
First pregnancy and delivery can be challenging because everything is new. But don’t worry! We will give the mother and father-to-be some basic knowledge and tips including notice during pregnancy and caring your baby.
| Early stage （1st trimester） |
Middle stage （2nd trimester） |
Final stage （3rd trimester） |
Parents’ class |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Lessons during your hospitalization
Our midwives will give you some lessons during your hospital stay to help all mothers!
Feeding
Breast milk production, how to feed and hold your baby, changing a diaper, and others
Rooming-in
Notice on staying in a room with your baby, and this lesson will be held on the same day of feeding lesson
Baby bathing
How to bathe a baby
Life after discharge
Mother and baby’s life after discharge, baby care after returning home
Breastfeeding and Child-care support
Our hospital supports the mothers who want to breastfeed their babies!
We provide continuous support from pregnancy, delivery, hospitalization, life after discharge including breastfeeding right after delivery, setting up an environment to feed your baby anytime by rooming-in, specialized support on lack of breast milk.
Still, this is not to force you to breastfeed. We will support the feeding according to mother’s health condition and request from family.
Gift for new mom
We give the mothers who deliver at our hospital a special gift catalogue for baby products, and small tote bag as a souvenir.
What Is Epidural Birth?
An epidural birth is a delivery method using anesthetic to relieve labor pain and pain during labor and delivery. ‘Epidural anesthesia’ is a common method and anesthetic is continuously injected via a thin tube inserted near the nerve of the back. It allows the mother to stay awake and alert while greatly reducing pain during labor and delivery. Basically, this method is not harmful to the baby.
Although there is a myth about epidural (painless) birth saying it is 100% pain-free, still moderate pain is necessary for normal delivery process. Therefore, we reduce the pain to a minimum.
The Process of Epidural Birth
We carry out epidural birth as a scheduled delivery (Scheduled Epidural Birth).
We are unable to provide epidural birth with waiting for labor pain.
- You need to reserve for epidural birth by the 30 weeks of pregnancy.
If you wish to have an epidural birth, please make a reservation early since we have a capacity limit. - You need to visit ‘Epidural Birth Explanatory Clinic’ held by an anesthesiologist, an OB/GYN doctor and a midwife. We will explain to you about its advantages, disadvantages and risks in detail. If you have anxieties or questions, please feel free to ask us.
- We will check the cervical dilation and the position of your baby at 37 to 40-week maternity check-up and schedule your admission (epidural birth) date.
- You will be admitted one day before the scheduled epidural birth day.
- We will insert an epidural catheter to inject anesthetic and start injecting labor-inducing drug in the morning of the scheduled epidural birth day.
- We will do various monitoring while you are injected anesthetic. This is for both of mother and baby’s safety. You are conscious and have body sensations, so you can push your baby just like a normal delivery. You can also hear your baby’s first cry.
- After delivering a baby, we will stop administration of anesthetic and extubate (remove) the epidural catheter.
- If you and your baby make a good progress, you will be discharged on the 5th day after delivery (estimated hospitalization period: 7 days).
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
The biggest advantage is to reduce the labor pains. Less pain enables to reduce fatigue and that makes physical strength recovery after delivery faster. Moreover, epidural birth eases your fear for delivery.
Estimated Pain by Pain Scale (NRS: Numerical Rating Scale)
0 = painless, 10 = worst pain imaginable
| Natural Birth | Epidural Birth | Body Sensation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Stage (Labor Pain Begins) |
2~4 | 0~1 | Almost No Pain |
| Middle Stage (Dilatation Stage) |
5~7 | 1~2 | Feel your belly little tight |
| Final Stage (Pushing) | 8~10 | 2~3 | No strong pain but will know the timing to push |
While the mother is bearing the labor pain, the blood flow of the placenta at the uterus is decreased and it causes decrease of oxygen supply to the baby. Less pain enables to avoid this disadvantage.
Disadvantages
- Risk of complications due to anesthesia
- Tend to prolong the labor time
- More likely to have assisted delivery with instruments (vacuum delivery, forceps delivery)
- You may not be able to have an epidural birth because of your medication and/or your physique.
About Our Medical System
As we provide an epidural birth, we take every possible measures with safety as top priority. The management of epidural birth is taken by the team made up of the anesthesiology specialist, the OB/GYN doctors and the midwives. Our safety system was established based on ‘Recommendations for Building a Safe Delivery System for Painless Delivery’ published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).
Message from the Managing Anesthesiologist
Epidural birth at our hospital is designed with the mother and the baby’s ‘safety’ as top priority. Based on the knowledge and experience as an anesthesiology specialist, we minimize the risk of complications with a strict monitoring and appropriate anesthesia management.
We will fully and sincerely support you to welcome a precious moment to meet a new life without anxiety.
Kazuto SEKINE, M.D.
Head Director of Anesthesiology Department
FAQ
Q: Do I feel no pain at all?
A: Moderate pain is necessary for normal delivery process. Therefore, we reduce the pain to a minimum. If we rate the strongest pain of normal delivery as level 10, the strongest pain of epidural birth may be level 3.
Q: Is the anesthetic harmful to the baby?
A: The anesthetic we use does NOT pass through the placenta. Therefore, it hardly affects your baby under appropriate management.
Q: Does epidural birth increase the probability to switch to Caesarian Section?
A: It does NOT increase the probability. However, it does increase the probability to require assisted delivery such as vacuum delivery and/or forceps delivery.
Q: Will I be conscious during the delivery?
A: Yes, you will. Your conscious level will never get lower because of the anesthetic.
You can actively join your delivery.
Q: I am worried if I have severe pain even I am under anesthesia.
A: We will adjust the dosage of anesthetic if it happens or we will use a different type of anesthesia, i.e., spinal anesthesia together. Please tell us your condition and feeling to our staff anytime.
Q: Does it hurt when the catheter for anesthesia is inserted?
A: Firstly, we will administer a local anesthetic that is similar to dental anesthesia, then we insert a catheter. You may feel like something is crawling your back while the catheter is being inserted, but you may not have strong pains thanks to local anesthesia.
Cost
80,000 yen (In addition to the Basic Delivery Cost 500,000 yen)
- The cost above is still charged even if the delivery method is switched to Caesarian section, or you feel the effect of anesthesia is insufficient.
- No extra cost even if the delivery is during the night or on a holiday.
- The delivery cost including epidural birth is eligible for Medical Expense Deductions.
Example delivery cases for Medical Expense Deductions | National Tax Agency (in Japanese)
Those Who Are NOT Eligible
- Those who are less than 36 weeks pregnant.
- Those who takes anticoagulants (blood thinners).
- Those who have a spinal abnormalities and/or had a spinal surgery in the past.
- Those who are obese with a BMI of 35 or more.
- Those who are scared of insertion of a catheter and have difficulty in receiving epidural anesthesia.
For safety reasons, the first-time mothers are excluded from the eligibility for a while.
We provide you with the story of epidural birth and answer to your questions. (in Japanese)
Delivery cost
| Your copayment | ||
|---|---|---|
| Normal delivery Hospital stay: 6 days including delivery day |
Standard room（Shared room） |
0 yen ～ |
| Basic delivery cost 500,000 yen - （minus） childbirth lump-sum allowance 500,000 yen |
||
| Private room |
102,000 yen ～ | |
| Basic delivery cost 500,000 yen + （plus） private room fee 102,000 yen （17,000 yen per day × （multiply）6 days） - childbirth lump-sum allowance 500,000 yen |
||
| Epidural Birth |
80,000 yen （In addition to the Normal Delivery Cost stated above） | |
| Caesarean section |
This will be covered by health insurance. Ask our medical administration office （Iji-ka） for details. |
|
- Costs above are just examples.
The cost will be changed according to the total days of hospital stay and the medical services. - No extra cost even if the delivery is during the night or on a holiday.
- ‘ Direct payment system for childbirth lump-sum allowance’ is available at our hospital.
- Our hospital is enrolled in ‘The Japan Obstetric Compensation System for Cerebral Palsy’.
Its cost, 12,000 yen is included in basic delivery cost. - The delivery cost is eligible for Medical Expense Deductions.
Example delivery cases for Medical Expense Deductions | National Tax Agency (in Japanese)
Direct payment system for childbirth lump-sum allowance
If you are a member of Japanese health insurance, you will be able to receive 500,000 yen as a childbirth lump-sum allowance.
‘Direct payment system’ is the system that we （hospital） claim and receive the payment of the childbirth lump-sum allowance to your health insurance provider on behalf of you.
With this system, you only need to pay the shortage to the basic delivery cost 500,000 yen at casher’s desk, i.e., you don’t need to prepare a large amount of money as a delivery cost.
Payment method
We accept cash, credit cards listed below, and online （electronic） payment.
What is ‘Postpartum care’?
‘My baby has a trouble with sleep. So do I’, ‘I feel depressed because I’m spending most of my time alone with my baby’, ‘Am I parenting my baby right?’ - most mothers with newborns tend to have a hard time. We are happy to help you with our postpartum care.
At our hospital, this service is available to the mothers and babies up to 2 months old. You can stay at our hospital, and our staff including midwives are happy to help you.
Just take a good rest, with a big help from our staff.
If you have any problems or concerns, we are happy to provide you with some advice and help, based on specialized knowledge.
Feel tired? Having a hard time? Want to take some rest?
Ask us for help, even an overnight stay might help you.
Municipal Subsidy
If you live in Matsudo City, Kashiwa City, Nagareyama City, Kamagaya City, or Abiko City and meet their own conditions, you may be able to receive a subsidy （i.e., discount） on the fee. （Advance application required）
Contact your municipal office （city hall） for details.
Cost
| Private Room B | 19,000 yen / day （tax and meals included） |
|---|---|
| Shared Room | 12,000 yen / day （tax and meals included） |
If you are able to receive a municipal subsidy from your city, the fee you need to pay will be between 500 yen and 6,000 yen a day.
The amount of the subsidy depends on the municipal, so contact your city for details.
Rental add-ons
| Bath towel, face towel, and wet hand towel | 330 yen / day （tax incl.） |
|---|---|
| Hospital gown, bath towel, face towel, and wet hand towel | 385 yen / day （tax incl.） |
- You can use this postpartum care to extend your hospitalization period after delivery at our hospital.
- Only a private room B is available for the mothers who were discharged from our hospital after delivery or delivered at other hospital.
- In addition to the above, we will charge you 1,100 yen a day （tax incl.） as a baby management fee. （This does NOT apply to the mother who deliver at our hospital and extended her hospitalization period.）
Notice
See Things to bring for postpartum care at our hospital
- Mother-and-child health handbook（Boshi-Techou）
- Hospital ID card（Shinsatsu-ken）
（Not necessary if this is your first visit to our hospital） - Health insurance card（Hokensho）, My Number Card
- Medical Card（Medical expense subsidy card for children）
- Residence card（Zairyu card）（If you are a foreign national）
- Seal（hanko, stamp）
- Baby formula
- Feeding bottle（2 - 3 bottles are enough）
- Diapers
- Thermometer
- Indoor shoes
- Underwear
- Sanitary pads（when necessary）
- Current medication（if you are taking any medicine on a regular basis）
※No need to bring baby formula and feeding bottle if you feed only breast milk to your baby.
See Things available at our ward（hospital）
- Bedding and clothing for baby
- Hospital gown（one-piece）for mother
- Shampoo
- Shower gel
- Hair dryer
- Towels and bath towels
- Baby soap
- Gauze
- Feeding pillow
- Sterilizing products for baby（Milton）
- Electric kettle
- Detergent and dishwashing sponge
See Notice
- Bringing your food into our hospital is NOT allowed. There is NO refrigerator.
- Any dangerous items including sharp-edged objects and lighter are NOT allowed as well. If you bring them such as nail clippers, they will be kept and stored at the ward. Please let us know when you would like to use them.
- Bring any other necessary things to you and baby, which is not on the list above （e.g., moisturizer for baby, amenity for mother）
- During your baby’s stay at our newborn nursery room, we will accept only the plastic feeding bottle to feed. If you bring the feeding bottles made from other materials, we will use our own feeding bottle.
- We CANNOT prescribe any medicine for mother and baby during this postpartum care.
We offer Newborn photography service to the family welcomes newborn at our hospital. This service is provided by ‘Sleeping Newborn Photo’ that takes the photos of more than 20,000 babies a year, and we will provide you with some of the photo data. You can use the photos as a birth announcement via SMS, notice to the family lives far away, and others. Capture your baby’s birth and its joy with amazing photos by experienced photographers.
What is ‘Newborn photography’?
Amazing photos with artistic style to capture the shining moment of newborn. It (newborn photography service) vividly records baby’s special figure, facial expressions, and atmosphere of newborn and the photos taken for this short and sweet ‘newborn’ period will be an irreplaceable treasure for family.
How to get the ‘Newborn photography’ service
Apply via QR code on our flyer that we give you after delivery.
Photoshoot will be held at our hospital’s ward or at home after the discharge, upon your request.
Terms and conditions
- Your baby’s photos will also be provided to our hospital via associated provider. We may use them for our website, SMS, event announcements, and others.
- This ‘Sleeping Newborn Photo’ service is a gift to the ones who deliver at our hospital. Therefore, it is NOT FOR SALE AND TRASNSFER TO A THIRD PARTY.
- If we find out that the one who did not deliver at our hospital is using this service, we will charge him / her regular price.
- This service CANNOT BE EXCHANGED FOR MONEY.
- Photoshoot period is limited （approximately within 2 weeks after birth）.
- At-home photoshoot with a photographer is available only in a limited area, i.e., not available outside the area.
- No compensations for not being able to receive this service regardless of the reason and situation.
Associated with ikids Co., Ltd.
Spa with aromatherapy
Enjoy the spa with the powers of aromatherapy by natural-based skincare brand ‘Jurlique’.
It will take you on an aromatic journey and gently nourish your skin and mind.
If you deliver at our hospital, FREE body and facial treatment (total 60 min.) is available during your hospital stay or at 1-month checkup.
Add-ons
| Body Treatment |
|
|---|---|
| Facial Treatment |
|
Regular price. If you deliver at our hospital, you can have the treatment with 20% off ONLY during your hospital stay.
Gift for your hospital stay
After delivery, we offer you a small gift from natural-based skincare brand ‘Jurlique’ to care your skin, hand, and enjoy your bath time.
Easy to carry drawstring bag attached.
About Jurlique
‘Jurlique’ is an Australian natural-based skincare brand. Since its establishment in 1985, it is consistently providing quality beauty products using herbs and roses from its certified biodynamic farm. At Jurlique’s concept stores, treatment by the skin therapists’ hands with the brand’s products is available. Jurlique’s treatment at our hospital follows the concept.
Celebration Dinner
Special dishes are offered to the mother for celebrating her childbirth! Enjoy the meal prepared by our staff at Nutrition management department with non-alcoholic beverages（beer, cocktails, and soft drinks）!
