Giving Birth in the Dominican Republic

GENERAL INFORMATION

I strongly recommend private care over public care. Without going into detail, the difference in the level of attention is significant, and most expats feel more comfortable with private services. Everything in this guide is based on private care.

Let's begin pointing out that the Dominican Republic offers:

• A varied range of private hospitals from small and modest to upscale with modern equipment and advanced medicine

• A wide network of Ob/Gyns

• Doulas, childbirth classes, prenatal yoga, physiotherapists, and lactation consultants

If you want a scheduled C-section or don’t mind routine interventions, you’ll find many options across the country. If you prefer a low-intervention vaginal birth, the best options are usually in Santo Domingo or Santiago.

You can either choose a hospital first and then find an Ob/Gyn who practices there, or choose a doctor first and follow them to the hospital where they attend births.

HOME BIRTH

Although most families choose hospital care, there are some midwifery-led home birth options in the DR:

• In Santo Domingo, there are two Dominican midwives who attend home births.

• On the north coast (including Las Terrenas and Cabarete) and in Punta Cana, a group of traveling midwives also provides home birth care.

Important considerations:

• Home birth is not formally regulated in the DR, so midwives practice independently and standards may vary.

• Emergency transfers to a hospital, if needed, are not as streamlined as in countries where home birth is part of the health system. Families should have a clear contingency plan.

• Midwives who attend home births often provide highly personalized care and greater flexibility around birth preferences.

• Newborn registration can be more complicated after a home birth, especially in large cities like Santo Domingo and Santiago, where civil registry offices tend to enforce stricter requirements. In smaller towns, the process is sometimes more flexible.

If you are considering home birth, it’s essential to meet the midwives personally, ask about their training and protocols, clarify how emergencies would be managed, and plan ahead for the registration paperwork.

CHOOSING AN OB/GYN

Your choice of provider is the most important decision for your birth. Protocols and practices will depend largely on their personal approach.

At your first appointment:

• Share your preferences (e.g., whether you want all tests or just essentials, how long you’d like to wait for spontaneous labor, type of birth, etc.).

• Check if your doctor is open to discussing your wishes.

Doctors are not obligated to adapt to your preferences—they have their own professional criteria. But you don’t have to stay with a provider who dismisses or pressures you. There are always options.

From my 9 years of experience in Santo Domingo, Santiago, Punta Cana/Bávaro, Las Terrenas, and Cabarete, I’ve found only a handful of doctors who consistently respect mothers’ preferences without coercion or unnecessary interventions. My strongest recommendations are in Santo Domingo, Santiago, and Nagua.

In Punta Cana/Bávaro and Las Terrenas, hospital protocols tend to be stricter, especially for natural birth. Many families who live there choose to travel to Santo Domingo for prenatal care and delivery. For first-time mothers, this is usually manageable, since labor takes time; for those with older children, it requires more planning.

Tip: Don’t just rely on other expats’ experiences. Meet the doctor, ask questions, and trust your own judgment.

About English-speaking doctors: Some claim to speak English, but only a few are truly fluent.

Also—don’t endure a poor attitude just because someone is known as “the most pro-natural doctor.” The relationship with your care provider matters as much as their protocols.

PRENATAL CARE

Protocols in the DR may differ from your home country:

• The same doctor who provides prenatal care usually attends your birth.

• Similar to other countries, prenatal appointments are usually monthly up until half of the second trimester, then bi-weekly until the end of the third trimester and weekly from week 37~38 on.

• Appointments are scheduled, but long waits (1–2 hours) are common. Bring water and snacks.

• Tests and ultrasounds are usually done in separate facilities, and you carry the results back to your doctor.

• Without insurance, you can directly request tests or ultrasounds. With insurance, a doctor’s prescription is required.

COSTS

Approximate prices (without insurance):

• Doctor visits: US$50–$130 for first appointment, US$18–$100 for follow-ups

• Routine first-trimester labs: ~US$90

• Follow-up bloodwork (each trimester): ~US$25

• Obstetric ultrasound: US$25–$70

• Specialized ultrasounds: US$50–$150

Birth costs (including Ob/Gyn and Pediatrician fees):

• Vaginal birth in a modest private hospital: ~US$1,000

• Vaginal birth in a top private hospital: ~US$7,000

• Epidural/anesthesiologist fees: +US$100~$1,000

The main difference between less and more expensive hospitals is the flexibility of their protocols, not their medical capacity. Private hospitals do not have blood banks and not all of them provide epidural service.

💡Note: All USD estimates were calculated at an exchange rate of USD 1.00 = DOP 62.00.

EMERGENCY CARE DURING PREGNANCY

• Emergencies are handled best if you already have a doctor to call.

• ER doctors are usually not Ob/Gyns.

• If you don’t have a provider, ER staff will do basic checks (blood pressure, baby’s heart rate, sometimes an ultrasound), but follow-up is limited.

BIRTH

• Private hospitals are smaller than US/EU ones (20–40 rooms).

• Labor may take place in a private bedroom or a shared labor room (with only one companion allowed).

• Most hospitals transfer mothers to an OR-style delivery room for birth; only a few allow the mother’s partner inside.

• In some hospitals, doulas are allowed additionally to the mother’s partner.

• One hospital in Santo Domingo offers labor, birth, and recovery in the same room (more expensive, but the best experience if you have the right doctor).

• If a C-section is needed, you’ll be moved directly to the OR. Some hospitals allow a partner or doula; check with your provider.

• Hospital stay is typically 1 day, sometimes 2.

• Rooms are single occupancy, either standard or suite, both with a sofa-bed for companions. The difference is that suites have a small living-room like space.

PAPERWORK & REGISTRATION

All births in the DR must be registered with the civil registry (Oficialía del Estado Civil) to obtain a birth certificate (Acta de Nacimiento).

Hospital Births

• Hospitals issue a “Declaración de Nacido Vivo” (Live Birth Declaration).

• This document is signed by the pediatrician who received the baby and stamped by the hospital.

• With this declaration, parents can register the baby at the civil registry.

• Larger hospitals sometimes assist families with paperwork.

Home Births

• Without a hospital-issued declaration, parents must provide alternative documentation, such as a notarized sworn statement (declaración jurada) from the attending midwife or witnesses, plus both parents’ IDs.

• Registration may take longer, especially in big cities like Santo Domingo and Santiago, where requirements are stricter. Smaller towns may be more flexible.

• Discuss paperwork in advance with your midwife to avoid delays.

For Expats

• Registering with Dominican authorities is only the first step. You must also notify your embassy or consulate to report the birth abroad and obtain your baby’s passport or nationality documents.

• Requirements vary but usually include:

  • The Dominican birth certificate (Acta de Nacimiento)

  • Parents’ passports

  • Sometimes notarized translations

Tip: Research both Dominican procedures and embassy requirements before birth to prevent delays.

SUGGESTIONS

• Start looking for the right provider early, ideally before pregnancy.

• Consider hiring a doula who knows the system.

• Take childbirth classes.

• Plan for postpartum support—it’s often the period when help is most needed.

• Save money—more resources mean more options.

Final Note

For further information or support, contact me: 📧 info@leikohidaka.com