Rooming in – a mother is playing with her son on the bed in the hospital room

Rooming-in and family rooms: staying close to your child in hospital

Would you like to be at your hospitalised child’s side around the clock? Or spend the time after your baby’s birth together as a family in one room? Can my partner stay in the hospital after birth? With rooming-in and family rooms, you can stay close to your loved ones in hospital.

Jeannette Murer

13.11.2025 3 Min. Reading Time

Short and simple

Some hospitals offer rooming-in.
This means that one parent can stay with their ill child.
If it is the parent who is sick, their healthy child can stay with them.
Family rooms are only available after childbirth.
They are for parents to be together with their baby.

Many people associate hospital stays with spending a lot of time alone in a room. However, there are ways for the family to stay close to their ill loved one in hospital and support them in the recovery process.

What is rooming-in?

Many hospitals offer a service known as rooming-in. This means that one parent can stay overnight with their hospitalised child. Likewise, if it is the parent who has been hospitalised, their healthy child can stay with them. In both cases, the hospital provides a bed for the accompanying person. This enables families to stay together in difficult times and support one another – precisely when such support is needed most.

Rooming-in after birth

Unfortunately not all babies are born healthy. Ill babies require medical treatment. Babies who are born too early and sick newborns often have to spend longer in hospital than planned. Many clinics offer options for the mother or father to stay with their child overnight in such situations. This is also a form of rooming-in.

Have you ever heard the term «family room» in connection with hospitals? It is often used incorrectly to refer to the concept of rooming-in. A family room is something different.

What is the difference between rooming-in and family rooms?

Rooming-in – a mother is lying in a hospital room, the father is next to her and is holding the newborn in his arms

Both terms, «rooming-in» and «family room», mean that parents can be together with their children in hospital. However, family rooms are for the time after the birth of a baby. The second parent can stay in them at the hospital or birthing centre, together with the mother and the newborn baby.

Family rooms are a wonderful opportunity for new parents to spend the first few hours and days together with their baby. After the birth, the entire family can recuperate and get to know one another, and the parents can talk about their experiences, without having to take care of cooking and the household.

Would you like to stay in a family room after your upcoming birth?

Most hospitals and birthing centres offer family rooms. Find out in plenty of time whether and at what conditions the hospital or birthing centre you have chosen offers family rooms and whether it is possible to see the rooms in advance.

Rooming-in and family rooms: what does the health insurance pay?

The mandatory health care insurance (OKP) does not cover any of the costs of rooming-in or family rooms. However, supplementary insurance policies from CONCORDIA pay contributions towards rooming-in and family rooms after the birth. Ask your chosen hospital or birthing centre about the exact costs at an early stage so that you can check your cover.

A pregnant woman sits on the sofa with her laptop and paperwork

Which benefits are covered by your health insurance for maternity?

Go to our overview of benefits for pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. There you will find detailed information on the benefits provided by your basic health insurance and CONCORDIA’s supplementary insurance policies. You can also find out more about the cost contribution.

Go to the overview of benefits