Medical professionals reclaiming maternity services at Vinzenz Pallotti Hospital, with midwives assuming control.
Bringing New Life into the World: A Peek at GL's Midwife Delivery Rooms
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At Bensberger Vinzenz Pallotti Hospital, expectant mothers can now experience a unique birth process: the midwife delivery room. In this setting, women with uncomplicated pregnancies and no special features can give birth in the company of dedicated midwives. Doctors are involved only if there are unforeseen medical complications.
Introducing the Midwife Delivery Room
To qualify for a midwife-led birth, a pregnancy must be straightforward and free of unique factors. Pregnant women interested in this option are screened during registration and preliminary discussions with a midwife to verify their eligibility.
A Home-like Atmosphere
Malou was the first baby to enter the world in the midwife delivery room, born on February 16 to parents Deborah and Pascal Limbach. "We had opted for the midwife-led approach due to my complication-free pregnancy," Deborah shared. "I found the birthing experience very serene. It would have been significantly different with multiple people around."
The Limbachs were assisted by midwife Luisa Tomadini throughout the process. "It was a powerful and peaceful birth," recalled Tomadini. Despite being a first-time mother, the delivery went quickly. "We spent just two or three hours in the delivery room," reported Pascal. "The overall atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and we felt well taken care of."
A Midwife's Guiding Hand
To date, five babies have been born in the new delivery room. Although it's not a newly constructed room, the midwife-led births take place in existing delivery rooms, where approximately 1,700 children are born each year.
The distinguishing factor is the personalized attention: A midwife accompanies each woman throughout the birthing process, while a second midwife joins immediately before the baby's arrival. This ensures a smooth transition when medical intervention is necessary, such as if the baby's heart rate weakens or the mother requests pain relief or a doctor's assistance.
Advantages of Midwife-led Births
"The midwife delivery room is the model of the future," believes midwife Damaris Fritschle. Drawing parallels with home births in a hospital setting, Fritschle notes that the intimate accompaniment from a midwife enables women to undergo childbirth with fewer interventions and from the strength of their own bodies.
A self-determined and family-oriented approach to maternity care has long been the norm at VPH. This includes providing each woman with a dedicated midwife responsible for a maximum of two mothers during labor. "In other clinics, a midwife might look after four or five mothers at once," explains Fritschle.
Ministry of Health's Backing
The midwife delivery center was officially unveiled on Wednesday, with Katrin Aulenkamp, commercial director of GFO Clinics Rhein-Berg, praising the new facility as a "milestone" for obstetrics at VPH. Aulenkamp highlighted the importance of gynecology for the region, noting that since the hospital's founding, over 84,000 babies have been born there and 355 midwives have been trained.
The project team led by midwife Fritschle embarked on the initiative in spring 2023 and welcomed their first baby just two years later. Chief physician Ulrich Hennig has supported the Bensberger midwives from the outset. For low-risk pregnancies where an uncomplicated birth is expected, "the midwife is the trained professional," Hennig affirmed.
Further Resources
The midwife delivery center registered for funding from the NRW Ministry of Health, receiving 25,000 euros in support. Across NRW, the ministry has sustained 46 birth centers in establishing midwife-led birth centers, with the goal of enhancing obstetric care and improving working conditions for midwives.
"For us midwives, too, it's an emotional and special experience to accompany a birth so closely and to solely focus on one woman," Fritschle confessed. The midwife delivery center already boasts 15 registrations from mothers eager to deliver their babies in this caring environment.
Science plays a crucial role in the development of the midwife delivery room, providing evidence-based practices for a safe and non-interventive birthing process. Health-and-wellness are prioritized in this new approach, offering expectant mothers a serene and home-like atmosphere for childbirth.
