Delivery protocols in different countries. Maternity hospitals around the world: conditions and traditions. Childbirth in Italy

We communicate a lot with people from different countries, one way or another connected with childbirth. Accordingly, we can always tell about what is interesting in other countries. About maternity centers, about clinics and midwives, about new and unusual practices. This is all very interesting, but the information about how people usually give birth in some country seems to us even more important.

Firstly, it is much more correct to compare with this how things usually stand in Russia.

Secondly, information on the level of infant and maternal mortality in these countries is also important. Suggestive, let's say.

Thirdly, if you are thinking of going to give birth abroad, you need to be ready for childbirth not only in the clinic / maternity center of your choice, but also for childbirth "on a common basis", because sometimes there are surprises during childbirth, pleasant and not very pleasant.

So, we have selected several countries that seem interesting to us.

Everyone who reads something about childbirth in English knows at least something about how it is done in the USA. The uniqueness of their situation is that in most hospitals, doctors do not work for a salary: insurance companies pay them in the end for the amount of manipulations they performed. Accordingly, physicians are financially interested in carrying out more of these same manipulations. Another thing is that this kind of motivation does not work for all doctors, and this, of course, is good. In America, there are several hospitals where doctors work for a salary: in such hospitals, they are more zealous in ensuring that they practice in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine.

Pros:

• doctors are very loyal to a large "support group", that is, you can take two or three people with you to the rodblock,
• hospitals strive to create a semblance of a home environment in wards, which most often resembles a hotel, but this is already better than a hospital,
• it is possible to give birth in maternity centers - special places not far from large clinics in which midwives conduct and receive childbirth.

Minuses:

• insurance and medical services are, in principle, very expensive,
• looking for a clinic in which you can give birth naturally without much effort, you have to be very careful,
• Collaboration between doctors and midwives committed to supporting natural childbirth is generally not well established.

Interesting:

It is not a fact that during pregnancy you will be given an ultrasound scan, it all depends on the opinion of a particular doctor.

But in Great Britain the situation is different. Everyone here is served by state insurance, so doctors are obliged to make sure that they do not do too much - they simply will not be paid for too much. Accordingly, residents of the country complain that sometimes they simply have to seek certain actions from doctors. But for those who want to give birth as naturally as possible, this is necessary: ​​the country encourages childbirth without anesthesia, different postures for pushing and even home birth.

When I was learning to teach classes for pregnant women in London, they shared this data with us, commenting on them in such a way that it was clear that in England 26% of women still give birth in the old fashioned way, lying on their backs with their legs in the props, is equivalent national disgrace))

Pros:

• both doctors and midwives are in the majority determined to support natural childbirth,
• all childbirth services are free for citizens,
• home births with a professional midwife are also free.

Minuses:

• if you want to give birth with anesthesia or do not plan to give birth, which will last more than a day (provided that the child's health indicators are good), you will need to take care of choosing a hospital whose doctors will support you in this,
• go to the clinic in advance or at the very beginning of childbirth most likely will not work:

This is not usually expected by anyone, but it is! In Brazil, natural childbirth en masse is very unpopular. As soon as the aunts in Brazil have money, they try to give birth in paid clinics, and there they try to first stimulate everyone, then anesthetize and, as a result, cure. Many educated and wealthy Brazilian women consider pain in childbirth unbearable, and childbirth itself is disfiguring the body. But not all. There are also people like Gisele Bündchen.

But what the apologists of natural childbirth in Brazilian maternity hospitals do not like:

(for me it reminds me of the situation in Russia 5-10 years ago)

But Holland, which both defenders and opponents of home childbirth love to cite as an example. The situation with home births in Holland is this: they have never been introduced as an innovation, so it is a common such service provided by the public health system. Gradually, the number of Dutch women choosing home birth is decreasing - now it is about 25% of all mothers, 10 years ago there were 30%. If a woman wants to give birth in a clinic, the midwife is still in charge of the birth - the doctor only connects when the birth is complicated.

Pros:

• in the country they try to do caesarean section only when it is necessary,
• people who are guaranteed to have extensive experience with natural childbirth will work with you,
• after giving birth, a state-sponsored au pair comes to the mother for 10 days, who can also help with the child.

Minuses:

• a fairly high infant mortality rate by the standards of Western Europe (although it is quite nothing compared to Russia),
• Dutch home midwives are not "spiritual", they just do their job, if you need psychological support, invite a doula to give birth.

We know mainly about how things are going in Bali, where, by the way, many Russians live or stay. In Bali, it becomes very clear that what the mother eats before giving birth is very important. The poor women of the island, for whom the main food is cheap rice, very often suffer from postpartum haemorrhage. By the way, they often want to feed their babies with mixtures. There is no free medicine in Indonesia, so most of the country's residents are forced to give birth at home. Europeans and other representatives of the "West" are considered big. They are more likely to give birth either in "western" hospitals or in maternity centers. In comparison, even with Russia, paid childbirth in Indonesia is available - giving birth in a good ward with a doctor costs 300-600 dollars.

And here are photos from the Bumi Sehat obstetric center, run by midwife Robin Lim. In this center, all women in Bali can be monitored, receive vitamins and give birth for free. In 2011, Robin was named CNN's Person of the Year for her work.

Technology is held in high esteem in Israel. Ultrasound at every doctor's appointment, automatically folding beds, CTG, with which you can move and lie in the bathroom - these are the usual attributes of pregnancy and childbirth in Israel.

And the highlight of our program is Russia. Objective data first:

The top photo is a ward in the Center for Social Security and Cooperation, among other things.

In 2011, which is aimed at humanizing obstetrics in Russia. Yes, this is not an order (that is, we should not wait for changes like in Ukraine), but the situation is gradually changing. If you take the trouble to compare stories about childbirth in a maternity hospital five years ago and now, the difference will be noticeable. Yes, it is not overwhelming, but it is, and this is important.

The photographs show two paid wards for natural childbirth and one regular free.

If you have questions, clarifications or something else interesting on the topic, please, leave comments or write to us on [email protected] site

Each country has certain standards and methods of treatment. Each nationality has its own method of childbirth and, accordingly, the procedures and conditions in maternity hospitals also differ.

America

It's no secret that in the United States, all areas of medicine are regulated by insurance. So the birth here will depend on what kind of insurance you have. Everything is fair: if you have good insurance, I will give birth in the most comfortable conditions under the guidance of the best specialists. But in general, almost all hospitals here are the same. Thanks to the introduction of health insurance, almost all medical institutions in the United States are clean, tidy and quite comfortable. By the way, America is one of the few countries where a child is awarded the title of citizen at birth.

Germany

Citing some stereotypes, Germany is a very conservative country, but not when it comes to childbirth. They adhere to the principle “childbirth is not a disease” and offer a variety of delivery options. If you want, give birth while standing, in the water or accompanied by relatives. By the way, in Germany you can choose any clinic you like for childbirth, the main thing is to inform about it in advance.

Japan

Many of our compatriots who gave birth in Japan were, to put it mildly, in a stupor when they saw that Japanese women practically did not make a sound during childbirth. A well-known difference between maternity hospitals in Japan is also the food that mothers-to-be are fed with. Each meal here is a whole ceremony of several beautifully presented dishes. Interesting fact: Japanese midwives wear cheerful pink uniforms rather than white coats. In general, they work here according to generally accepted European standards. One of the very important things is to recreate a comfortable environment and a positive attitude. Doctors are confident that this greatly motivates young people to have children.

United Kingdom

In the UK, childbirth is paid for by the government. Doctors here are very attentive and careful to approach the woman in labor and the process itself, because if something happens, they simply will not be paid. The British are big fans of naturalness, therefore, they do not really welcome childbirth with anesthesia. To relieve pain, it is customary to use any available methods: childbirth at home, variability of postures, childbirth in water, etc. It is customary to call a doctor here only if necessary.

Africa

This is a separate story. Of course, from countries like Tanzania, Nicaragua and Malawia, no one expects supernova equipment and a royal welcome. Yes, childbirth here is problematic and difficult, as is life in other matters. In African maternity hospitals, as a rule, there is not even running water to wash the baby. Women have to give birth on the floor. There is also an acute shortage of medical personnel, so many hospitals only have a midwife, but no doctor.