Natural Birth Center

Childbirth is generally a joyful occasion for mothers and families. Our goal is to help healthy women with a completely normal course of pregnancy, who want to experience natural childbirth without medical intervention, to deliver their child in a comfortable atmosphere, under the supervision of skilled, professional birth attendants. A few weeks before delivery, the pregnant woman and her husband/partner will be invited to the Center to meet and talk to a midwife, in order to select the method of delivery, and to ask any questions they may have. The meeting is scheduled during the 35th week of pregnancy.

In addition, mothers and couples choosing to give birth at the Natural Birth Center attend group sessions together with other expectant parents. The sessions will include all the midwives working at the Center. Mothers-to-be will have an opportunity to consult with them on all matters related to the process of childbirth during the last weeks of pregnancy and on the day labor contractions begin.

On the day of delivery, before the mother enters the Center, our medical staff will make an obstetric assessment of the physical condition of the fetus and the pregnant woman. If there are no medical contraindications, childbirth shifts into the “active” phase. Once there are regular contractions every 3-4 minutes and the opening of the cervix is 3-4 cm, a woman in labor comes to the Center, accompanied by her midwife.

In cases when a pregnant woman has withdrawn the amniotic fluid, but there are no contractions, "conservative management of labor" is possible. In this situation, the woman in labor arrives in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for monitoring before the active phase of labor (regular contractions every 3-4 minutes and dilation of the cervix 3-4 cm). Only then the woman in labor can move to the Natural Birth Center. If there has been a discharge of amniotic fluid more than 12 hours previously, but the birth process is not over yet, the mother will need intravenous antibiotics to prevent the possibility of infection.

The Center staff will monitor the fetus’ condition using ultrasound every half hour for at least 5 minutes to ensure the well-being of the child. Our team of professional midwives supports pregnant women throughout the labor and delivery process, and applies appropriate methods, necessary to relieve pain during labor, naturally regarding the mother’s wishes.

Upon delivery, the infant continues to remain with its parents, if allowed by the state. This creates a strong connection (bonding) between the child and its parents. The midwife will remain with the new family for 4 hours, and provide any necessary assistance, answer questions on breast-feeding, bathing and caring for the newborn. Vaccination against hepatitis B and an injection of vitamin K will be made by the midwife in the presence of the parents, often during breast-feeding. Within 4 hours, while the family is at the Center, a neonatologist examines the newborn to assess its physical condition, again in the presence of the parents.

Provided that the birth went as expected and there are no complications requiring medical intervention, the mother and her baby will be transferred to the postpartum unit. It is possible to arrange for the mother to stay in one room with the child (rooming-in) in a mini-hotel facility adjacent to the postpartum office (at extra charge).

In cases, when the circumstances during labor or delivery change, or the child or mother are expected to require medical intervention or supervision, the woman in labor will be transferred from the Center to the normal hospital maternity ward for a medically supervised delivery. Such a decision to transfer a mother-to-be and change the planned natural course of labor will occur solely for medical reasons, and the Center’s midwife will continue to lead the childbirth process in the maternity ward to every possible extent.

It should be emphasized that the decision to move the mother-to-be to the maternity ward will not be discussed with the woman in labor and her husband/partner. In this situation, the midwife from the Center continues to care for the woman in labor in accordance with the rules of the maternity ward. This case often requires continuous fetal monitoring, the introduction of intravenous infusion and constant supervision by the medical personnel. If the child requires medical intervention or monitoring after birth, the baby is immediately transferred to the Department of Newborns. If after the childbirth, the mother requires medical care, she will be transferred to the Post-natal Department, and will not be able to remain in the same room with her baby or in a mini-hotel. This ensures the best medical care for both mother and her child.

The main purpose of the Natural Birth Center is to provide new mothers and their families with a birth experience in a comfortable, relaxed and homelike atmosphere, surrounded and supported by loving people. We will work closely with the expectant mother, and spare no possible effort, to ensure that the birth of your child is safe and secure, and coincide with the individual wishes of each pregnant woman.