More and more women are opting for humanized and natural alternatives when preparing their birth plan, previously informing their hospital about the birth care protocols. And luckily, more and more hospitals are becoming aware of this need, incorporating specialized units in respected delivery.
Such is the case of the Quirón Salud Valencia Hospital, which has just inaugurated a unit specialized in natural childbirth with a dilatation bath , with the aim of offering this alternative to women who go there to give birth.
“Our purpose is to naturalize and humanize the birth”
Aware of the importance of respecting and humanizing the moment of delivery, the Quirón Salud Valencia Hospital has set up a unit specialized in natural childbirth.
It is a spacious, intimate, friendly and welcoming space, with areas of expansion, both in the water and in movement, which aims to turn the moment of birth into a unique and unrepeatable experience.
This is how Dr. Fernando López Baeza, team leader of the hospital’s gynecology and obstetrics service, explains:
“Our purpose is to naturalize and humanize childbirth as well as early neonatal care, trying to facilitate the role of the mother, respecting as much as possible her preferences regarding the organization and assistance of the health means at this very special and unrepeatable moment that is the birth of your daughter or son, and with the maximum participation of the couple, preserving their privacy as much as possible and avoiding any unnecessary interventionism “
This Unit has a dilation bathtub to favor the birthing process, since the use of hot water during dilation induces the woman to relax, reduces anxiety by stimulating the production of endorphins, improves uterine perfusion and shortens the period of dilatation.
” Dilation in water is just as safe as any other procedure and allows the use of hot water to reduce the pain of dilation and then give birth in bed or in any other position that the woman decides” – explains Aurora Medina , midwife of the unit.
With the new humanized protocols, the hospital also intends to reduce the rate of caesarean sections (which is currently double that recommended by the WHO in Spain), and make the moment of delivery what it really is: something natural.
“Before giving birth, our professionals will agree with the future mother on the way in which her delivery will take place, to act, -as long as there is no medical contraindication-, according to her wishes and decisions during the process”
The team has the collaboration of specialized midwives to offer personalized and exclusive attention throughout the dilation, delivery and puerperium process.
For this, the woman who chooses to give birth in this new unit will establish continuous contact with the midwives from the 34th week of pregnancy, with the aim of establishing a relationship of maximum trust in the face of any questions that may arise.
Respectful delivery and humane baby care
A year ago, the WHO updated its recommendations for childbirth, with the aim of making the moment a positive experience. Fortunately, more and more hospitals follow their recommendations and choose to incorporate humanized and respected protocols , both in the case of vaginal delivery and cesarean section.
And among the humanized practices is, of course, favoring skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby , even when the newborn must be admitted to the neonatal ICU.
In these cases, humanizing the procedures and care to the maximum not only favors the involvement of parents, but also improves breastfeeding rates and helps the baby in its development and / or recovery.
In this sense, the Quirón Salud Valencia Hospital also has a Humanized Neonatal and Pediatric ICU, with Family Room rooms, so that parents of large premature infants who, after a long stay in the hospital, prepare to go home, can stay there with their babies for a few days.
“The benefits of this method are innumerable, and some are as important as greater stability in vital signs and better brain development. There is no better incubator than the human body . In addition, we try to progressively take care of all the taking care of their children, moving to a family room when the stability of the patient allows it “- explains Dr. Gonzalo Pin, head of the Pediatric Service and the Neonatal ICU,”
It is undoubtedly great news to know that more and more hospitals are aware of the importance of taking care of and respecting the time of delivery and birth as much as possible . Now it only remains that more hospitals are incorporating this type of humanized delivery units.
Cover photo | Chiron Health Valencia
More information | Chiron Health Valencia
