Hospitals in Prague are expanding maternity services to meet the demands of mothers
Kristýna gave birth last November and chose the maternity hospital in Motola. She wanted to give birth in a separate room. When her due date came, she had to forget about her own room, because they were all already occupied. There is a lot of interest in them, even if the prices are not the lowest, and they will also become more expensive. A single room costs 1,200 crowns per day, and from January it will be 300 more expensive. For a double room in the maternity ward, 2,200 crowns are paid per day, and from January, the mother and accompanying person will pay 2,900 crowns.
Even though the superior rooms were occupied, Kristýna could rejoice in the improved environment of the maternity hospital. In October, they completed the reconstruction of the Specialized Care Unit for newborns in Motola and opened a new department for six-month-olds. Over 2,700 babies were born in the largest Czech hospital last year, and they expect at least the same number of births this year.
“Thanks to the reconstruction, we were able to increase the number of beds from the original 12 to 21. This represents a significant increase in the availability of specialized neonatal care for children from Prague and the entire Czech Republic,” says Roman Chmel, head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic of the 2nd Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University and the Motol FN.
Mothers are looking for midwives
Other Prague hospitals are also investing in maternity wards not only because of the growing demands of future mothers on the birthing environment.
The number of births at the Bulovka University Hospital has increased by almost half in three years. Last year there were 2,700 of them, of which 400 according to the principles of the Midwifery Center, where births are conducted exclusively by midwives. With the establishment of the said center in 2019, the hospital is increasing the interest of women in labor.
“The main idea is supported by the fact that it is a so-called low-risk pregnant and giving birth woman, this course of pregnancy was not standard in any way, she is cared for exclusively by a midwife, which is not usually the case. This is a comprehensive change in the approach to pregnant and giving birth,” says Michal Zikán, head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic in Bulovka. The center is an additional service that parents partially pay for.
Last year, midwives conducted almost half of all births outside the Bulovka center without a doctor. Doctors are called only for acute cases or when birth complications can be expected. Most often, this is due to labor not progressing or due to the possible risk to the newborn due to lack of oxygen. In such cases, the doctor takes over the delivery and sometimes he has to perform a caesarean section. 24 percent of all births in the Czech Republic end with this procedure, in Bulovka it is just under 17 percent.
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The creation of the Midwifery Center was preceded by the division of competences for midwives, obstetricians, neonatology doctors at Bulovka (pediatrics with specialization in newborn care, editor’s note) and pediatric nurses who care for newborns. The hospital was also based on the demand of the parents themselves.
“Some women are afraid of bad treatment in the maternity hospital, so they try to define their wishes in detail in advance, for example in birth plans,” says Jan Matěcha, head of the obstetrics section of the Bulovka clinic.
Maternity hospital in Podolí
The Institute for Mother and Child Care in Prague–Podolí is one of the most popular maternity hospitals in Prague, where they had 5,598 births last year. They also specialize in high-risk pregnancies.
“Unfortunately, our capacity does not allow us to satisfy all expectant mothers who are interested in giving birth here. We have continuously increased the capacity over the years. Before the introduction of the registration system, the delivery room was often closed due to filling its capacity,” says Alena Měchurová, who is the head of the postpartum department in Podolí.
Another large maternity hospital in Apolinářská street, which belongs to the General Faculty Hospital (VFN), plans to improve its services for expectant mothers.
“Last year we had approximately 4,200 births, now we expect around 3,600. Since September, our maternity hospital has new management and the aim is to listen more to the needs of pregnant women and parents. We want to create a welcoming environment before the birth, during which also during the period of six months of childbirth,” says VFN spokeswoman Marie Heřmánková.
Also at Apolinář, expectant mothers can pay extra for giving birth in a specialized apartment, which is similar to a home environment. “We want to improve prenatal preparation. They were happy to create a community network for clients of our maternity hospital and providers of visits and care by midwives after childbirth at home,” says midwife from VFN Alžběta Samková.