Women in Serbia have been victims of obstetric violence in maternity hospitals for 50 years. Until today, not much has changed, except for the market, so in a private hospital, a woman giving birth pays several thousand euros so that no one yells at her. And that's not a guarantee either
The "Center for Mothers" organization submitted 15 recommendations to the Ministry of Health for improving conditions in maternity wards.
Jovana Ružić from that organization told RTS that it is surprising that there is still talk about the problem of obstetric violence, and that women have been testifying about bad experiences for 50 years, and that we have to understand how doctors go from "I want to help" to "one cow , I will tear you apart".
The recommendations for improving conditions in maternity wards, submitted by the "Center for Mothers" to the Ministry of Health, refer to both the psychological and physical condition of pregnant women and women giving birth, as well as the conditions in maternity wards and hospitals.
Milena Kostić, better known on the Internet as Mama from the Donkey Bench, doula and childbirth educator, tells "Vreme" that future mothers choose to give birth in private hospitals, in search of kindness.
"In working with pregnant women and women in labor, I concluded that those who choose to give birth in private institutions are mostly women who either have bad experiences from state maternity hospitals themselves or have heard too many such experiences and want to avoid them. Their motive is to have a trusted person with them during childbirth, be it a partner or a doula. And only somewhere in third place is the desire to have an experience according to their wishes during childbirth", says Kostić.
She explains that in Serbia this third item is not sufficiently aware of, for the most part, because pregnant women are not informed about what childbirth looks like, what affects it and what helps or hinders us during it.
Education of pregnant women
"Abroad, more work is done on that education and it helps the pregnant woman to define what kind of birth she wants in general. Thus, the evaluation of the experience of childbirth itself does not differ much whether it took place in a state or private institution. But when we compare the overall evaluation of the experience in Serbia, women giving birth in private institutions appreciate the kindness, accessibility of the staff, hygiene, comfort and accompaniment during childbirth", says our interlocutor.
When choosing to give birth in a private hospital, pregnant women are generally willing to pay to have their birth wishes respected. Sometimes, by the way, even doctors in private institutions do not respect them.
"Women are surprised that the protocols from admission to the institution until discharge are slightly different from the national ones, as well as that few health workers are ready to listen and respect the woman's wishes for childbirth. This is not surprising if we see that the same people who worked in state institutions until recently are working in a private hospital and probably cannot or do not want to change the approach and concept of work", says Kostić.
Industry of human dignity
Often women say that it will definitely go badly, but at least they don't want someone to yell at them and that's why they go to a private person.
"Why it is difficult to show a little humanity and kindness in state practice, I don't know. I think that the justification in the lack of staff, the excessive volume of work, the bureaucratic part of the work that has been transferred to doctors, should not exist. Because kindness does not cost anything, and it is not difficult to learn a little patience", asks Kostić.
Lack of goodwill
What needs to be done to improve practices in Serbia and make it easier for women to go through pregnancy and childbirth seems like a simple solution.
"One should recognize that the pregnant woman is the director of everything and support her, but that also requires good will, and I'm not sure there are enough people who would implement it. First, it is necessary to revise the practices used in the protocols in the institutions. Many of them are not used anywhere or are not recommended because it was established 50-60 years ago that they do not contribute to the improvement of birth outcomes or that they are even harmful. However, they are carried out in our maternity hospitals", says Kostić.
He adds that additional education of health workers is needed, in accordance with the fact that childbirth is a physiological act that sometimes requires medical intervention, and not a high-risk medical act that can end in death.
"Accompaniment during childbirth is highlighted in many studies and researches as one of the decisive factors for a good impression from childbirth, reduced chances that it will end with a caesarean section and that it will last less time. The escort should support the pregnant woman and the woman in labor, be supportive in every way, be dedicated to her, and not be some kind of guard. It is often argued here that our maternity wards are not designed that way, but ordinary screens are more than enough to solve this", Kostić concludes.
In maternity hospitals in Serbia, the issue of accompanying during childbirth has not yet been resolved everywhere. It is possible in private hospitals - for an additional fee.
The hospital formed a commission for an extraordinary expert check and informed the health inspection. Cases of death during childbirth in Serbia rarely receive a judicial epilogue.
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