Hospitals simulate domestic environments to humanize childbirth, but the path to access is long

Hospitals simulate domestic environments to humanize childbirth, but the path to access is long


Brazil is the second country in the world that performs the largest number of caesarean sections; new current bets on architecture in favor of science to facilitate normal birth

When I found out I was pregnant, the nurse Daniela Damaceno Massimo I already knew that I wanted to have a normal birth. She then began looking for information from books, doctors, and doing treatments that would stimulate the process.

Despite some difficulties during the pregnancy, Lucca, her first child, managed to come into the world with a normal birth after nine months.

Daniela made her debut with a suite with an atmosphere that “resembles a home” in a private maternity hospital in São Paulo and was also able to count on the help of her husband, Leandro Massimo Ferreiralying next to her on the bed.

“He was very welcoming. He literally stayed with me, pushing me and reminding me of the techniques I could use,” she says in an interview with Estadio.

The nurse, however, shouldn’t be the only one going through the experience. With the discussion of obstetric violence, hospitals have begun to invest in ways to encourage the humanization of childbirth. The access road, however, is still long and bumpy.

A new stream for humanization unites architecture and science

Investments to facilitate normal childbirth are part of a chain that aims to curb unnecessary medical interventions during the process.

With 2016 data, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers Brazil one of the world leaders in caesarean sections.

According to the entity, about 55% of the deliveries were Caesarean sections that year. The country is second only to the Dominican Republic’s rate, which reached 56%.

Monica Maria Siaulysanesthetist and medical director of the Hospital and Maternity Pro Matre Paulista, says that women’s well-being during childbirth avoids a number of complications in the puerperium stage, such as postpartum depression.

“Anything you do first has fewer complications and fewer repercussions later on,” he says. For her, using architecture in favor of science makes childbirth less “medicalized”.

“With this movement, we want to bring this idea of ​​the comfort of home, but with the safety of the hospital,” he explains. The doctor also thinks that investing in the well-being of companions, be they husband, wife, relative or doula, is essential for humanization.

Monica remembers, however, that creating a birth plan and investing in stimuli helps in the process, but does not guarantee that a normal birth will occur.

“The importance of the patient being very safe at the time of delivery is that she is prepared for a moment of uncertainty,” he says, who stresses that the moment involves “two different people”.

The first hour of childbirth, called the “golden hour”, is also essential to start creating the bond between mother and baby, as the anesthetist explains.

Daniela, who was able to experience this moment, sees the importance of guaranteeing the well-being of women and children “to avoid future traumas”. “I think this connection that is established as soon as the baby is born also comes a little bit from this, even beforehand it has to be welcomed,” she says.

Brazil has made progress but lacks investment

As a nurse, Daniela is aware that access to humanized childbirth is not yet a reality for everyone. She, who graduated from the Federal University of Sao Paulo (Unifesp) and worked in public and private hospitals, believes that the problem concerns “a political and social question”.

From the ban on carers to the lack of anesthesia, the health professional reminds that the “traumas” that a woman can suffer at the moment of childbirth are numerous and can have negative consequences for her entire life.

“He can’t bond with his son right after,” she says. “She imagines that she is alone in a new moment, when she is scared, anxious and she doesn’t know what to expect,” she says.

The director Mônica states that, currently, there is a large national movement, both in public and private institutions, for the regularization of deliveries.

According to a survey by the Instituto de Estudos de Saúde Suplementar (IESS), Brazil experienced a nearly 2% decline in the number of caesarean sections between 2013 and 2020.

The biggest challenge, however, according to the anesthetist, is regional inequalities. “When we talk about Brazil we are talking about a continental country. There are still many differences in relation to the degree of access to health”, he comments.

He also cites the lack of access to anesthesia and says there is a need to invest in childbirth education. “Compared to 10 years ago, Brazil has evolved a lot in terms of humanization, but it has a long way to go,” concludes the doctor.

* Trainee under the supervision of Charlise de Morais

Source: Terra

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