Die Hebamme
If you're going to have a baby in Switzerland, as we are, then Hebamme is an important German word to learn. It means midwife. I'm not sure that the term midwife is used much in the US. It's definitely not as common as it is here. At home, I think of it as being used only in a context of alternative birthing methods. I suppose at home the women who help in the delivery room are simply called labor and delivery nurses. And frankly, I don't know if there's a difference in what the nurses in the US do to assist in that process vs. what the midwives do at the Swiss hospitals. And I don't know whether there's a different training/education process to get them to that point. But regardless, I've already learned that midwives are VERY important here, and the term is often used during our prenatal classes, and during our doctor's visits.
Anyway, last night we met our first Hebamme. Once a month, the hospital where I'll be delivering offers a tour in English for parents-to-be. There were just 4 of us, and the other couple is a British couple who are also in our prenatal class. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous and anxious about the hospital tour, even though part of me was also looking forward to it. Let's be honest. No matter how excited you are about having a baby, NOBODY is excited about the actually process of having the baby (eg. the delivery), and seeing a delivery room just makes it that much more real. It's terrifying to me. I try to keep myself calm by remembering that millions of women have done it, that millions of women around the world do it every day, and, most importantly, that I'm a strong woman (or at least I like to think so).
In addition, I don't like hospitals in general. Unlike my sister, who works in a hospital and is totally comfortable in the environment, my only experience with hospitals is visiting sick people. More specifically, I spent so many days in Madison hospitals over the past few years when both of my parents were fighting awful diseases that ultimately took their lives. Hospitals just bring back too many icky feelings for me.
All that being said, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the positive experience during our hospital tour last night. The midwife who took us on the tour was very nice, and calming, and kept a good sense of humor through our endless questions. It was actually somewhat reassuring to see the delivery rooms and the midwives that would be assisting in the delivery. It's a small, private hospital (only 3 delivery rooms), which makes it feel not quite so institutional. We saw the rooms where we would wait if we came to the hospital in early labor but weren't quite ready for delivery (some of which had nice balconies overlooking the surrounding park), we learned who to call at the hospital when we think it's time to be admitted (when contractions are about 10 minutes apart for about an hour), and even how to get into the hospital if we come in the middle of the night. I love how I just used "we" in all of those sentences! I don't have to do all this labor stuff alone, do I?!
Anyway, last night we met our first Hebamme. Once a month, the hospital where I'll be delivering offers a tour in English for parents-to-be. There were just 4 of us, and the other couple is a British couple who are also in our prenatal class. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous and anxious about the hospital tour, even though part of me was also looking forward to it. Let's be honest. No matter how excited you are about having a baby, NOBODY is excited about the actually process of having the baby (eg. the delivery), and seeing a delivery room just makes it that much more real. It's terrifying to me. I try to keep myself calm by remembering that millions of women have done it, that millions of women around the world do it every day, and, most importantly, that I'm a strong woman (or at least I like to think so).
In addition, I don't like hospitals in general. Unlike my sister, who works in a hospital and is totally comfortable in the environment, my only experience with hospitals is visiting sick people. More specifically, I spent so many days in Madison hospitals over the past few years when both of my parents were fighting awful diseases that ultimately took their lives. Hospitals just bring back too many icky feelings for me.
All that being said, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the positive experience during our hospital tour last night. The midwife who took us on the tour was very nice, and calming, and kept a good sense of humor through our endless questions. It was actually somewhat reassuring to see the delivery rooms and the midwives that would be assisting in the delivery. It's a small, private hospital (only 3 delivery rooms), which makes it feel not quite so institutional. We saw the rooms where we would wait if we came to the hospital in early labor but weren't quite ready for delivery (some of which had nice balconies overlooking the surrounding park), we learned who to call at the hospital when we think it's time to be admitted (when contractions are about 10 minutes apart for about an hour), and even how to get into the hospital if we come in the middle of the night. I love how I just used "we" in all of those sentences! I don't have to do all this labor stuff alone, do I?!
<< Home