Pregnant women puzzling: where to go for birth

Obstetrics at the Schongau Hospital: It is a central point in terms of delivery in the Oberland and closes the gap between Landsberg, Kaufbeuren, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Starnberg.

The corona-related closure is a disaster for expectant mothers.

For midwives too.

• Heavily pregnant women are desperate and fear that they will not make it to the hospital on time

• Midwives from other clinics are overburdened; too many women suddenly have to be cared for

• Outpatient delivery can currently no longer be offered

District -

How important obstetrics is at the Schongau site is shown by our research: Desperate pregnant women, overworked midwives - those who are currently still allowed to practice.

As reported, after the Corona outbreak at Schongau Hospital, the maternity ward was also closed.

Midwife Andrea Reis speaks for the midwifery practice in Peiting, where the complete program is offered except for childbirth.

Most of the pregnant women in this practice had planned to give birth in Schongau.

“Many are afraid,” she says.

Especially mothers who are about to have their second or third child fear that it could go too fast and that they will no longer be able to make the further way to the hospitals in the other districts.

In other clinics there is a lack of personal care

All the women giving birth who had to be sent to other clinics up to now quickly realized there was a lack of personal care.

"The midwives in the other hospitals are totally overwhelmed," said Reis.

The midwife in Peitingen reports on a night in the Landsberg delivery room, in which an additional six women who actually wanted to give birth in Schongau were lying in Landsberg.

Plus the births originally planned there.

For the midwives in Landsberg: Hardly possible anymore.

Especially since the closure of obstetrics at Schwabmünchen Hospital in 2018 has to be cushioned.

According to information from our newspaper, the Landsberg Hospital is said to have already tried to find out whether midwives in Schongau can now help out there.

Inquiries about home birth care increased

Midwife Theres Waldmüller from Pähl recorded a spontaneous increase in inquiries about home births. She has specialized in home births after many experiences as an attending midwife in various hospitals.

The fact that more and more people now want to give birth in their own four walls, "that was the result of Corona," she says.

Many pregnant women would feel safer at home - or would go home quickly after an outpatient birth.

This is also confirmed by Andrea Reis.

Outpatient delivery means: six hours after the birth, the newborn is taken to a safe home.

However, the midwives, who can currently still do their work, are reaching their limits when it comes to home care.

Reis: “We have admission freeze for outpatient births.” By the way: In the long term, inquiries from Theres Waldmüller are hopeless.

"I'll be full until April."

In Schongau, midwives continue to offer preventive care and aftercare through gynecological practices

Corona has also made itself clearly noticeable to the Schongau home birth midwife.

She recorded a third more inquiries about home births.

"And the aftercare after outpatient births has also increased significantly for me." However, this has already been the case since the pandemic outbreak in March.

The Schongau midwives continue to offer preventive care in gynecological practices, as well as aftercare at home.

The fear and hope when the Schongau obstetrics can be reopened continues.

Pregnant women are afraid and want the Schongau obstetrics department to be opened quickly

We spoke to women who are about to give birth.

All three hope that obstetrics in Schongau will be reopened in time.

Carina Weihofen (27) from Hohenpeißenberg: For the native Schongauer, who now lives in Hohenpeißenberg, the temporary closure of the Schongau obstetrics facility is a personal disaster: she had her first child for a first-time woman almost in a hurry.

The fear is great that the second child could see the light of day in the car.

After all, you can't get to any other maternity hospital from Hohenpeißenberg in less than 45 minutes.

When she was first born, the secondary school teacher made a conscious decision to give birth in the home clinic in Schongau.

At that time she was still living in Munich.

During an appointment to visit a maternity ward in the capital, it quickly became clear: “You couldn't see a floor there for all your feet.” The assembly line sends its regards.

How good that when the young woman went into labor before the birth of her first child, her husband was with her in-laws in Hohenpeißenberg.

That's two weeks before the appointment. You make it to Schongau.

And are thrilled.

In Schongau "the atmosphere is great"

“The atmosphere is great, you already know all the midwives through the birth preparation courses.” Carina Weihofen quickly realized that if she should give birth again, “then definitely back in Schongau.” She has now written to the district administrator out of sheer desperation.

To the group chairmen of the district council.

To the managing director of the Krankenhaus GmbH, Thomas Lippmann.

Described that she lives “as a heavily pregnant mother in the greatest uncertainty”.

For Carina Weihofen one thing is certain: "If obstetrics in Schongau opened, I would immediately decide to give birth there - even if the situation at the hospital there is that way." There are not only emotional reasons for this, but also pragmatic ones: In other hospitals According to the heavily pregnant woman, the staff is simply not being tested at the moment - for fear of the results.

It should be all the safer on an obstetrics ward with midwives who have tested negative several times without exception.

Your plan B?

“I hope in Schongau.” Especially since she emphasizes: Obstetrics is the responsibility of the district.

There are no more dates available in Landsberg

Madeleine Friebel-Pfeifer from Peiting (35 years old): The mother of two has already given birth twice in Schongau.

The care there, she says: “1A.

The familiar surroundings, the great midwives and gynecologists - you can feel comfortable here. ”At the beginning, when the news of the closure became known, she still had hope.

When it got less and less, she contacted obstetrics at the Landsberg Clinic.

"They told me on the phone that I actually had no chance, they didn't have any vacancies." The whole thing is sort of a game of luck.

“Sometimes they have two births, sometimes twelve.” So Garmisch?

There is great fear that the baby may be going too fast.

In addition, there is the memory of two births that were anything but uncomplicated.

The hope remains on Schongau.

In Schongau it is still "familiar and personal"

Franziska Barnsteiner (30) from Steingaden: Mentally, Franziska Barnsteiner was hit hard by the temporary closure of the Schongau obstetrics department.

After all, she had had positive experiences with the delivery of her first son a good two years ago.

"The midwives and doctors were all really helpful and empathetic." She would have felt in good hands.

“It's not like obstetrics on the assembly line there - it's family and personal.” She would also give birth again in Schongau immediately and hopes that a solution will be found by the beginning of December.

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And here you can find more reports from the region