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I have always known that I would like to work in a medical profession one day.

It was important to me to work with people and then also be able to help them.

That's why I did an internship in a maternity ward during the summer vacation before graduation - and I was thrilled!

No pregnancy is the same, every child and every pair of parents is different - but the magic when a new family gets to know each other does not go away.

I started my training as a midwife in 2003 and have not regretted it for a second since then, although I also experience difficult situations.

My work as a midwife also includes supporting families after a miscarriage, silent birth, i.e. when the baby is born dead, or after the birth of a sick child.

Then it is particularly important to be emphatic and to feel what these parents need right now, even if that means crying with them.

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Since trust in my work plays a major role, parents should contact the midwife as early as possible.

You can make the first appointment as soon as you have a positive pregnancy test in your hands.

The women, couples and I get to know each other in a non-binding conversation, and only then do both sides decide whether the chemistry is right.

Only then will I take over the company.

In the months after that, I am often the first point of contact for all sorts of issues - not just medical ones.

Include partners in the pandemic as well

As a midwife, I am entitled to accompany women and couples through preventive examinations, these can take place in alternation with the gynecologist or I take them over completely.

In this case, only the three ultrasound appointments with the doctor take place; we midwives do not offer this examination.

My hands are my most important work tool.

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Through the mother's stomach I can feel how big the uterus is, how the baby is lying, how much amniotic fluid there is.

The parents-to-be also learn to feel their baby in the tummy themselves and thus develop a bond with their child even before the birth.

Franziska Stoewer began her training as a midwife in 2003

Source: Christian Stoewer

Since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, pregnant women have mostly had to go to the gynecologist for examinations alone.

But I think it makes sense to also involve the partners, which is why the women can continue to come to my practice with accompaniment.

I have converted my birth preparation courses into an online offer so that the women and also the partners or birth attendants continue to be informed and strengthened for the birth.

In the current, tense situation in particular, it is extremely important to have a partner by your side during the birth who will pay attention to the woman and the desired course of the birth.

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I also continue to offer comprehensive support during the puerperium, in which I regularly visit the families at home in the first 12 weeks after the birth, with almost no restrictions.

I have the feeling that the couples really appreciate that too

It is a bit ironic that this job of all things is often difficult to reconcile with my own family: Most courses, such as birth preparation or postnatal gymnastics, take place in the evening or on the weekend.

In the puerperium, health insurances pay a flat rate

In addition, there is constant availability for couples and families.

In the case of smaller concerns, through a telephone contact or, if necessary, through a personal appointment.

For example, if a woman contacts me and complains about a painful, firm breast, I go straight to the path, if possible, to treat the congestion in good time and thus avoid a possible breast infection.

I am grateful that I have a great family who always respond with understanding when I have to leave again.

Unfortunately, I have the feeling that my work and that of all my colleagues are not valued by politicians and health insurance companies.

Midwives are often under great financial pressure.

While I can account for the accompaniment during pregnancy with the health insurance company, the postnatal visits are paid at a flat rate.

For only 38.46 euros I can visit young families at home.

It is irrelevant whether I stay for 20 minutes or do extensive breastfeeding support for an hour and a half, the payment remains the same.

This amount is of course gross.

I use this to pay for my health insurance, pension insurance, professional liability insurance, unemployment insurance, car, rent for practice rooms, costs for equipment and much more.

The time-consuming billing with the health insurances, the necessary quality management and the exhausting office work after often arbitrary cuts in the bills by the health insurances are not paid extra.

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This is also the reason why many midwives no longer offer childbed care.

Many families therefore have a hard time finding a midwife or have to come through this special time unaccompanied.

Therefore, there is currently a campaign in favor of midwives so that women will also have the opportunity to be looked after by midwives in the future.

Supporters can send a letter to the umbrella association of health insurers and thus draw attention to our working conditions.

I am still passionate about my job and hope to continue to look after women, couples and young families individually, with an open ear and without constantly looking at the clock.

This text is from WELT AM SONNTAG.

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Source: Welt am Sonntag