Women are now free to choose who they would like to accompany them throughout their pregnancy, as well as during the first weeks after birth. Nadine Barthel, president of the Association of Midwives (ALSF), believes this change to be a valorisation of their work and a reason for more satisfaction, both among midwives women expecting a baby.
The last change regarding the workload of midwives came in 2019. Now, two years later, talks between ALSF and the National Health Fund (CNS) have brought more changes, as president Barthel explained to our colleagues from RTL: “Women are now free to choose who will accompany them in their pregnancy, with options to decide between gynaecologists and midwives. Furthermore, they can now choose whether they want to give birth in the hospital or at home.”
Midwives are now able to offer their services outside of maternity wings. Even though the change was already officially approved, it could still take some time before it is implemented, noted Barthel: “Most midwives work in maternities, but we noticed over the past couple of years that there is a growing demand for those working outside of hospitals.”
Since the 2019 reform, the number of independent midwives has almost tripled.
Studies have shown that continued care from the same person even reduces the risk of premature births and C-sections. Nevertheless, ALSF believes there is further room for improvement, as Luxembourg is now only starting to catch up with offers that have long been available in our neighbouring countries.
The final change set to come into effect is the launch of so-called birth houses. Other than in hospital maternity wings, pregnant women will only be accompanied by a small and selected group of midwives, which may foster a more comfortable atmosphere in comparison to the occasional rush felt in hospitals.
