We are four midwives from the Appenzell region and have been working for almost two years without pay and with a lot of passion and commitment to realize a birth center in the city of St.Gallen.
We bring a wealth of expertise and experience to the table and have outgrown ourselves during the start-up phase. We are no longer just midwives, but also architects, homepagers, directors, copywriters and business planners. And yes, now even Instagrammers and Facebookers, who would have thought it?
We want to offer parents-to-be in the region an alternative to hospital births and thus create real freedom of choice regarding the place of birth. Neither in the canton of St.Gallen, nor in Thurgau or the two Appenzell cantons is there a corresponding offer with an inpatient maternity ward. The catchment area is large and there is a need to be able to give birth in a natural, non-clinical environment. This is also shown by the increasing numbers of over twenty well utilized birth centers in Switzerland. We were able to raise over CHF 120,000 for inventory through our crowdfunding on the Raiffeisen platform "lokalhelden".
Since the introduction of the new hospital financing system in 2012, birth centers are also service providers under the Health Insurance Act. All services, from pregnancy support to the birth, stay and postnatal care, are financed by the compulsory health insurance. There are no additional costs for women compared to a hospital birth, which makes the birth center competitive.
We have found the perfect location in Lindenpark, in the immediate vicinity of the cantonal hospital, in a central yet quiet location. The birth center is spread over two floors with a total of 320m2. Two birthing rooms, a course room, a treatment room, an office, a lounge with kitchen and five cozy family rooms for the first few days after the birth are available to families.
Investors wanted!
Numerous milestones have already been reached. From the idea, to the founding of the company, from the submission of the operating license and the associated inclusion on the hospital list, to discussions with the health departments of various cantons in the catchment area - we are moving step by step towards the opening. We are currently in the process of securing funding. Of course, the donations from crowdfunding alone are not enough to set up and survive the first financial year. Unlike other start-ups, we have relatively high personnel costs from the outset, as we have to be operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year from the start of operations. We are therefore dependent on help and are looking for investors to support our project with financial start-up aid.
What is special about a birthing center? Why do we need a birthing center?
Pregnancy, birth, postpartum and breastfeeding are natural life processes that strengthen the mother, the child and the family. We midwives support and accompany these processes in this sense - with a great deal of specialist knowledge, experience and heart.
At the St. Gallen birth center, we accompany the parents-to-be holistically and personally. In concrete terms, this means: from the positive pregnancy test, through the birth, in the postpartum period to the end of the breastfeeding period.
Every couple gets to know us midwives during the pregnancy check-ups. In discussions, we learn more about the individual ideas, expectations and wishes that the parents-to-be bring with them.
Every birth is unique, powerful and formative. We support the parents-to-be with a great deal of empathy in a familiar, safe atmosphere. The one-to-one care provided by the midwives creates the ideal conditions for a natural and undisturbed birth. Accompanied by an experienced midwife, women and their partners should feel safe and secure and experience the birth of their child in a self-determined way. Our low-key, low-intervention obstetric care makes a lasting contribution to the health of mother and child. The safety of mother and child is always our top priority.
After the birth, the wonderful time of amazement and getting to know each other begins. It is a very special time - the first hours and days with the new life are often full of emotions. At the St.Gallen birth center, we approach it with a lot of calm. In the family room, you and your new addition to the family have plenty of privacy.
Of course, new fathers can also stay overnight in the birth center. If a birth in the birth center is not possible, women or couples can still spend the postpartum period in one of our family rooms after a hospital birth. As in the hospital, the health insurance companies cover the costs of the postnatal stay in the birthing center for the woman and child. The hotel costs for the partner are borne by the couple themselves. We can continue to provide postnatal care at home in the city of St.Gallen on request.
Our offer is rounded off by various courses on all aspects of parenthood.
We are already looking forward to the opening in spring 2019 and to welcoming the first birth babies. But there's still a lot to do before then, let's get to work.
Text: Carina Piatti, Aline Imthurn, Sabine Kurz and Mirjam Kelemen/Founders
