Midwife-assisted birth – natural & safe

The obstetrics clinic at the USZ has a very good care ratio, better than in most other hospitals. This means that we can almost always offer very good midwife care (1:1) for the women giving birth. Women are primarily cared for by midwives during childbirth. Nevertheless, there are always doctors on call in the background, and our department is also located right next to the neonatology department, which offers additional safety in emergencies.

Even without a high-risk pregnancy, you will benefit from particularly safe, modern and individual care at the USZ. The award as the best maternity clinic in Switzerland, the top medical infrastructure and the round-the-clock presence of experienced specialists from all disciplines make the USZ a very good and safe choice for your birth – regardless of how your pregnancy progresses.

Both concepts are very similar and have in common that the birth is managed by midwives. Both concepts focus on a natural and low-intervention birth with individual care.

With midwife-assisted birth, however, some medical comforts are foregone, especially in the area of pain relief. In contrast, in our concept it is possible to receive pain relief methods such as an epidural and still be guided through the birth by the midwife.

A physiological pregnancy refers to a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy that proceeds without significant medical problems or complications. It is characterized by the following features:

• Pregnancy progresses in the usual phases, with an average duration of around 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstruation.
• Both the mother and the unborn child are healthy.
• The pregnant woman is gaining weight at a healthy and appropriate rate, which indicates good nutrition and general health.
• There are no complications such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia (pregnancy poisoning), premature labor or other problems.
• The pregnant woman is preparing for a vaginal birth and there are no indications that a caesarean section or other medical interventions will be necessary.
• The pregnant woman feels emotionally and psychologically well and there are no signs of depression, anxiety or other psychological problems.

The physiological pregnancy is accompanied by regular check-ups – for example in our midwife consultation – in order to monitor the well-being of mother and child and identify possible risks at an early stage.

A physiological birth is a spontaneous, complication-free birth process in which the baby and the placenta are born through the mother’s natural labor forces without the need for medical intervention. The birth can be attended by a midwife without the need for medical intervention.

Physiological birth in the hands of a midwife offers individual, continuous and emotional care, promotes a natural birth process with fewer medical interventions and supports the mother’s self-determination, which leads to a more positive birth experience. In addition, both the mother and the baby benefit from comprehensive aftercare and breastfeeding support, which contribute to better recovery and health.