OLV Hospital Maternity Ward

6 June 2019

Today in Ghent we had the pleasure of visiting the OLV Hospital Maternity Ward with Dr. Kristine Gabriels, a doctor of both obstetrics and gynecology. We were able to sit down with her and discuss Belgium’s approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care.

Dr. Gabriels shared her experience as an OB/GYN and explained that one of the reasons she chose this as her specialty is that it is a great blend of internal medicine and surgery. She gave us a tour of the maternity ward, showing us the features of the labor and delivery rooms, postpartum care rooms, and the NICU. One of the main things I noticed during our tour is that Belgian and American labor and delivery rooms are actually very similar in size. For some reason I expected European rooms to be larger, but Belgium just optimizes their space by using less clunky equipment and appliances that fold up into the walls, giving the room a more spacious feel (something I am sure laboring mothers appreciate).

During the tour of the facility we were also able to discuss some of the more controversial topics related to childbirth. One of those topics was abortion and how they are easy to obtain in Belgium before the end of the first trimester (first twelve weeks), but it is also up to the hospital to determine whether or not they will be a facility that perform abortions. At the moment, America is very divided on the subject of abortion with some states taking more extreme measures and making abortions almost entirely unavailable. It was refreshing to get another countries perspective on this highly discussed topic.  The most interesting item that we discussed today is the idea of a birth plan. Most expectant American mothers have a very specific and detailed birth plan before the date of delivery. However, there are many instances where that plan has to be changed at the last minute for both the mother’s and the baby’s safety. This can result in the family be disappointed with the overall experience. In Belgium, however, they emphasize flexibility, and instead they offer a tour of the facility with all of the difference equipment and rooms that we can utilized during the labor process. If a mother decides she wants a water birth, she can have one, and if she wants an epidural, she can have that as well.

Overall, I am grateful I was able the visit to the maternity ward. It was an eye-opening experience that really made me consider my viewpoints on subjects such as birth control, abortion, and birth plans.

• Lizzie Church