Now comes digital birth care: “We don’t want to replace the traditional midwife”

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Katja Jaun is uneasy. The pediatrician recommended giving solid food to her 4.5-month-old daughter. “I think it’s too early,” she says and caresses her sleeping baby in the sling. “What should I do?” he said to his mobile phone in front of him. she asks.

The breastfeeding consultation booked by the young mother takes place virtually. Two midwives, Luzia Weidmann (27) and Nadia Bronzini (28), sit in front of a laptop screen at home giving tips for 40 minutes.
“Our motto: from sofa to sofa,” explains Weidmann. Together with Bronzini, he founded the company Vida, which focuses solely on digital consultancy. Therefore, they do not offer home visits, but instead offer courses, webinars and 12-hour chat support to parents over the Internet via a data protection-compliant messenger.

new in switzerland

This offer is a novelty in Switzerland: Obstetricians are the first midwives in Switzerland to provide exclusively digital consultations.

The idea came to the two of them during the Corona quarantines. “The demand for digital offerings has increased significantly,” says Bronzini. In fact, this phenomenon is relatively new in Switzerland. The first step was the Hirslanden Group, which introduced live chats with midwives in a healthcare app last year. Such online offers have been available in Germany and Austria for years.

Susanne Grylka, head of research at the Institute of Midwifery Science and Reproductive Health at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), is better than others able to assess the advantages and limitations of virtual care: Together with other researchers, she conducted a study to examine how. Midwives and occupational therapists worked remotely during the pandemic.

Midwives especially evaluated the elimination of commuting to work and the decrease in workload as positive. “But of course the big disadvantage is that you can’t touch or feel anything,” says Grylka.

Cannot be changed

This is probably why more than half of the midwives surveyed rated virtual working during lockdown negatively. “That’s why I don’t think support will be available exclusively online in the future,” says Grylka, adding: “Digital advice can be a very useful complement to on-site care.”

Weidmann and Bronzini also see their offers as additional. “We don’t want to replace the traditional midwife,” says the latter. But both believe they are filling a gap with their offerings. “We can cover off-peak times or reach out to families based abroad as well as those seeking advice from home.”

An important advantage is the relief of the healthcare system: “Depending on the situation, we can support people who would otherwise fall into an emergency,” says Weidmann. But they recognize the limitations of online referrals: “We will refer people generously,” says Weidmann.

There is demand

As President of the Swiss Midwives Association, Barbara Stocker knows the needs of midwives and expectant mothers. “We always have members asking about online offerings,” says She.

Stocker can imagine that this offer is suitable for young people as well as parents who cannot find a midwife. But she offers a caveat: “A big part of midwifery work is also relationship work.” You can also better evaluate the environment and family dynamics in situ: “This is missing when advice happens virtually.” But Stocker finds digital advice quite suitable for some topics in breastfeeding advice, where the main goal is to answer a large number of questions.

Katja Jaun also has many questions about virtual breastfeeding counseling. Weidmann listens carefully and nods again and again. “Do you get the feeling he’s interested in food?” she asked. Jaun explains that his daughter sometimes puts a piece of bread in her mouth but does not eat it: “I think her mother’s milk is enough.” Weidmann says this is similar to the tongue thrust reflex. “Your feelings are probably correct; you’ll notice when he wants to start eating.”

Meanwhile, Katja Jaun’s daughter woke up. Jaun starts breastfeeding. At the end of the conversation, Weidmann asked, “How are you feeling?” he asks. “I’m very relieved,” Jaun replied. She will continue breastfeeding before trying solid foods.

Source : Blick