Obstetric Clinic
St. Elisabeth and St. Barbara Hospital Halle
Information for English-speaking patients
We are happy to welcome you to our homepage and would like to introduce you to our obstetric procedures in what follows.
Please select from the following list of topics for more information:
At St. Elisabeth and St. Barbara Hospital, foreign patients from a variety of nations and cultures are able to give birth. We strive to respect any cultural and religious needs our foreign patients might have during their in-patient stay.
We have written up some relevant information for you in different languages.
In order to plan medical treatment or a delivery, it is important that doctor and patient be able to understand each other. Some of our associates speak English, French, Russian, or Polish. If you do not speak German, you should come to your appointment with a translator if at all possible. In the event that you have no access to a translator, we will provide one if you come for in-patient treatment.
We would be delighted to welcome you into our clinic.
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Ambulance transport in Halle |
(0345) 80 70 100 |
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Emergency Medical Services |
112 |
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Delivery room |
(0345) 213-4420 |
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Maternity ward |
(0345) 213-5141 |
When it starts: The birth of your baby
The following are signs that the baby is on its way:
Very typical are regular and noticeable contractions that at first come about every 20 minutes and later have shorter and shorter pauses in between. A further sign of impending birth is the detaching of the mucous plug from the cervix, which can be mixed with some blood. And sometimes the water breaks while you are still at home. If that happens, you will only be aware of amniotic fluid flowing out. It might be only a little bit, sort of like if you needed to go to the bathroom but didn't get there fast enough; or you might release a large stream of amniotic fluid. But what do these signs mean?
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The water breaking: Until its birth your baby lives in the amniotic sac, which normally stays sealed until then. A break in the amniotic sac happens either in the upper part of the uterus, in which case only a few drops of amniotic fluid come out, or down near the cervix, in which case a large quantity of amniotic fluid will flow out. Your doctor may have told you during your last appointment that if your water breaks and there is a large loss of fluid, you should get brought to the clinic lying down. In general, you should get to the clinic quickly but calmly.
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Labor:
A contraction (labor pain) is caused by the muscles of the uterus contracting downwards from the top. During the birth process this causes the uterus to change from being shaped like a bottle with a thin neck to being shaped like a ball with a wide opening for the baby to pass through. Additionally, contractions help the baby drop lower into the pelvis, thereby widening and stretching the birth canal with its head or sometimes its rump.
False labor usually begins one to two weeks prior to delivery but normally manifests itself only as a tightening of the belly.
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Bleeding:
Light bleeding by the due date is usually harmless but should be seen by a doctor. In the case of heavy bleeding, it is best if you go straight to the clinic (use the Emergency Medical Service - phone 112).
How to tell when it is time to leave:
If the contractions come every 10 minutes, you should monitor the rhythm for a little while and then go to the clinic. Don't wait too long if you need a lot of extra time to make it to the clinic.
When should you present yourself in the clinic?
- Contractions every 10 minutes or less that have been taking place for more than an hour
- Breaking of the water
- Bleeding
Note:
You should present yourself even if you only suspect that your water has broken. It is not always easy to tell the difference between a release of amniotic fluid and an involuntary release of urine (which often happens during pregnancy). If there is loss of amniotic fluid, lie down immediately and come to the clinic lying down in an ambulance. This is especially important if the baby's head is not yet firmly positioned in the pelvis. You should likewise get immediate ambulance transport into the clinic if you have bleeding. If there is only some discharge of slightly bloody mucus, there's no reason for worry, as that is only a sign that the cervix is starting to open.
The overnight bag
You should already pack an overnight bag 2 to 3 weeks before the due date so that everything is ready for when the birth starts.
The overnight bag should contain the following items:
- For the mother:
Robe
Washing/bathing items
Slippers
Nightshirts
Towels
Nursing bras
- For the baby (not needed until discharged from the hospital):
Undershirt (body-length)
Jacket
Shirt
Cap
Baby carrier/Car seat
Onesie (romper)
Blanket
Socks
- Paperwork
Pregnancy record booklet (Mutterpass)
Marriage certificate (or birth certificate if unmarried)
Paternity certificate (if unmarried)
Personal ID
Health insurance card or Clinic-Card
We would be delighted if you gave birth to your baby in our clinic, and recommend that around the 34th to 36th week of your pregnancy you preregister to give birth. Your obstetrician will provide you with a referral. Please set a date for the registration and initial exam in our ward (Tel. 0345/213-4680).
What will take place during the registration and initial exam?
- Filing of the "Birth Sheet" by the midwife
- Discussion with a doctor to go over information about the delivery
- Ultrasound exam
- Individualized planning if risk factors are present
- Arrangements for individual wishes and birth plans
- Date: about the 34th to 36th week of pregnancy
- Place: Obstetric Ward (Geburtshilfliche Ambulanz)
- To set an appointment after about 30 weeks of pregnancy: Tel.
The registration is primarily done so that all the formalities are taken care of before the delivery begins. First a midwife will find out about how your pregnancy has progressed and will file a partogram, which is a sheet that charts the progress of the pregnancy and of labor. She will be available next to answer individual questions about the coming delivery. Then a doctor will perform an ultrasound exam, followed by his discussing the delivery with you. If any risk factors are present pertaining to the pregnancy or the birth, these will be gone over and a determination made whether the date of birth or the delivery method or procedures are affected thereby. If you have any individual preferences concerning the delivery or your care during the recovery period, this is an opportunity for you to convey them to us. We will happily advise you during this appointment about alternative birthing positions as well as about giving birth in water. Often the expectant mother will have questions about anesthesia during delivery, and we will gladly advise you.
The registration and initial exam are also an opportunity for you to acquaint yourself a little bit with the birthing clinic in advance of giving birth there.
Thanks to the delivery registration procedure, many issues that normally come up when a patient arrives at the clinic already in labor do not have to arise, so that when delivery begins we only have to concern ourselves with taking care of you.
Please set an appointment for the delivery registration in our ward (telephone: 0345/213-4680).
Family-oriented Obstetrics
Individual and personalized care by staff midwives or consulting midwives
- OB-GYN available 24 hours, plus senior physician or head of staff on call
- Alternative delivery options such as birthing mat, birthing chair, rope hanging from the ceiling, and beds that can be freely positioned
- Many years experience with water births
- Low rate of planned and unplanned cesarean sections (19%), low rate of episiotomies (20%)
- Individualized treatment for pain during delivery available round the clock (homeopathy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, local anesthesia of the pudendal nerve, epidural anesthesia)
- Anesthesiologists and pediatricians specializing in newborns available 24 hours
- Delivery rooms, maternity ward, nursery, and ward for care of premature infants all directly neighboring each other
- The rooms in the delivery and maternity wards, nursery, and premature infant ward all customized with artistic decorations, each forming part of an overall design by the Burg Giebichenstein School for Art and Design in Halle (Art in the Delivery Room)
- Accommodation in the maternity ward exclusively in double or single rooms (all with rooming in) with bath, telephone, and TV
- Internet terminal in the ward
- "Healthy Baby Sleep" approach
- Nursing-friendly approach on the part of the care/Nursing group
- Accommodation together with the father in a family room available upon request
- Wide range of courses on topics before and after delivery
Special medical treatment options
- Premature birth/threat of premature birth/premature labor
- Cervical insufficiency
- Natural birth for babies in breech position
- Multiple pregnancies
- Suspected problems with the baby`s growth
- Birth defects
- Conditions in the mother such as high blood pressure, illnesses during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia, HELLP-syndrome), and gestational diabetes
- Blood-group incompatibility (blood-group antibodies)
- Infectious diseases
- Drug dependency
- Prenatal diagnostics performed with the most modern 4D ultrasound technology certified by the German Society of Ultrasound Medicine (DEGUM, level II), and by the Fetal Medicine Foundation
- First-trimester screening, high-resolution sonography, Doppler sonography, Echocardiography
- Amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling
The obstetricians, pediatricians specializing in newborns and premature babies, pediatric surgeons and pediatric anesthesiologists work closely together in the so-called Perinatal Center when treating complications of the pregnancy and diseases in the newborn. Thus there is competent and specialized help for all planned and unplanned situations available on the spot.
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E-mail: |
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Address: |
Krankenhaus St. Elisabeth und St. Barbara |
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Directing physican |
Dr. med. Sven Seeger |
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Office of the directing physician: |
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The clinic on the Internet: |
www.geburtshilfe-halle.de |
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Directions to the clinic: |
Map showing location of the clinic If taking public transportation: |
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Parking: |
Underground garage, entrance on Taubenstraße |
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