Free offers | Free midwive care during pregnancy

Free midwife care during the pregnancy

Since 2011 the Hebammenzentrum offers free pregnancy care through midwives, called “Pilotinnenprogramm (PIP)”. This program is made possible and funded through a private trust.

This program contains:

• Up to four appointments with (the same) midwife during the pregnancy. (If you are living in Vienna, it is possible that the midwife comes home to you for one or two of those appointments.)
• One or two appointments after the birth to talk about birth and life with a newborn

The midwife ...

• asks about your health status
• gives information about pregnancy, birth, the time when the baby is here, breastfeeding, etc.
• makes regular screenings, like urine test, blood pressure, etc.
• palpates the belly, feels how the baby is lying, checks the baby`s heart rate
• has time for all your bigger and smaller questions, worries or fears
• has also time for the father*-to-be and older siblings

The first appointment is longer and includes an overview for the both of you. If needed to select, we give preference to women*/families who are in need of further support (social, medical, psychological) or who can`t afford a private midwife care.

Support within the pilot program is available in German, English, French, Italian and Arabic.

Women*, who are planning on a home birth or have a private midwife accompanying them to birth in hospital, can not participate in this program. Furthermore, this program does not include any assistance during birth itself or midwife-led-care after birth at home. Although to organise a midwife for home visits after birth is highly recommended!

...to have an alternative contact person to the doctor, to discuss the pregnancy as a whole - not just the physical aspect.

The midwife took all my fears and problems seriously and tried to answer all my questions and take away the uncertainty!

Simply having an additional point of contact for all irrational and rational thoughts took away a lot of my worries.

I took a more relaxed approach to the birth and didn't have such a stubborn idea of what it should be like.