Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Tue, 17 Mar 1998 10:41:29 -0800 (PST)
"Birthgiving and After:
Changing the Russian Attitude of
Pregnancy and Child Bearing"
Through education about the physical and psychological consequences of
pregnancy and delivery, this project aims: to enhance the self-confidence
of Russian women which can promote pre-natal responsibility; to develop a
more symmetric relationship between midwives and pregnant women; and to
enhance the quality of know how of midwives and nurses about team work, the
relationship between patient and professional, and other delivery
practices. The project which was initiated by the Russia Desk Amsterdam, is
financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Matra (Dutch acronym for
Societal Reforms in Eastern Europe).
The project is being executed by three partners:
1. the Institute of Mother and Child headed by Prof. dr. O.G. Frolova,
who is also the advisor for the R.F. Ministry of Public Health.
2. Pangea parents Culture Center, which aims to promote other ways of
birthgiving (underwater/home, with the partner etc.). The Center is
based in Moscow but is active all over the Russian Federation.
3. The Russia Desk Amsterdam, project leader.
The project is (not financial) supported by the Russian Safe Motherhood
Program and is based on two pillars:
1. Eliminating destructive attitudes in Russian society:
Firstly, within the Russian population itself, through the
translation, adaptation, and promotion of the Dutch book Bevallen en
Opstaan, which has sold more than 700,000 copies in The Netherlands.
This publication will be widely available at a low price. The book
provides useful information, is not directive, and supports pregnant
women and their partners to be independent, critical towards
specialists and health workers and to take responsibility for their
bodies. In this project the Dutch book is thoroughly adapted to the
Russian situation and includes stories about the experiences of
Russian women, photographs, Russian practices and medicines, the law,
the role of the midwife, the official health system, which gives
little room for the wishes of women themselves, alternative
developments, home- and underwater deliveries, sex during pregnancy,
the first period after the delivery, emotional and social changes,
etc. Also training will be developed for pregnant women and their
partners, 'How to prepare for a delivery without stress and pain'.
This will be a train-the-trainers program for people in different
regions, who can organize training programs in their own cities. The
training will focus on preparation, the wishes of the pregnant women,
the participation of their partners, etc.
Secondly the changing of the attitude of Russian midwives at maternity
wards and at organizations which provide consultation to women. This
training will focus on the attitude, prejudices and expectations of
midwives and will give them tools to communicate with their clients in
a more fruitful way. Other subjects are alternative forms of delivery,
symmetric relationship between patient and midwife/nurse,
psychological aspects, supportive behavior, and team working.
2. Expansion of the project's partners' centers from which the practical
knowledge from the book and the training will be spread all over the
country.
The project falls into the framework of the federal 'Safe Motherhood
program'. Recently the Duma decided that the federal budget for family
planning activities will be transferred to this Safe Motherhood Program. A
Russia Desk partner from the Center for Mother and Child, who is also
advisor for the Ministry of Public Health, will develop with Russia Desk a
program to create instruments to realize this Motherhood program, in which
family planning will be a component.
The book Rodit i Vozroditsa will be published in Russia in October. At that
time Russia Desk plans to organize a 1-day-conference, "Will the attitude
towards the 'female problems' be changed?", which will be on the results of
the "Birthgiving and After" project.
The Russia Desk Amsterdam
Domselaerstraat 104
1093 MA Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-20-668 3622 or 468 0756
Fax: +31-842 118737
E-mail: [email protected]
Contact: Olga de Haan, managing director,
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