To offer the best quality delivery services, FV Hospital is offering mothers-to-be more ways to personalise their childbirth

Ms T.T.N. had lived abroad for a long time and had just returned to Vietnam to have her second child. She wasn’t sure which hospitals offered delivery services that were as good as those she had enjoyed when giving birth to her first child, so she asked around. Some friends referred Ms N. to a modern hospital, but she was still not satisfied. Finally, Ms N came to FV Hospital to learn more about the pre natal and deliver options offered here.

Delivery – no longer the same procedure for everyone

Ms N. was very excited to learn of the personalised childbirth programme Birth Plan at FV’s Maternity Ward. She shared: “When returning to Vietnam, I believed – as many other mothers do here – that I would have to do what the doctors told me. “I had no idea that anything like FV’s Birth Plan would be available here, which ensures mothers receive professional support from the medical team and can better plan their childbirth.”

After making the decision to have her baby at FV Hospital, Ms N. received a form where she could check the things she wanted for during her labour. She could choose whether she wanted soft light or strong light in the delivery room; whether she wanted to have her husband or other family members in the delivery suite; whether she wanted to listen to music, watch TV or be in a quiet environment during the delivery process; whether she wanted pain relievers, and so on. This information form is attached to Ms N’s medical record during her prenatal care, delivery and hospital discharge for medical follow-ups.

Since FVH introduced Birth Plan, hundreds of pregnant women have benefitted from this programme and given birth in a personalised environment in a way that they choose. Birth Plan is developed for both vaginal delivery and caesarean section with focus placed on not only ensuring the highest level of comfort in the delivery suite but also on meeting the various needs of pregnant women during their labour. Some women prefer viewing their labour process in a mirror. Others want someone to clamp the umbilical cord or have their cord blood stored in a registry. Many want to hold their baby immediately after the birth.

As social development keeps growing, opinions on labour and delivery are also becoming more open.

Ms Tran Thi Thanh Trang, Head Midwife of FVH Maternity Ward, shares that the ward’s Birth Plan was inspired by the real needs of pregnant women receiving prenatal care and delivery their babies at the hospital. Obstetricians and nurses had a wish list from a pregnant patient from overseas. Acknowledging that mothers-to-be deserve to enjoy their childbirth in the most comfortable environment possible, FVH’s Maternity Ward decided to launch the personalised Birth Plan.

Dr Ho Thi Ngoc, from FVH Gynaecology and Obstetrics, says: “We have had to work much harder since this programme was applied as there was no longer a general procedure for all cases. Each delivery is a unique procedure now.” However, Dr Ngoc also emphasizes that not all requests from pregnant women and family members can be satisfied.

According to Trang, the critical factor for the success of FV’s Birth Plan is effective communication between doctors, midwives and pregnant women. Sometimes, it is not easy to convince mothers-to-be to do something they really do not want but one they are convinced, they will place total trust in their medical team, making their labour easier and their connection with doctors better.