It is important that as the expectant parents, you are supported to consider carefully, not only the place in which you choose to give birth, but also the people you choose to have around you at that time. While every mother’s circumstances and every baby’s birth are unique, the key is being aware of what feels right for you and your partner.
How to Hire a Birth Doula
The earlier in pregnancy that you consider you would like Birth Doula support during labor, the more you can set yourself up with supportive care providers and a birth setting that will respect your wishes. That being said, it is never too late to change your care providers or birth setting at any time.
Our "Hire a Doula in Luxembourg" guide includes step-by-step instructions on how to hire a Birth Doula, conduct interviews as well as how to approach the interactions with your care providers and birth setting to maximise your chances of getting your needs met.
The Birth Culture in Luxembourg is still a bit behind the rest of the world in this arena (so sorry to inform you of this) so it's up to EACH FAMILY, 1-by-1 to consistently and respectfully stand up for their rights which will empower not only themselves but also future families and generations to come! Read on to the Birth Setting section below where you will see the latest developments in terms of birth setting's attitudes to welcoming birth doulas in the birth space.
Lastly, we have set up a support group on Facebook so families can share with others that are going through/are experiencing the same journey in seeking Birth Doula Support as complement to professional medical care.
Since the maternity care world in Luxembourg is built on a technocratic, outdated masculine model of care - even if you don't manage to choose a birth doula at your chosen birth setting, it is beneficial to hire an experienced and well-trained compassionate & strategic support person/coach in a language you can understand, to facilitate an easier and positive journey, despite systemic pressures (see below).
Click the image below to download our free step-by-step guide "How to hire a Doula in Luxembourg":
Click below to join the FB support group:
If you are passionate about supporting Freedom in Birth Choices, please join the group below
Further resources/tools:
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Individual consumers/patients/families can contact the "Service national d'information et de médiation en santé" at info@mediateursante.lu and report the case for possible mediation. Note that this can be done during pregnancy to attempt to resolve the issue or retrospectively after birth to further the cause for future families. Your voice matters!
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Please review the Birth Setting section below to determine where will be your best chance to enable continuous labour support of your choice.
The above info was prepared voluntarily from the heart by Marise Hyman after learning the hard way...
Marise Hyman
Preconception, Prenatal & Parenthood Holistic Coaching, Therapy, Trainings
Regenerative Relationship & Leadership specialist - Marise Hyman, since 2013 has been working with expectant and new families during Preconception, Prenatal and Parenthood, prior to a 17yr career in global big 4 finance, then burnout and rebirth! She's certified as Holistic Maternity Coach Happiest Baby on the Block Educator, Holistic Pregnancy & Sleep Practitioner, Holistic Childbirth Educator, Becoming Us Facilitator, Dancing for Birth instructor, Fearless Birthing Professional (Headtrash clearance method), Birth into Being level 1-4 facilitator, Calm Birth® teacher, Dance for Mental Wellbeing Coach, Social Presencing Theatre & Playback Theatre certified, Professional ICF & EMCC Coach, Team Coach (500 hours +) and Global Inner Development Goal Ambassador (for SDG's/sustainability), Prenatal & Perinatal Educator (PPNE) from the Association of Pre & Perinatal Psychology & Health.
As expat mother of 2 children born in Luxembourg and through her working in the prenatal field, she became aware of important issues requiring attention for birthing families in Luxembourg and voluntarily launched the #choice2haveadoula and #choice2haveamidwife birth rights campaigns of Luxmama. She empowers families with coaching, education, mind-shifts, lifestyle shifts, and inner work (nervous system healing and mastery) in the conception, pregnancy & birth journey transitioning into parenthood in our modern times as complement to what local midwives under the system offers.
Highly experienced in a range of energy psychology & systems sensing techniques, she is specialised in the emotional wellness, healing, resilience, mindset, birth/other fears/blocks reCoding and self-awareness impacting how a mother/couple will experience birth and the major life transition/rite of passage. Healing/recoding "Birth Imprints" is pivotal in her work with "Conscious Conception" and "Conscious Birth Prep"/ "preparing for birth on the inside" (emotional & spiritual preparation & healing), by safely releasing unresolved subconscious energies from each parents' own conception, gestation, birth + formative experiences imprinted in the nervous system, body + limbic brain. As conscious evolution and conscious parenting enthusiast she is passionate about clearing imprints preventing passing it to the next generation, and decreasing risks for perinatal complications, a smoother journey and deep sense of connection to Self and as a result also to baby.
She speaks EN and Afrikaans fluently (some FR and a dash of LU) as she is from South Africa.
Birth settings and Doulas
Your birth setting may greatly influence the level of ease/resistance in respecting your rights and wishes regarding the "circumstances of birth". This is an evolving aspect that will improve with more families, one by one, insisting that they would like to enjoy the benefits of Birth Doula Support at the most important time in their lives.
If your care provider or birth facility is not supportive, it is always possible and advisable to change. If they don't want better outcomes for you and your baby, maybe they are not the right fit for you.
Home Birth
At a home birth, you have full control over your birth environment and birth companions. Home birth can be a wonderful option for low-risk pregnancies. In Luxembourg, it is possible to find a midwife that will provide medical support for births other than the 1st baby. A wonderful addition to your birth companion team will them be a Doula as well.
Contact Luxembourg's Midwife Association for more info on which midwives are available for home birth:
Birth Center
A Birth Center has highly skilled midwives at its core and is a medical facility, specializing in childbirth, that is less restrictive and more homelike than a hospital.
Birth centers offer a much more individually tailored approach to birth with the benefits of hospital birth and the freedom of a home-birth all wrapped into one. If you're a healthy woman at low risk for pregnancy and birth complications and you want a more natural, family-centered experience without routine medical interventions this is an option for you.
A birth center will always respect the parents' rights and wishes regarding the circumstances of childbirth and therefore a Birth Doula will be welcomed.
Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health in Luxembourg is biased regarding Birth Centers and sadly has been blocking attempts by midwives to launch a Birth Center in Luxembourg.
It is not yet clear whether national healthcare insurance will reimburse on a regular basis, births across the border in birth centers.
Follow updates on a Birth Center in Luxembourg: https://gebuertshaus.lu/
Cross-Border Birth Centers:
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Geburtshaus Merzig (DE) 47 min from Luxembourg City (here is a Facebook group for this birth center),
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Geburtshaus Saarburg (DE) 44 min from Luxembourg City,
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Arche de Noé - Maison de Naissance - Namur (BE) 1h30 from Luxembourg City,
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Un Nid pour Naitre - Maison de Naissance - Nancy (FR) 1h30 from Luxembourg City.
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Geburtshaus Trier - http://geburtshaus-trier.de/
Maternite Centre Hospitalier Emile Mayrisch CHEM, Esch-sur Alzette
Every year around 1,200 babies are born in this maternity unit.
The Maternite Centre Hospitalier Emile Mayrisch CHEM located in Esch-sur-Alzette was the only remaining hospital in Luxembourg certified as “Hopital-Ami des bebes et Hopital-Ami des Meres”. The Global Criteria on Mother-friendly care by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative of the World Health Organisation and Unicef, which previously included mother-friendly labour and birthing practices and procedures (not anymore since 2019, now only baby-friendly practices are included in the directive)
The mother-friendly guidelines encouraged women to be supported by companions of their choice to provide continuous physical and/or emotional support during labour and birth, as desired:
"Pour être un Hôpital ami des mères, une maternité doit mettre en œuvre des pratiques respectueuses des besoins des mères pendant le travail et l’accouchement: #1 Encourager les mères à se faire aider, physiquement et émotionnellement, par des personnes de leur choix, de façon continue pendant le travail et l’accouchement, si elles le désirent"
Do refer to the current criteria here which unfortunately does not mention any mother-friendly guidelines any more: www.unicef.lu/luxembourg/bfhi/
However in current practice, upon pre-labour inquiry it seems birthing couples are informed that the birthing woman can not bring along a "doula" to the delivery room "due to a decision made by hospital management"... However there is also discussion of a draft document in place making it possible for families to bring a family member or "friend" in addition to their partner.
We have reached out to the hospital repeatedly since Jun 2017, in order to understand their perspective and provide information but have not been successful in receiving a response.
It has come to our attention that in 2020, without pre-labour approval, hospital staff respected a family's choice to bring along their Birth Doula when they admitted themselves in the hospital in established labour...
CHL: Centre Hospitalier Luxembourg
The hospital explains on their website that their goal is to best meet the expectations and personalized needs of each person.
Up until 2016, a few families already had the opportunity with a supportive care provider that respected their choice to have Doula support at their birth at the Maternité CHL.
However recently in 2017, current practice seems to be that birthing couples are informed that the birthing woman are only "allowed" to bring along one birth companion of their choice to the delivery room. In practise, birthing families are not prevented from alternating the birth companion in the delivery room (with prior discussion with hospital staff).
We have reached out to the hospital repeatedly since Jun 2017, in order to understand their perspective and provide information but have not been successful in receiving a response.
Hôpitaux Robert Schuman - Clinique Bohler Maternity Unit
"With nearly 2,700 deliveries per year, the Clinique Bohler is currently the maternity unit which records the most births in Luxembourg, with more than one third of the total deliveries in the country" as per the website of this birth facility.
We are not aware of any families that were able to have their wishes respected for Doula support in addition to their partner as already a birth companion.
In current practice it seems birthing couples are informed that the birthing woman can only bring along one birth companion to the delivery room and in 2018 we have also received some reports from families that were told they can even not freely choose the birth companion, that it has to be a family member. (keep this in mind when you communicate your wishes to increase chances of reaching your goals.)
It is important to evaluate attitudes and comments received in your care carefully against evidence and in this case, even the local Patient's law (never hesitate to switch away from unsupportive care providers) which contradicts this statement - Local "Patient's law" of 24 Jul 2014 art 7(1): "Le patient est en droit de se faire assister dans ses démarches et décisions de santé par une tierce personne, professionnel de santé ou non, qu'il choisit librement. La personne ainsi choisie par le patient pour le soutenir et l'aider est appelée 'accompagnateur du patient'."
In practise we have been informed of families that alternated the birth companion in the delivery room with "a friend" ;-)
We have reached out to the hospital repeatedly since Jun 2017, in order to understand their perspective and provide information but have not been successful in receiving a response.
Centre Hospitalier du Nord in Ettelbruck
We are not aware of any families that requested Doula support in addition to their partner as already a birth companion.
In 2019 pre-corona, it has come to our attention that families are being told 2-3 birth companions of choice is encouraged, which is wonderful news! The hospital staff seems open and respectful to a family's wish to bring a Birth Doula along.
Since beginning 2020 due to corona, the choice to bring additional birth companions were not respected any more but it will not hurt to keep on requesting.
In the meantime, we have been informed that the hospital is again open to a second birth companion/doula!
Recommended Reading
#choice2haveadoula
"A doula can be a woman’s trail guide in unfamiliar territory, but they cannot carry her every step of the way, even if it were possible to do so.."
The Homestead Guru
