Jørgine Massa Vasstrand (33), also known as Funkygine, has given birth to four children. The last time she gave birth was in January this year. The 33-year-old believes that hospitals should take better care of both pregnant women and those giving birth, so that they have the surplus they need to care for a child. – Now I don’t know very much, but I assume that it must be much more expensive to carry out firefighting afterwards than to take some simple precautions. Was told that it was full After going into overtime for the fourth time, Vasstrand was forced to have the birth started at the hospital. It was actually something everyone expected would happen, she says. OVERTIME: Jørgine Massa Vasstrand has had to initiate labor at all four births because she has been on overtime. It was hectic at Ahus. Even though she had been given an appointment, she was told that it was fully an hour before they were to start the birth. – Then being sent home and perhaps not feeling that you are part of a system somewhere, but that you are just part of a large machine that unfortunately has no capacity, is a bit hard to swallow. Timane was canceled two more times for the same reason. – Now, fortunately, I have a lot of people around me who take care of me and look after me, but I can imagine that it is even tougher if you are in it alone. – Demanding both physically and mentally, Vasstrand therefore tried another, smaller hospital. There was a vacancy there, and the mother of four had a completely new experience. – I think what you feel when you are pregnant, regardless of whether it is the first or fourth time, is that you would like the health personnel to embrace you a little. That someone will look at you and say “I know your name. I know when you’re due. I’ll take care of you.” Vasstrand believes that this is something that is lacking, especially in the large hospitals. – I think it is an incredibly unfortunate way to operate, says Vasstrand. Although giving birth is the most natural thing in the world, it is incredibly demanding both physically and mentally, she says. SCOPE: Vasstrand lacks follow-up and contact with staff at the hospital during pregnancy. When she changed from Ahus to Kongsvinger hospital, which is a smaller hospital, she had a completely new experience. – You also see that there are more and more people who struggle with postpartum depression, who have problems afterwards, or who do not receive good enough follow-up with pelvic floor training. Sounding the alarm Tillitsvalde sounded the alarm earlier this year about the shortage of midwives in the hospitals in Austlandet. They sent several messages of concern. Midwives in Oslo warned that the quality of maternity services has gotten worse and worse in recent years. In one of the letters, it is stated, among other things, that the lack of midwives means that several women are not told how much they bled or were stitched up during the birth. The initiator of the organization Barselopprøret, Cecilia Ingulstad, says that hospitals are now in such a pressing situation that many women are not allowed to enter the hospital to give birth. – Women give birth at home, on the road or at the door of the hospital, so the fear of not being able to arrive does not only apply to women who live far from hospitals in the districts. She says that many women in labor experience hardly seeing a midwife when they enter the hospital. This summer, midwives have had to help with several births at the same time, says Ingulstad. A way to go State Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Care Karl Kristian Bekeng (Ap), says that there is still a way to go to get good pregnancy, birth and maternity care in place. At the same time, he points out that Norway is doing well compared to other countries. – On the quality indicator of infant mortality and things like that, I’m in a very good position. Most people are also satisfied with systematic feedback. But that doesn’t mean I can’t get better. Bekeng says that the government has allowed more money for the education of midwives and increased the basic support for hospitals, so that they can employ more midwives. Ingulstad in Barseloppgjeret believes that surviving a birth must be a minimum requirement. The last time pregnant women and those giving birth were asked about their experience of the offer was in 2017. Ingulstad believes that one should now ask those giving birth again. – A lot may have happened since 2017. The government is currently working on the National Health and Cooperation Plan, which will include pregnancy, birth and maternity care. The plan should be completed next year.
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Funkygine thinks the maternity offer is too bad – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
