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If you are pregnant, you will get access to any doctor under the National Health Fund. You cannot wait more than 7 business days. What other rights do women have when expecting a baby?
10 rights of pregnant women:
1. A pregnant woman may use healthcare services out of sequence
In order to benefit from medical care, a pregnant woman does not have to be insured. This applies to the period of pregnancy, delivery and puerperium. It should be admitted upon presentation of a certificate from the attending physician or general practitioner, together with a document confirming identity and referral to a doctor, if necessary.
2. A pregnant woman has the right to medical appointments at the latest within 7 working days from the date of reporting in facilities operating under the National Health Fund.
Pregnant women belong to the group of privileged persons. This means that if they are referred to a specialist, e.g. a cardiologist, endocrinologist or dentist, they should be admitted on the same day or within 7 working days at the latest. It is necessary certificate of pregnancy issued by the gynecologist or an annotation on the referral which week of pregnancy.
3. A pregnant woman is entitled to free legal aid financed by the state
Legal assistance is provided in the field of parental and employment rights. The list of centers that provide such assistance can be found at: https://darmowapomocprawna.ms.gov.pl
4. A pregnant woman has the right to psychological support
In the event of obstetric failures or in the case of the birth of a newborn with a very low birth weight (less than 1500 grams), extremely immature or with a congenital defect, the hospital is obliged to provide the woman with psychological care.
If a woman is pregnant, her mood is depressed, she experiences extreme emotions, including sadness and anxiety, she is tired, discouraged from being active, she lacks energy, that is, she has the so-called depressive symptoms, can go – without a referral – to a mental health clinic. It should be admitted (by the National Health Fund) on the day of notification or within 7 working days at the latest.
Find out what is happening in the 14th week of pregnancy
5. A woman has the right to lactation counseling
A woman in the hospital, after giving birth, has the right to receive instructions on how to properly latch a newborn to the breast and learn the rules of proper lactation.
6. Pregnant women have the right to plan the birth
A “birth plan” is a document that states what a woman agrees to, what she expects and how she envisions giving birth. The birth plan is a canvas that is modified by the reality of childbirth. It should be developed during pregnancy with the person in charge of the pregnancy, i.e. a gynecologist or midwife.
W birth plan a woman can mark, for example:
- that she asks for full, clear and understandable information about each planned procedure before giving her consent;
- that, she would like to be informed of a change in her caregiver;
- that he asks for a cannula only in a situation that requires it;
- that he would like to discuss the pain relief methods available at the hospital;
- that she counts on helping her find the best position for her throughout her labor.
7. A pregnant woman has the right to intimacy
Which means that only the necessary personnel can be present during childbirth. The woman must consent to the presence of students. It is guaranteed by Art. 22 sec. 2 of the Act on Patient Rights and the Patient Ombudsman.
– The exception is childbirth in a clinical hospital, i.e. a hospital of the third reference level, constituting a scientific and didactic base for a medical university. If a woman gives birth in a clinical hospital, then the provision of the Patient Rights Act does not apply and the woman cannot forbid the presence of students in the delivery room – adds the lawyer.
8. A pregnant woman has the right to take breaks from working at the computer
Pregnant women may work in a sitting position while operating monitors for no longer than 50 minutes in each working hour, with a 10-minute break. The break is included in the working time.
Work on positions with screen monitors, the total time should not exceed 8 hours a day.
9. To the presence of a loved one both during childbirth and in the doctor’s office on admission to the hospital
A close person is understood as a spouse, relative or relative up to the second degree in a straight line, legal representative, a person who is living together or a person indicated by the patient. It can be: partner, husband, doula or any other person indicated by the pregnant woman.
– Asking such a person out of the room for the time of e.g. insertion of a cannula, puncture of the fetal bladder should be done with the consent of the woman or at her request – emphasizes Łodygowska. – A doctor or other health professional has the right to object to the presence of a loved one only for two reasons: if there is a likelihood of an epidemic threat or because of the patient’s health safety. When a doctor, nurse or midwife refuses to see a loved one, this should be noted in the medical records.
A visit of a loved one to the antenatal room, pregnancy pathology ward or the ward where the woman lies after giving birth should take place during the hours specified by the hospital.
10. A pregnant woman has the right to be supervised by a midwife
From January 2017, not only a gynecologist, but also a properly qualified midwife, can conduct a pregnancy that is going well. Women can consult the midwife on matters related to the child’s development at different stages of pregnancy, emerging ailments and natural methods of alleviating them. A pregnant woman and a midwife can also prepare a birth plan. The midwife also analyzes the results of the laboratory tests.
– A midwife conducts pregnancy in the same way as a gynecologist conducts pregnancy – says Łodygowska. – A woman has the same number of visits during pregnancy and the same tests. Only when the pregnancy has problems, is she referred to a gynecologist or an appropriate specialist.
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