July 01, 2003

The Acuario Birth Centre

Acuario is a very special place. It was set up by an obstetrician as a natural birth centre with the help of an English midwife, Rachel MacLeod, who had been living in Spain for some years. Initially it functioned in an unusual birth house, where families could come and live at the end of the pregnancy, give birth to the baby, then remain for a few days before returning home. When the demand for this service outstripped the accommodation, a small maternity unit was set up, with two birth rooms and a postnatal area. Today, it has expanded further still and now has an operating theatre and small intensive care unit and it now also operates as a small general surgical unit.

Each birth room is cosy and well equipped - they both have a large pool, and a specially built corner bed platform that is triangular. This does not look at all like a bed and has throw cushions and a large square fabric covered foam block that can be positioned for support anywhere the woman wants to be. It does have two holes for stirrups, hidden under the edge of the mattress, should a ventouse become necessary, but this is rarely used. In addition, there is a birth ball, birth stool, a rope ladder from which woman can hang, and the usual dim lights, music and homelike decor.

There are now four obstetricians who use Acuario. Since the operating theatre was added, the clientele and possible birth options has expanded, (they can now do caesareans, for example) but the emphasis is still on natural physiologic birth as a primary aim. The buildings are located in a quiet village about an hour south of Valencia, towards Alicante and the grounds have gardens and a row of ancient pine trees, which add a special ambience.

Several languages are spoken amongst the staff, and this has encouraged women from other countries to go to Acuario for the birth of their babies. Some may have travelled many hundreds of kilometres from Madrid or even Barcelona to give birth, and they will stay nearby in the village until the time comes for the birth. Prenatal classes are available for everyone who uses the centre and each month a long weekend program is offered for those from out of town.

The midwives work a 24 hour shift when they are on duty at the centre. This enables continuity of care and makes it practical for those who live some distance away to join the team. Rachel lives an hour away, and apart from her weekly shift sat the centre, she also offers home births in Valencia, runs prenatal programs for parents and does the occasional shift at her local hospital. Her caseload is usually four to five home births each month in addition to her work at Acuario.

The philosophy and dedication of the staff who work in this unique centre is impressive. In common with similar units in other countries, they have attracted people who share common goals and attitudes and who feel strongly about the normality of birth and its importance for mothers and babies. I really enjoyed the relaxed attitude and friendliness of the people and am looking forward to coming back again in October for the next workshop.

Posted by andrea at July 01, 2003 01:27 AM

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Thanks for this useful information Andrea - I have forward this on to Isabella and James, although they ar in Italy, this may be very useful to them. Also to us when we want to revamp!!!

Posted by: Lyne Staff on July 3, 2003 09:42 AM

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As a british midwife trying desperately to create a woman centred service in the most southern part of spain, I am relieved to find that normal midwifery care can co-exist in Acurio with the male dominated gynaecologist culture within the private and state sector. Where I have encountered the most outdated and outrageous practices which still prevail on a daily basis! It is sad that such a vibrant, welcoming and family oriented country has so little to offer the womenfolk in relation to birth choice.
Long live Acurio!

Posted by: Elizabeth Arthur on July 27, 2003 11:28 AM

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I am pregnant and I am about 28 weeks gestation at present. I am very interested in natural childbirth out of the hospitals. I am living in Spain and I don't know about birthcenters in Spain or about the posibility of giving birth in England. Please, would you main to send me information or web-sites that could be usefull for me (if possible spanish web-sites and adreeses as well)? Thank you very much for everything. Bye

Posted by: TATIANA MONGE on October 30, 2003 06:38 AM

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I was very interested to hear about the Acuario Centre. Do you have a contact tel number or e-mail address so as to contact Rachel. I am in Spain and wonder if it is worth a visit

Thankyou in advance

Posted by: Dot Fogell on November 9, 2003 01:15 AM

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Any information about Acuario or similar places in northern Spain, links etc would be massively appreciated. Spanish and english sites. Thankyou very much.

Posted by: will on November 21, 2003 07:37 AM

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I live in Marbella, southern Spain and I recently discovered I am pregnant. I feel very strongly about giving birth to my first child at home and I am confident that I will manage with as little intervention as possible. The problem is the lack of support in this town for my birth choice. Do you happen to know of a midwife in this part of the world who believes in the same philosophy and can advise and assist me in this matter, or shall I pack up and move to Alicante for my last trimester? Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Posted by: Jenny on November 26, 2003 10:56 AM

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Posted by: blackjack on January 19, 2004 09:47 AM

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please can you put me in contact with Rachel. I will be moving to Valencia shortly and would like to meet and talk about midwifery

Posted by: Sarah Martin on February 3, 2004 01:09 AM