Portugal as a space for exchange and learning on respectful childbirth and birth care

During June 2024, the IPOV – Respectful Care project carried out an especially rich programme of meetings, institutional visits, and professional exchanges in Portugal, focused on improving perinatal care, health training, and the promotion of respectful childbirth and birth care. These activities took place within the framework of several international mobilities of the project and created opportunities to build bridges between universities, hospitals, training spaces, and leading professionals working in maternal and perinatal health.

IPOV – Respectful Care is an international project funded by the European Union under the HORIZON-MSCA-2022-Staff Exchange programme. The project aims to foster the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and good practices among institutions from different countries. Its work focuses on issues related to obstetric violence, respectful maternity care, women’s rights in healthcare, professional training, and the development of more humane, ethical, and evidence-informed approaches to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

One of the key features of this project is the organisation of secondments, that is, exchange stays between participating institutions. These mobilities allow researchers, lecturers, and professionals to spend a period of time at partner organisations in order to learn from their practices, share expertise, carry out joint activities, strengthen international collaboration, and enrich both research and social impact. Secondments are not merely short visits: they are a central tool for creating mutual learning, broadening perspectives, and building a truly connected international network.

In this context, Gimno-Uterus, in Porto, under the hosting of Isabel Ferreira and Diana Lopes, welcomed three project members: Ema Schuler (UNER, Argentina), during her third secondment, from 29 May to 27 June 2024; Serena Brigidi (URV, Spain), during her fourth secondment, from 15 June to 13 August 2024; and Maria Fernanda Gonzalez (UNER, Argentina), during her fifth secondment, from 15 June to 14 July 2024. The overlap of these three stays created a particularly fertile environment for interdisciplinary exchange and the shared observation of practices, experiences, and models of care.

One of the highlights took place on the morning of 19 June 2024, when Serena Brigidi, Ema Schuler, and Maria Fernanda Gonzalez took part at Uterus in a dialogue with midwife Isabel Ferreira, physiotherapist Diana Lopes, and mothers and professionals recognised for their work in respectful childbirth and birth care. This meeting became a space for listening and reflection on professional training, current challenges in perinatal care, and possible improvements in clinical practice. The conversation made it possible to bring together situated knowledge, concrete experiences, and diverse perspectives on how to move towards care that is more centred on women, more aware of their rights, and more sensitive to the lived experience of childbirth and birth.

The programme continued on 20 June 2024 with a visit to the maternity unit of Hospital Pedro Hispano, in Matosinhos, Porto. There, the project members had the opportunity to explore different hospital environments related to childbirth and postpartum care, while also engaging in dialogue with professionals from the service about its organisation and functioning. The head of the department, Carmo Gamboa, together with nurses Rosa Vilarinho and Carla Teles, shared information about the structure of the local health system, the dynamics of the maternity service, and some of the innovative approaches being introduced. Among them, the use of virtual reality in childbirth stood out as a particularly relevant experience, given its potential to improve information, preparation, and support during the perinatal journey.

On 21 June 2024, the group carried out several visits of great relevance to the project. On the one hand, they visited the Bloco de Partos of Hospital Garcia de Orta / Unidade Local de Saúde Almada-Seixal, in Lisbon, where they met with Rosália Marques, Nurse Manager of the Labour Ward and Obstetric and Gynaecological Emergency Service, together with her team. This meeting made it possible to gain first-hand insight into the work carried out in the hospital, its care structure, and some of the challenges and strengths of obstetric care in that context.

On the same day, the project members also visited Hospital São Bernardo, part of the Local Health Unit of Arrábida, in Setúbal. There, they took part in a meeting with Patricia Duarte, Nurse Manager of the Labour Ward and Gynaecology and Obstetrics Emergency Service, as well as with her team. This visit provided a further opportunity to deepen the understanding of different models of healthcare organisation and of the ways in which professional teams approach childbirth and birth care in specific hospital settings. Such encounters are especially valuable for IPOV because they enable comparative observation, the recognition of good practices, and the identification of elements that may inspire improvements in other national and institutional contexts.

On 25 June 2024, Serena Brigidi, Ema Schuler, and Maria Fernanda Gonzalez visited the Simulation Centre of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. During the visit, an engineer presented several projects under development related both to the training of medical students and to the continuing education of healthcare professionals and the wider community. This activity highlighted the enormous potential of simulation as a pedagogical tool for strengthening clinical competences, improving decision-making, reinforcing professional communication, and creating safe learning environments. Within the framework of IPOV, these resources are particularly relevant because transforming perinatal care depends not only on regulatory or conceptual changes, but also on how those involved in care are trained and updated.

The programme concluded on 27 June 2024 with a visit to the School of Health of the Polytechnic of Porto, where the project members were received by academic authorities and by Professor Paula Clara Santos. During the visit, they toured the facilities and learned about several innovative projects currently underway, with particular attention to the use of virtual reality in different areas of research and training. This meeting opened new conversations on teaching methodologies, educational innovation, and technologies applied to health, all of which are closely aligned with one of IPOV’s main goals: to contribute to a cultural and professional transformation of perinatal care through knowledge, cooperation, and critical training.

Taken together, all these activities carried out in Portugal during June 2024 clearly show the value of secondments within IPOV – Respectful Care. Beyond institutional visits, these mobilities create real conditions for international exchange, direct observation, network-building, and shared reflection on respectful childbirth and birth care. They also make it possible to connect research with practice, universities with healthcare services, and academic work with the lived expertise of professionals and women.

These experiences strengthen an international community committed to more dignified, informed, humane, and respectful perinatal care. From IPOV, we also extend an invitation to foster connections and mutual support within our social media community. We kindly encourage everyone to follow one another, share experiences, and participate in the collective conversation using the hashtag #ipovrespectfulcare. Each reflection, insight, and shared experience can help expand the dialogue and enrich this international network of people and institutions committed to change.

To follow the project’s activities, updates, and exchanges, we also invite the community to subscribe to our newsletter, a space designed to keep the circulation of knowledge, experiences, and opportunities for collaboration alive.

Funded by the European Union Programme HORIZON-MSCA-2022-Staff Exchange. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.