Elisheva Levine is the head midwife at the Rady Mother and Child Center Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus. She has held the position for six years. Previously she was the head of a maternity department and a delivery-room midwife. She taught in nursing school, was an emergency-room nurse for several years and a nurse in a community clinic. She has a bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's degree in health-systems management.
Dr. Lorinne Levitt is the head of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit and founder and head of the Corrective Birth Experience Clinic, both at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus. She is a lecturer and clinical instructor in obstetrics and gynecology at Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center. She has won numerous awards, including the excellence prize of the Israeli Medical Association scientific committee for a research project during residency and The Betty Shane Scholarship Award for Young Physician Excellence in Research.
September ranks among the most popular birth months, with September 9 marking the most frequently occurring birthday in the United States. It’s a great time for new beginning and an ideal time to delve into childbirth and infants. And what better topic to discuss as we embark on a new season! Our season five opener features guests Elisheva Levine, the head midwife at the Rady Mother and Child Center at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus, and Dr. Lorinne Levitt, who leads the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit and is the founder of the Corrective Birth Experience Clinic at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus. We'll explore the differences in childbirth between the United States and Israel, where midwives typically take the lead in uncomplicated deliveries.
Levine emphasizes the independence and pride of Israeli midwives in their role as primary caregivers during low-risk physiological deliveries. Hadassah midwives provide support and personalized care tailored to each woman's unique needs and preferences. They aim to create a personalized birthing experience while prioritizing the health of both the mother and the baby.
Today, women are increasingly giving birth at later stages in life. Our discussion revolves around the challenges and opportunities associated with this trend and how it has led to changes in the birthing and post-delivery processes.
Dr. Levitt's Corrective Birth Experience Clinic caters to women who have experienced birth-related trauma, recognizing that each woman's experience is highly subjective. They aim to optimize the birthing experience to ensure it is as positive as possible. For many, receiving support from the clinic is the difference between having one or many children.
Throughout our conversation, we also delve into topics such as the impact of diet on delivery, the integration of alternative medicine and Chinese techniques into the birthing process, and the role of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics in promoting the well-being of both mothers and babies.
Further learning:
- Personalizing Maternity Care at Hadassah Mt. Scopus’s Rady Center
- Learn more about Hadassah's Pediatric department and the 360 Degrees of Healing campaign
- Reversing the Odds with Technology and Expertise
- Hadassah Opens Clinic to Support Women Through Life-cycle Challenges
- Hadassah's Head of OBGYN: Pregnancy and Coronavirus
- This Israeli Midwife Believes Her Job is Her Calling
Hadassah On Call: New Frontiers in Medicine is a production of Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America. Hadassah enhances the health of people around the world through medical education, care and research innovations at the Hadassah Medical Organization. For more information on the latest advances in medicine please head over to hadassah.org.
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The show is hosted by Maayan Hoffman and produced by the team at the Hadassah offices in both New York and Israel.
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Our recent episode with Dr. Joel Reiter
If you are enjoying this episode, you’ll want to check out our previous episode with sleep disorders expert and pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Joel Reiter, who is also the head of Hadassah Medical Organization’s sleep clinic. We delve into asthma causes, management and triggers.
You can find that episode of "Hadassah On Call" on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcast. Or on the web at hadassah.org/hadassahoncall.
The 360 Degrees of Healing campaign
The 360 Degrees of Healing campaign is about more than transforming a building. It's also about Delivering Hope. At the Hadassah Medical Organization, we're Delivering Hope to Israel's mothers and children. At our world-class facilities in Jerusalem, Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem and Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus, we help bring thousands of healthy babies into the world each year while providing exemplary care for their moms. Without the generous contributions of our donors, that would not be possible. Your generosity helps us deliver the many innovative services and procedures provided by a multidisciplinary team and is critical in assuring Hadassah continues to provide world-class care to mothers and their newborns for generations to come.
For more information visit https://go.hadassah.org/ourpediatrics.