Greta's birth: film screening and discussion on 15.01.2025 in Lich

21 Jan 2025

In 2008, a midwife and doctor supervise an out-of-hospital birth from a breech presentation. The baby dies. Four years later, the midwife stands trial and is finally convicted of manslaughter.

Katja Baumgarten accompanied the midwife for ten years during her trial and imprisonment and shows her perspective on what she experienced in her documentary story "Greta's Birth". The case and the film are a serious opportunity to reflect on how midwives act and what serious biographical consequences obstetric decisions can have - for families and professionals.

Many midwives, students, people with a personal and professional interest in obstetrics came to the Traumstern cinema in Lich on 15 January to watch this controversial film. During the subsequent film discussion with Katja Baumgarten (filmmaker), Patricia Morgenthal (lawyer) and Dr Tina Jung (political scientist and systemic consultant), the midwife-centred narrative perspective of the film as well as professionalism and error culture in obstetrics were critically discussed. The film shows how essential careful education, documentation and reflection of professional appointments are for professional obstetrics - academisation in midwifery can make an important contribution to this.

Many thanks to Katja Baumgarten for making this discussion possible with her film, to the Fulda University of Applied Sciences for supporting this evening and to everyone who contributed to the lively exchange on this evening.

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