I couldn’t really decide which hospital is preferred the most for consultation, check-ups or delivery, according to all shared comments and opinions in many of the forums, which I read. But I had the chance to read some very flattering and some very critical reviews for each and every private specialized medical facility on the territory of Sofia. I decided to go and check for myself in Maternity Hospital “Saint Lazar” – a facility that we have partner relations with. And not just on some random day, on the 21st of January – the national day of midwives, better known as “Babinden”.

To be honest, the first thing that surprised me was a photo of Berbatov on the wall with gratitude – both his daughters were born here. Which means “Saint Lazar” guarantees to its patients the necessary discretion. The second thing, something I had already read about – was the “suspicious” politeness of the staff. While I was waiting and thinking in the lobby what exactly I wanted to see in the hospital, at least four more people from the personnel, besides the receptionist, “suspiciously” greeted me and asked me what I am waiting for. This confirms my assumption thatprofessionalism starts with good manners. Why being polite and affable seems suspicious to us, people? Especially in a hospital? Maybe because we are in Bulgaria, where smiling or caring for others is not well adopted…yet.

Honestly, for “Babinden” is announced for an Open day, I expected to see crowd of current and former patients of the clinic, marry and loaded with gifts doctors and midwives… But no, everybody from the staff was flying by me, following their hectic working schedule. Before I knew it, a baby cried out from the operation hall – a boy, the first baby for the day. A pregnant lady with contractions and pains headed to the office of doctor Lachev, followed by her mother and the words: “So…It’s a nice day to give birth”.

Here, you can also give birth in a pool, or have a doula to support you. According to the observations of the medical team, the number of women who want to give birth in completely natural way is increasing. Meaning without any drugs, without check-ups, even without any preparation or medical intervention. They do not even want to hear words likeoxytocin, episiotomy, they do not want to feel like sick people in hospital, they just want to feel like they are at home. That is why they count on the doulas-women who teach them how to breath, when to contract and relax their muscles, how to feel safe and calm. Doulas are welcome in “Saint Lazar”, when requested to support and accompany the mother during natural delivery, but with the immutable presence of a doctor and a midwife. That way, the specialists are ready to react in every moment, because it is rare when a delivery can happen just with the advices of the doula.

Women who want to feel completely at home, or at least like in a nice hotel, can spend their days and nights comfortably in the apartment available in “Saint Lazar”, surrounded by her closest friends and family, unrestrictedly. They can also count on the experienced midwives like Emilia Kazulova, who will assist them in their first breastfeeding attempt.

It seems like everything is possible in this particular hospital, which for 9 years now, has had its own bank, extracting mesenchymal stem cells and stem cells from the umbilical cord; own bank for reproductive material, and ultramodern neonatology care unit.

The professionalism and care for mothers and their families have led to the point, that recently "St. Lazar', has opened an Aesthetic Gynecology office, previously available only in clinics for cosmetic surgery and dermatology.