Erietta Kourkoulos Latsis: Opens the first BirthCenter in Greece

By Marialene Tsouvelekidis

In the spring of 2025 it opens first BirthCenter in Greece, very close to LITO General, Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic S.A., from Erietta Kourkoulos Latsisfounder and president of the Kind Things foundation, ethical investor, co-founder of BirthCenter and the Katerina Georgakula, midwife-founder of IROIS.

“I was lucky because of my name, as my opinion and my satisfaction counted”

The The BirthCenter will be the first Natural Birth Center in Greece, whose philosophy is for women to have the opportunity to give birth naturally in an environment that gives them the feeling of being at home or if they wish, in the water. The aim is that women are not pressured to have a caesarean section unless there is a necessary reason to the contrary. “I was lucky because of my name, as my opinion and my satisfaction counted“, said Erietta Kourkoulos Latsis about her own birth.

She stated that this was the reason she received due attention from the doctors and staff who helped her choose natural birth. He added that with this project the goal is to give the opportunity for all women to be treated equally. Shortly after the birth of Nikos’ child, she decided together with her midwife, Katerina Georgakula, to co-found The BirthCenter

“Research on a sample of 500 women showed that only 1% choose natural childbirth”

As Katerina Georgakula said in a particularly emotionally charged atmosphere, “a survey of 500 women showed that only 1% choose natural childbirth while 1/5 understand its importance. He added that 58-60% of women in Greece give birth by caesarean section, while this percentage is 21% worldwide.”

On the sidelines of the event, Katerina Georgakula reported to skai.gr that there is provision for the financial packages to be affordable for the weaker economic strata, so that a woman does not have to spend thousands to give birth and they will be posted on the center’s website soon. In fact, given the philanthropic background of both co-founders, he considers the scenario to include a charitable component for the financially weaker in the new center as optimistic, although this is not yet clear.

“You also give them flippers”

THE Leonidas Papadopoulos, CEO of Leto Clinicreported that when he had opened a space in Leto for women to give birth in the water they “bullied” him, telling him ‘You also give them flippers’, he later pointed out that other clinics, such as Mitera and Iaso, also adopted the said practice. stressing the importance of informing the relevant doctors and midwives and their corresponding training.

As he stated, the way to open natural childbirth centers in Greece was opened by a law of July 2024. This is the Joint Ministerial Decision (No. C2a/oc. 36395/2024 | Official Gazette 4109/B/15-7-2024), of the Ministries of the Interior and Health, which details the terms, conditions, procedure and specifications for the establishment and operation of Physics Centers Birth Centers, public and private.

She concluded that women used to give birth at home and that this was an experience shared by all family members with the younger ones becoming familiar with the idea of ​​natural childbirth. “In Florence, the ‘Margarita’ Natural Childbirth center has the concept that the woman gives birth at home. This helps her not feel like she is in the hospital or undergoing a surgical procedure. The goal is to overcome the fear of childbirth“, he closed.

Read the MCA in detail here