Thursday, June 21, 2012

Technion Babies - Israel's Scientists of the Future


There is probably no other country in the world where one would see so many pregnant students on campus.  But in Israel, youngsters, male and female complete army service before starting university and by the time they are studying for their postgraduate courses many of them are married and starting a family.

The Technion Institute for Science and Technology in Haifa is aware of this and raise funds to build beautiful family-sized dormitories for their married students. And on campus one will see many young parents with babies carried in a sling or wheeled in a stroller.



But unique even in Israel is the childbirth preparation course and lactation support system run by UK-trained active birth teacher, Wendy Blumfield in the framework of the Students Union. Starting every two months, a new group is opened for couples in small groups, meeting in a convenient location on campus and at a subsidized cost.  After the births, the group meets again with the co-ordinator to admire each other’s babies and recount their birth experiences.