We are very pleased to welcome you to our conference "Self-determination in pregnancy, birth and early childhood - between desire and reality".

It is our heartfelt desire to share sound knowledge about long-term healthy human development, beginning with conception.

When the start of life is accompanied by challenges and stress, it is not only the mother or the child who is affected. The whole family system is affected. Couples who were deprived of their self-determination at birth often say: "If we had known this beforehand...". Self-determination is very important for them in the subsequent pregnancy.

Pioneers such as Eva Reich, Dr. Marina Marcovich and Prof. Dr. Otwin Linderkamp have long since put this knowledge into practice. However, some things in obstetrics seem to run counter to current knowledge about the conditions for positive birth experiences.

For the 100th anniversary. On the occasion of the 100th birthday of doctor Eva Reich, we are paying special attention to her outstanding contribution to body-oriented support in working with pregnant women, women in labor and young families. She has initiated many methodological approaches with her work: these include emotional first aid (EEH) and resource and body-oriented crisis support. The terms regulation and co-regulation were coined by her in particular.

When life begins with difficult conditions, such as a premature birth, a loving, attentive and respectful approach can prevent lasting traumatic effects. 30 years ago, Dr. Marina Marcovich and Prof. Dr. Otwin Linderkamp introduced relationship-based care for premature babies in German-speaking countries.

Many studies have shown that the approach in which premature babies have physical contact with their parents as early as possible promotes health and bonding.

We span the arc from these pioneers with their profound work in the prenatal field and their significance to the present day. In a large panel discussion on Sunday, we will analyze whether or not these important works have been integrated into obstetrics! Then there are also opposing developments to relationship-oriented support during pregnancy, birth and the first years of life.

In view of these different aspects, we will work out the current challenges for pregnant women and women giving birth as well as the tasks and goals for professionals who accompany them in this important phase of life.