Vicente Corral Moscoso Reports 428 Free-Position Births This Year
Cuenca Expat Staff
Cuenca's main public hospital is using a maternity-care model that may be useful to know if your family is planning a birth here.
El Mercurio reports that Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso recorded 428 births in sitting and squatting positions during the first four months of 2026.
The model is part of ESAMyN, the national standard for mother-and-child-friendly health facilities.
The Numbers
Between January and April, the hospital attended 1,011 births:
- 475 natural births
- 536 cesarean births
Of the natural births:
- 70% were in a sitting position
- 20% were in a squatting position
- 10% used other modalities
What The Hospital Offers
El Mercurio reports that the delivery room has balls, mats, a psychoprophylactic kit, and equipment for relaxation techniques, massage and aromatherapy.
The protocol also allows a family member to accompany the mother during labor, birth and postpartum.
Marcela Vasquez, head of the Gineco-Obstetricia area, told El Mercurio that patients can choose how they want to give birth, including seated, lying down, squatting, standing or other positions.
Prenatal Workshops
The hospital also runs prenatal education workshops on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
Topics include pregnancy, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding and newborn care.
For expat families, this is not a private-clinic ad. It is a practical note that Cuenca's public hospital has a defined maternal-care model, specific equipment and recurring prenatal workshops.
Source: El Mercurio
