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Re: new to Germany, looking for advice. Karlruhe

Verfasst: 19.01.2012, 21:59
von arwen
Hi,

I'm also not in KA but in Heidelberg, but still hope I can answer you some questions.

I think most important for you:
- do antenatal care with a midwife, they usually have more time for you and probably will skip lots of things a gynecologist would do (i.e. monitoring during the last trimester, internals...)
- for having a homebirth you usually need to book a midwife rather early because they only do 3-4 homebirths/month so they might well be booked out.
- many German hospitals try to encourage a natural birth (or at least they pretend to do so). Usually there are information evenings for pregnant ladies so you can take a look at the hospital and the delivery rooms. In Germany a midwife has to attend to a birth (by law), a doctor needn't, so it's possible you won't see a doctor. If you have private health insurance you are likely to see a doctor though.
- you definitely need a midwife to look after you after the birth. Usually you stay in hospital for max. 4 days, after that a mw will come to your house to look if everything is going ok

Good luck with your pregnancy and everything!

by the way, our move to Germany from England was horrible...

Re: new to Germany, looking for advice. Karlruhe

Verfasst: 30.05.2012, 00:57
von noran
Hi,
I live in Germersheim, so if you do go and have a look at the hospital here, drop me a line and we can catch up for a chat if you like.
All the best!

Re: new to Germany, looking for advice. Karlruhe

Verfasst: 14.06.2012, 07:19
von Serenajean1
The biggest suggestion I can make is a english speaking beleghebamme. This is not paid by the kasse, it costs about 300 euro. If I could go back in time I would.

I had bno understanding of what was happening in my last birth, I was frightened, and not a single person working spoke English to me.

This time if I do have a normal delivery I will be hiring a midwife.
Otehrwisde you just get whoever is on duty. DOctors only deliver when thera re complications.

If you go to the apotheke you can get a hebammenliste or on hebammensuche.de and you can search by language as well. But do test them. My last midwife advertised as offering English services and never once spoke english aside from a single word here or there.

You can also look for a gerburtvorbereitung this is paid by insurance and your midwife will do your nachsorge at home after the birth. Additionally they offer ruckbildungs as well, all of that is paid.

Very important, if you want an epidural, check if the clinic offer them not all do. You can visit hospitals on infoabends or ring them with questions.

You can also of course do a home birth but do check with your krankenkasse many charge a 300 euro copay like with the beleghebammen, some cover home births fully. I have IKK and they do not. But I have heard TKK does for example.

Please feel free to pm me.