The first meeting with my Hebamme

I have to say that this is exactly what I wanted. I've been threatening Jeremy for years with having our baby while sitting on his lap, and my parents even told me that they imagined me squatting and dropping the baby in a field somewhere (oh, if only we could get it together and rent that bit of land for growing vegetables...).

Anyway, in Germany, it is very easy to arrange for a relatively midwife-centered and not too pathological (meaning that having a baby is not seen as a disease) birth experience.

Here are the services offered by my Hebamme:

1. prenatal check-ups:
up to the 30th week- every 4 weeks
from the 30th-36th week- every 2 weeks
from the delivery date up to 10 days after the delivery date-- every 2-4 days
(After the 12th or 14th date after the delivery date, one goes to the hospital for more intensive attempts to start labor. However, this does not mean medical induction-- instead teas, exercises, massage, etc.)
These check-ups can be combined with my regular OB/GYN. That means once to the OB/GYN and 2 weeks later to the Hebamme then 2 weeks later to the OB/GYN.

She also offers acupuncture after the 36th week as a way to prepare the cervix.

2. She makes a detailed birth plan with us, which includes information on what exactly happens when labor starts, and with practical information like how close the contractions should be before we go to the hospital and what to watch out for- causes for concern.

3. She comes to the house 10-16 times over 4-8 weeks to help with taking care of me and the baby. She answers questions about breastfeeding, bathing, and whatever is confusing. She also conducts the baby's 3rd checkup (the first 2 are usually done in the hospital). She can come 2 more times to help with breastfeeding after the first 8 weeks have passed.

4. She can help us find a pediatrician that will be a good fit for our family.

All of these services are paid for by our health insurance except for the acupuncture, and that costs 10€ per visit.

Handmade Baby Goodness

I just wanted to share the latest installment of my mother's amazing bug onesie series.

Our brains are a trifle scrambled from the last episode of Big Love.

John Philippe* says...

Happy Spring, Comrade!

*we still reserve the right not to actually name him John Philippe

How to have a baby in Germany

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, last night Jeremy and I went to the hospital birthing information session (ummm.... for the second time. We went in November already, but we were horribly late and had to stand in the back where I couldn't understand the German at all. Plus that is WAY too early). I am psyched to give birth here!

Things I like:

1. The Hebamme-midwife takes care of you almost the whole time. The doctor only comes in at the very end, unless there is a problem. If you are like me, and did not book your personal Hebamme in week 12 (!!), then you are provided with the Hebammes on staff.

2. They have a special room for early labor where you can nap and gather your strength. I think though, if we go there too early, we may just head home. It's only a 15 minutes walk away!

3. The birthing room has all kinds of equipment for different positions-- sitting up in the round bed, kneeling, sitting on a stool with the man behind you, leaning over a bar (and in the picture they showed, the man was giving the woman a massage with a rubber ball!), and one of those giant bouncy balls. Plus, there is a fabric hanging from the ceiling for leaning and pulling support AND a tub in a separate room for contraction relief and possible water birth. The lights can be dimmed.

4. the C-section rate is 20%, counting planned and emergency c-sections (for which they have an operating room on the birthing floor). The emergency c-section rate is 10%.

5. They leave you with the baby for the first hour or two after he is born for bonding, without taking him away to be weighed or washed (the weighing and washing also happens in the birthing room). You can also request that the baby not be washed at all (then you just rub the goop into the baby's skin. It's supposed to be very good for it).

6. You can be present for all of the baby's examinations.

7. In the few days after the baby is born, the baby can stay with you the whole time in the recovery room. The man can also stay with you, if there is extra room.

8. You also have the choice to leave the hospital the same day (!!), if everything is going fine. I think I will stay a day or so, just to take advantage of the services :)

What?? I have to find my own Hebamme?

I have to admit that things have been cruising very smoothly in the pregnancy department. Sure, some nights I can't sleep, I have occasional mild sciatica, and my thighs are now rubbing together rather unhelpfully when I walk, but overall I feel pretty good.

However, now, at 29 weeks, Jeremy and I have to start working on the nitty-gritty. Like, registering at the hospital, signing-up for the birthing class .... and finding the hebamme. The hebamme is the German version of a midwife/doula who helps you when you are giving birth and comes to your house for a couple of weeks every day afterwards to help with breastfeeding and general questions. It is possible to find someone (meaning the same person) to help before, during, and after the birth, but I am WAY too late for that-- I just found out that to have that kind of service from the hebamme, she would have to be booked by the 12th week of pregnancy. Oops. This just means that during the birth, I will be attended by the hebammes that are working that day at the hospital. I think. I find this whole system cool and women-centered, but also a little confusing. We're going to the hospital information session tomorrow evening, so hopefully things will be cleared up then.

She is paid for by our health insurance. Yay German health insurance!

(ok, it is kind of expensive, true, but we can go to ANY doctor and ANY hospital in Germany and Europe and the co-pay is 10€ every 3 months and we don't have to pay anything for doctor's visits or tests AND we don't have to fill out any paperwork. Americans, would you fork over 8% of you salary every month in order to have all of that?)

Jellyfish!

The jellyfish has landed, ladies and gentlemen. It's another installment for our ocean nursery/living room, featuring an undetermined number of creatures bobbing from the ceiling.

The Birds

And you thought German kids were so well-behaved.

The ad says,
"What now, darling parents?

Find the answer to 55 questions about parenting-- in Elternknigge (this seems to be some reference to a German children's book character named Mr. Knigge who teaches good manners. Eltern means parents) from Feb. 25th on in Die Zeit (newspaper)."



Putting on my socks and shoes is so hard! It's funny, ballet class is still basically fine-- I just don't jump very high and use less energy, but I'll be hornswaggled if I don't grunt and groan pulling up those socks. It's still a while before I can just slip on some flats...

Jeremy and I went to a crazy music/dance concert on Friday, and JP was jumping all around to the most hardcore, unmelodic new music. We may have a little John Cage on our hands instead of a Jean-Phillipe Rameau or John Philip Sousa. Ha! Rebelling already, what a guy. Either that, or he thought the music was totally wack.