Pregnant and petrified!

> Hi all.

I'm new to this site and would really like to hear from anyone ... !

My partner and I have been living in Galicia since October 2008 and for the first year we were working on his parents house that we were living in and trying to restore our ruin in the process. I am now working for a local english academy and have just found out that I am pregnant. Total shock and not planned but we are both thrilled although we have been here once before and things didn't work out. So with the very real risk of loosing this baby I am feeling a little worried about what to do now. I know nothhing about the system here with regards to children and benefits. My partner is not currently working as he is recovering from a back injury but is in the process of trying to set himself up in business and I work part time teaching english.

He is currently in the UK helping his parents with their move here at the end of the month and I feel alone and worried. I am worried about practically everything. Although I do love living here the winters are particually difficult for me (SAD sufferer) and I feel as though this extra suprise has made my life even more unstable than before. Can anyone advise with regards to the whole process of hospitals, antinatal etc. I would like to hear from anyone but in particular anyone who has given birth while here in spain.

Best regards to all and here's to sunnier days ahead x


Roo - The first thing I will say is Congratulations.
I suggest you take a deep breath and lay in your comfy chair or cutchy chair as I call mine).
You are, no doubt, about to embark on both a worrying but also very promising time ahead.

There are some superb people on this and many other forums who'll gladly help you to include PM'ing too.
Give it 60minutes and your thread will be at the top of the list :)

Again, I wish you all the very best..Worrying never solved anything - Enjoy yourself :)
Regards - DSB.

Roo...

Let me add to Bealers congratulations.

Now...sit down, feet up and chill out!

We've not been in your situation so I really cannot comment further but maybe I can direct you to this link to a blog written by someone who has been there!

http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/pregnant-spain/2006_03_01_archive.html and this sort of reference work on the subject;

http://madrid.angloinfo.com/countries/spain/birth.asp

I really hope that things work out for you.

Rally the troops and get them used to the idea that pregnancy demands you take it easy!

fb

We had ours in the UK so no idea myself, although my Spanish cousin and my sister in law had babies in the last 2 yrs.

No major dramas, both though in the Basque country, regional differences can be a factor.

Both recieved payments of 2,000 Euros for the child, kinda a one off payment of child benefit, I don't know if this is Spanish wide or a regional payment.

There is no month child benefit or child tax credit in Spain.

I wouldn't worry too much about medical issues, the major difference in hospital is that nurses don't do wealthfare, that is you and your families responsibility, so you'll need support for cleaning, toilet etc.

Anyway good luck, don't stress too much.

Hi Roo

Congrats on the fantastic news :)

I dont have nay children (yet) myself, although my sister had her second child here in Spain around two years ago. She paid for an English midwife and she was going to have a home birth but her baby was in breach so she had to go to hospital after all!! She still had to pay the English midwife fees but not so much as it would have cost had her baby been delivered at home.

You have to fill in and send the paperwork for benefits within a certain amount of days after giving birth and also get an nie number for your new baby. I have no idea how much the benefits are - I THINK you get so much lump sum at the begiining and then so much a month. The more babies you have the more you get!

I'll ask my sister to log on here and help you as she knows much more than me!

I am confused. I'm from the US, and I don't get what you are talking about. The way I understand what your are saying is that you get money from the government when you have a child. Is that right?

Yes that is correct both the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Spain give new parents hard cash.

It is 2,500 Euros.

Read it here in English.

http://www.seg-social.es/Internet_6/Trabajadores/PrestacionesPension10935/Prestacionesfamilia10967/PF6/index.htm

> Yes that is correct both the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Spain give new parents hard cash.

It is 2,500 Euros.

Read it here in English.

http://www.seg-social.es/Internet_6/Trabajadores/PrestacionesPension10935/Prestacionesfamilia10967/PF6/index.htm


?A por la familia numerosa!

Man the US is such selfish country. It is hard to believe that we don't want to take care of each other like that. Then we wonder why we have such a lack of a sense of community. Thanks for filling me in.

But to the OP. Sorry for the hijack, and congratulations! Best of luck to you.

> Man the US is such selfish country. It is hard to believe that we don't want to take care of each other like that. Then we wonder why we have such a lack of a sense of community. Thanks for filling me in.

But to the OP. Sorry for the hijack, and congratulations! Best of luck to you.


I respectfully disagree.

And remember that this baby benefit is in a country with a VERY quickly ageing population that is not "reproducing."

> Man the US is such selfish country. It is hard to believe that we don't want to take care of each other like that. Then we wonder why we have such a lack of a sense of community. Thanks for filling me in.

But to the OP. Sorry for the hijack, and congratulations! Best of luck to you.



In the US you get tax deductions for having children! Not cash, but it results in more money in your pocket... so kind of the same thing. Not sure how the math would work out comparitively (or, rather, I'm not motivated to figure it out.)

Anyway, back to the original topic:

To the OP, your post reminded me a blog that I came across awhile ago, about an American couple that had a child in Spain. They really chronicle the whole process. You can find it here:
http://www.spaindad.com/2007/04/about-spain-dad.html

The father in the couple started the blog several years ago -- he now has two kids age 3 and 4 months!

Hope you find it helpful. Congratulations and good luck!

Hi all,

Thanks for all the advice and pointers. I didn't realise the US didn't have this system not that it makes any difference really.
Things with me are going ok. Missing the other half like mad but he comes back on Monday if only for a day. I have a trip planned to the UK on the 28th a journey to stanstead and a 4hrish coach trip to Notts. Made sure I got a coach with a WC !!

One more thing... as I mentioned before, we are in the process of setting up a website and would be greatful for any feedback, like I said it's in the very early stages but it's always good to get another perspective. Not all the photographs have been posted and deffinately not all the propertied but an idea of how a user finds the site would be good. Also anyone looking to sell a sewing machine please let me know. I'm into design and as we have a blank canvas would like to get going with all the girly stuff. Plus being brassic I guess I'll have to start making some maternity tents soon.

Have a good day and like I said, thanks a million x

ramsdalecreations.com

please take a look :-)

> URLs removed

You have been reported.
DSB.

Cheaper on Amazon !!!!!!!!

Roo --

I just came across another resource that might be helpful for you:

http://madrid.angloinfo.com/countries/spain/birth.asp

it's an article titled "Having a Baby: Pregnancy and Birth in Spain"

there is also an article on this site with some general info on health care in Spain:

http://www.spainexpat.com/spain/information/doctors_in_spain/

Hi Roo,

some bits and pieces worth knowing.
medical care here is very good, with Spain having one of the lowest infant mortality rates in Europe and the world.
You will have a doctor present for the birth, not just a midwife.
After care is a bit lacking as cultural norms expect family to pitch in.
water-births/home-births/etc.. are not a popular option.

Don't expect a birth in Spain to be all soothing colours and calmness with everything trying to keep you happy. Expect professionalism with the main priority being everyone is alive and healthy.

Have had 2 children (well the missus) here and have nothing bad to say

Reading between the lines I think the main issue is one of language, being instructed to do or not do something at such a crucial time in a language you cannot speak or understand is an issue.

If you cannot communicate in Spanish my advice to any expat is don't come, but like lemins they still throw themselves into the thick of it and give up within a few months.

If it is a language issue and there is no english speakers, I would start to seriously consider staying in the UK, plans though don't always work out though.

> [quote author="gfjhghjhjjj" date="1269183371"]URLs removed

You have been reported.
DSB.[/quote]

All - I'm having my concerns about this Thread, it's been bugging me over the last few days..
Not sure if it's the fact that their is blatant Spam within the Thread that still has yet to be edited, or the fact that someone within the Thread keeps blogging their business...

I'll keep my opinions to myself, but I think I'm outa this one anyways......
DSB.

hiya lovely I have had two children in Spain, and one in my home country, I will be honest if you cannot speak the language you may find it not as spiritual or directed as you may otherwise wish, but as the others say the actual health care is very good, we had many complications throughout pregnancies but where dealt with professionally, the standard of the doctors and consultants are excellent, however the nurses are not what I would expect from a health care provider. Their is now good grants for people having children (not available when we had ours)
I wish you good health and a wonderful pregnancy

Hi Roo,
I just found this site, and I was looking through the introductions when I saw your post and I just had to answer. I'm an American, married to a Spaniard, and I have three children, all born here in Spain (Pamplona). My experience with the whole pregnancy and childbirth process was excellent, and I think you should feel confident that things will turn out just fine. I don't know if things are very different in Galicia as far as hospitals and doctors go, but I had mine in a public hospital and everyone on the hospital staff was very professional and efficient. The only thing that I could complain about was the laxness of visiting hours. I was in a shared room, and with my first daughter the woman next to me constantly had people in the room...her granny even tried to give me advice on how to breastfeed properly. I look back now and laugh because it's just one of those funny anecdotes that I now tell my daughter, who is almost 15, but at the time I was just a little annoyed. But aside from that, I don't have any other complaints, and that was just a minor thing. Anyway, I just wanted to say congratulations, relax, and enjoy this wonderful moment in your life. I hope everything goes smoothly for you and that your experience will be as positive as mine was.