Childbirth in Italy

[Tuscany]

Does anyone know anything about the gereral proceedures/ attitudes to birth in Italy?
I'm having my 2nd baby in Tuscany & can't speak Italian all that well - it's all a bit frightening.

[Eve]

My husband is Italian and whilst I haven't given birth there, most people should be able to speak some English. The hospitals that I have seen are excellent.

One thing I do know is the the Italian Government as so worried about declining birth rate that they give lump sum payments for each child born in Italy. Its about 1000 euros I think...well worth having!

[Eve]

...and its lovely being in Italy with a baby, everyone is so kind and considerate. All the Grandmamas will swipe them away for cuddles and kisses, you will get stoped on the street every few feet and told how beautiful they are. People will stop and look in the pram...its lovely, makes you fell very proud.

[Tuscany]

Thanks Eve; I seem to be very unlucky because none of the clinics near me have English speaking staff.
Nevermind - maybe I can use the 1000e to pay for an interpreter!
You're right though - my 3 year old is spoilt rotten everywhere we go.

[SofiaAmes]

Tuscany, where in tuscany are you and when are you due? I might be able to help with some names.

[SueW]

Try Expat Mums

They have an 'I had a baby in' feature.

[Tuscany]

I am in a small town called Pescia in between Florence & Lucca.
I have to admit that I have very little knowledge of how the health system works here & was unaware until a few days ago of the huge private sector! My problem is that although there are people I can ask for help with the language they are not yet close friends & I have already had a very embarrassing situation where my 'interpreter' was present in the exam room whilst I had an internal exam! I'm not particularly shy, but I still have some dignity!

[Tuscany]

KS- That site is really good; I hadn't come across it before. I'm off to see my doctor & gynaecologist on Monday so if I am still not entirely happy I'll get in touch & see if your friend can help.
Do you know approximately how much it costs to go private if you are having a caesarean?

SueW- Also v. interesting site, although the part about Italian surgeons being 'butchers' wasn't all that encouraging! Not put off at all though... wouldn't be anywhere else for the world.

[clucks]

Tuscany

When an Italian friend visited me in hospital after birth in London she was horrified. I got glowing reports of the Italian state obstetric care etc. with the comment that it was mainly doctor-led rather than midwives. I personally find midwives to be more knowledgeable than doctors in the UK. I think if you decide to stay in Italy for the delivery you will be well taken care of. Good luck

[tiktok]

Tuscany, do get decent bf info. The bf info and support in Italy is truly dreadful. I have Italian friends, I speak Italian, and I have lived there, so I know what I am talking about.

[Tuscany]

Thank goodness KS shed light on what bf is - I'm new & had no idea what it meant.
It's true though - really archaic attitude to womens bodies; although at the 'womens clinics' they try to promote bf you never see women in public doing it & all babies seem to have bottles.
Fortunately I bf'd (I love this!) ds1 so am OK with the whole thing.

[tiktok]

Good to hear this, Tuscany!

Test weighing and topping up with formula and scheduled feeds are the norm in Italian maternity units, so you may have a fight on your hands : (

[Tuscany]

Tiktok - what are test weighings? Do they actually try to breast & bottle feed at hospital?
Also, do you know how long they like you to stay in after birth... I can't even speak Italian all that well so I'm dreading the whole thing. Mind you, at least I can do what I like under the pretext of not knowing what they are trying to tell me.

[SofiaAmes]

Weighing your baby after every feed is normal in Italy. Some good italian friends of mine in rome who are educated and not "hysterical" parents at all proudly showed me their scales for weighing their daughter. They looked just like the ones you see in a doctor's office. They said that it was absolutely standard for people to have them in their own home for weighing the baby. Also, although she was breastfeeding, she didn't do so in public (she is a journalist and certainly not shy and retiring). And they started giving their baby solids very early (2 months?) which again they told me was pretty standard in Italy. I think she kept up the breastfeeding as well for a year as well.
Although I had always heard terrible things about Italian health care from my Italian relatives (they all go to switerland for anything serious), I have had 3 or 4 Italian doctors here in London and they have all said that the nhs is far far worse than the Italian system.

[sprout]

My Italian friend said the same kind of things as SofiaAmes about weighing and early weaning. She also didn't bf exclusively after the first month as she "didn't have enough milk". My suspicion (which may have been unfair) was that she just wasn't getting any support. Can't comment on the health care, though.