Pregnant in Italy, anyone else out there?

[ExpatMamaToBe]

Hi everybody, I'm expecting my first child and we live in Italy at the moment. Wonder if there are any other expat mums out there?

[Mosman]

It's very medicalised in Italy I believe, my Italian friends had her three in the uk to avoid legs up in stirrups etc

[chebella]

hi! i am too - where are you? ha - love this encouraging comment from Mosman: my friends here who have had kids have no complaints (they are not Italian either!)...hope you've found some support! where are you?

[ExpatMamaToBe]

Hi chebella, apologies for delay, I stopped looking on here, gave up really on finding anyone else in Italy. I'm in Bergamo, east of Milan, you? x

[Cyrda]

Hello ExpaMamaToBe,
Hope you are still checking your thread here and there :)
Im in Pavia, and we moved here in October from the UK. We have 2 girls who will be 4 and 1 next month.
had both of my girls in the UK, but my sister in Law had her boys here in Milan and it went all fine.
When are you due?

[LubyLu2000]

Hi there. I'm down in Lunigiana in Massa Carrara. First DS is 6, born here, and expecting 2nd in about 4 weeks! All went well 1st time, in fact I'd say the medical care here is more attentive than the UK but does fall down a bit after - pretty much no assistance with BF or anything else. And don't even think of a health visitor coming to see you at home! But medical care can depend a lot on where you are so no idea what Bergamo's like. No expert at all but give me a shout if you're stuck - getting your head round the bureaucracy of everything here is by far the worst bit!

[Loquace]

Hi love, I live in Italy, jut south of Milan and gave birth 12 years ago in Milan.

Best bit of advice, check your hospitals policy with regards to pain relief. Some have a "no pain relief" policy which is not fun to fall foul of, cos they really really mean it.

I've just been to the new hospital in Bergamo, wow that is ENORMOUS! I spent an hour wandering around lost cos all five towers look the same and I couldn't remember which door I came out of.

MIL was on the medical ward, dead flash beds, two people to a room. I'd guess that the other wards were pretty much the same.

I reckon they won't have a "thou shalt suffer woman!" policy cos it is that high tech and American looking I can't immagine they'd mesh that with ye olde headset.

You don't have to have a medicalised birth here, the law is pretty much the same, you can't do anything to a patient without their consent.

Be aware that when stressed or in pain one's Italian can bugger off and leave you a bit incommunicado if the doc doesn't speak English. It's nice to have somebody in there that speaks both languages.