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?

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

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?

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

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?

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!

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.