Anyone living in Romania?

[romaniabound]

That says it all really. Looks like I could be heading there this year with family and am nervous about it. Would like to hear from anyone that does, or has, lived there.

[romaniabound]

I was wondering if your kids were going through the Moldovan school / nursery system and it sounds like they are if their Romanian is up to correcting yours!

My DD is about to go to Romanian nursery which I am a bit nervous about. The nurseries I have looked at are very Disneyfied and it is a long morning session with it seems a lot of emphasis on quite school-like activites rather than just play, and that is not really what I imagine nursery should be about. However she is craving contact with other children and I think we just have to give it a real good go and see how it goes. The problem is colleagues from my husband's work have never put their kids into Romanian nursery before because they found them so appalling that they preferred to keep their kids at home and I find that attitude really a bit precious. I am banking on her not realising that Romanian nursery is very different to nursery as she will know it later in Germany! (How would she?) So it will be interesting to see how her Romanian develops.

My Romanian was OK before the summer. I feel I have forgotten loads these past four months at home but I am sure it will come back. My vocab all revolves around food and food shopping plus a bit of chit chat too. It's far from fluent but I find myself having the same limited conversations over and over again and so am not developing new areas of vocab.

How long do you think you will stay in Moldova for?

[WomanAtTheWell]

DD1 is at gradinita in the village (she's 5.5). It's not ideal and I've had to put aside any comparisons with what she'd be doing in the UK. But she enjoys the social aspect of it and even though she went to a pre-school in the UK for two months last year (very different!) doesn't seem bothered. I try to help them out with equipment etc when I can (it's a state one so not very well resourced). Presumably if you're in a town you have a few choices? I have started taking her out after lunch two or three days a week (they just sleep in the afternoon but she tends to just lie there and not sleep so I figure she isn't missing much) and doing a bit of home schooling with her.

She'll start at the local school in September but as it's only in the morning I'll carry on with some homeschooling too. DS is 3.5 and I'm hoping that he'll start gradinita next year too - he's pretty bored at home and needs some company! DD2 is only 8 months so a while to go with her yet!

How old is your DD? It is much more school like but I think they cope - and if you're really not liking it then you can take her out. Did your colleagues send their kids to school locally when they were older or is there an international school near?

We'll be here for at least another 2 years, but then will probably do another term which will be another 5 years [gulp]

[expatmum2be]

Hi all
I see this thread hasn't been posted on for quite some time but I wondered if there was anyone out there who could give me some info.
I have been living in Bucuresti for the past 2 years (first in Dorobanti and now in Pipera).
We are currently planning our first child and because of work restrictions I will not be able to return to UK for the birth of the baby so will be having the baby here in Romania. I am a member of the euroclinic private hospitals but my insurance here does not cover maternity so we will be paying for the medical bills and birth wherever I end up having the baby, therefore I wondered if any of you know or know anyone else who might have some info you could pass on to me about having a baby in the private medical sector here in Bucharest. I know I have the option of the Euroclinic but I wondered if anyone had any experience of other private clinics here so I can compare facilities, care, cost etc before making my decision. I have been told be someone I used to work with who had their baby here that is cost them 5000euro for the birth alone at euroclinic without including all the prenatal scans and examinations, appointments etc leading up to the birth, of which I am told there are many as apparantly the euroclinic likes you to have many more scans than you would in say the UK, and I have to wonder if they are just overprotective or if it is for the money. If it is for the money it makes me wonder if this is the best place for the birth if their main interest is money rather than care for the patient etc.
Any help anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!!

Oh I also wanted to mention that I work at the British School of Bucharest...which perhaps was different back when you commented but incase anyone is looking into the school currently and is put off by any comments I would like to say that it is now fantastic and all teachers have to be native english speakers - we do have romanian teaching assistants but they have to be fluent in English and speak English with the children. Most children speak multiple languages including English to a very high standard but as it is a highly populated expat area there are of course children from all different nationalities including a few local Romanian children but they too are there because their parents want them learning the British Curriculum and so they are immersed in English as with all the other children and we have very high standards and great results, whilst also providing a learning system parallel to that of the UK but bearing in mind it is a private school with costly fees so the children are learning at a very high standard in order to be able to go back to the UK or to any other country and fit in with schooling there comfotable and with ease. We see children come and go year upon year but stay in touch with parents a lot and it is lovely to hear how their time at our school has helped them be prepared and comfortable when settling in to their new place :)

[lambandmintsauce]

I gave birth to my daughter last year in EuroClinic. As far as I remember, you pay each time you visit the Dr and have scans etc, but the actual delivery is a set fee which covers everything - dr's fee, midwives, your stay, drugs, dressings etc. I had a c-section ( bear in mind that 85% of births in Romania are sections) and it cost about £3,500. If you want more info on EuroClinic let me know. Try and see Dr Nuralty (think that is how you spell it). She was super. She is v busy but worth waiting for if you need to wait a few weeks for an appointment. You do get scanned a lot and I'm sure money plays a part, but the care I received was good. Also go and see Claudia the Swiss private midwife - she is brilliant!

[expatmum2be]

Hi lambandmintsauce
Thanks for your reply, that is really useful to know. I live close to the EuroClinic and have insurance with them so I have looked into there quite a bit but thank you for the specific info on Dr Nauralty and Claudia, it is great to hear your first-hand experience. I spoke with someone I knew here who had her son at the EuroClinic and thought the scans and visits etc were a bit OTT and she wasn't too impressed with the overall experience of the hospital so it is good to hear a more positive review.
Thanks again (and great name, mint sauce is my weakness!!)

[lambandmintsauce]

My experience on the whole at EuroClinic was good but not amazing. My husband wasn't allowed in the room for my section. Normal delivery they can though. Not much help with feeding etc, but you can use Claudia for that. I know someone who gave birth at the hospital down near IKEA, opposite the small airport (have left Romania now and can't remember the name). There you can give birth in a water pool and also use a private midwife if you are concerned about language. I think they probably scan you as much as EuroClinic though. I think your Dr is the most important and if you find one you like then stick with them. Claudia or the other private midwives will talk you through all the options. Good luck!

[thanksamillion]

hello! Nothing helpfull to add but waving hello as I'm next door in Moldova (I used to be WomanAtTheWell). Hope the pregnancy goes well expat and that you're not finding the heat too hard to cope with

[CairoCalling]

This might be a dead thread, but if any mums are still in Romania I'd be interested in getting in touch!
We're moving to Bucharest with our little girl 1.5yo and have another one on the way! Does anyone have any more advice/experience of giving birth in Bucharest, or of entertaining toddlers?
Many thanks

[romaniabound]

Hi CairoCalling,

It seems like donkeys now since I started this thread! We spent nearly three years in Romania and are now back in Germany.

We didn't live in Bucharest (we were out in Pitesti and Ploiesti - dumps) but especially from Ploiesti, I really enjoyed being closer to Bucharest. I think you could have a great time living in Bucharest and I think there is a lot of scope for you finding other expat kids for your little girl to play with (that was harder out in the sticks but even there I did eventually find quite a group friends).

I was pregnant with my second in Romania but went back to Germany at 32 weeks to give birth. I had friends who gave birth out there but it is pretty hard to get a natural birth there (very high c-section rate) and I really didn't want to have a baby there.

When I was there Euroclinic was the place to have a baby. I think it is now part of the Regina Maria company (they used to be separate). Dr Nuralty was my friends' gynae and they thought she was great. I had the misfortune of seeing a right arse of a gynae at the other hospital, after which I reverted my care to the Pitesti private clinic!

My other experience of healthcare in Romania was for my new baby who got ill at 6 months. It was a crap experience - hospital, very arrogant doctors, very bad level of care and poor hygiene despite it being a flash private Bucharest hospital. I had zero confidence in how he was treated and actually took him back to Germany. I don't mean to be the voice of doom, but it worth bearing in mind that their treatment methods are still somewhat eastern block (steroids and then some more steroids) and not really what would be done in the UK.

[lambandmintsauce]

Ah, always makes me smile when the Romania thread comes up.
Hello Romaniabound! Still think about you guys and wonder how you all are. O's lovely wooden dancing frogs still get played with lots!

I gave birth in Bucharest CairoCalling and am the one who wrote about it earlier in this thread. Not brilliant, but at the end of the day both I and DD were fine. I would have a look at EuroClinic and see if Dr Nuralty is still there. If so go and see her. If you are planning a natural birth keep telling them from the start as 80% of births are c-sections (by choice).

I know someone who is in Bucharest and I can ask her about toddler groups if you like. Contact the British School and see what info they can tell you. I know you can go at 3.5 yrs, but they might also know about Mum & Baby groups.

We didn't love Romania, but we weren't in Bucharest, so I think that will make a difference. Try and live near to where you/Dh works. Traffic is just awful. Some nice places to visit for weekends away though.

[romaniabound]

Hi lambandmintsauce! I thought this must be you! We think about you too! M is a big giant nearly 7 year old and in P.1 here and I is 3. I will e you! Hope you are all well.

[thanksamillion]

Hi Cairo, I'm still next door in Moldova. We were in Bucharest over the new year and I would think that it's a pretty good place to live now. It's definitely moved on since we were last there about 4 years ago. I hope you enjoy it!

[Caitlyn2014]

I'm currently in Romania and can't wait to leave. Im here to accompany my lovely Romanian daughter in law home to the Middle East. She came to visit her parents and became unwell and it's been a nightmare. Where she is from there are no private hospitals so she was admitted to a government one and whilst the standard of Dr was very good everything else was atrocious and very very difficult.

Eventually we managed to get her back and forward to Bucharest a few times but even that was fraught with difficulty and I cant wait to get her on the aircraft later today.

Im a seasoned traveller, I went to live in the ME as a young foreign bride when I was just 19 but I just cant get my head around Romania. The people are lovely and Ive enjoyed living as I did when growing up in a council flat virtually identical to the one ive bren staying in of late but for some reason I find Romania to be hard core hardship and if I could avoid coming back I would but with 2 Romanian D'sIl the chances of that are sadly non existant.

[Caitlyn2014]

My DIL is pregnant and even with available funds its just hard hard hard.

[CairoCalling]

Thanks for the replies and honesty about Romania! We're coming from six years in Cairo so are in a way prepared for medical attitudes/healthcare that are different from home, bad traffic and bureaucracy, but I don't want to kid myself that the move is going to be easy with a toddler and being heavily pregnant!

Thanks for mentioning Euroclinic and Dr Nuralty, romaniabound and lambandmintsauce, I'm going to follow those up now. It's good to know about the c-section rate (sounds similar to Egypt) so that I know what to expect there.

I'm sorry to hear that your DIL is having such a tough time, caitlyn2014 I hope that the flight went well and she's doing better back in the ME now.

Already in touch with the British School, lambandmintsauce, as that's where my husband's job will be! They seem to run toddler mornings and accept from 12 months in their nursery now. We're hoping to live in the area near the school (and the zoo and Ikea!!) to avoid lenghty commutes and take advantage of outside space (i.e. the opposite of what we have in Cairo at the moment!)

OK - now to start research on EuroClinic and making contact before this starts to get a little too real!

[romaniabound]

Outside space is quite a weird one in Romania. The area round the zoo and IKEA are pretty busy and it is a big busy road the zoo is on and I found it isn't the sort of place for a nice wander. We had to go everywhere by car. Possibly Bucharest is better than out in Ploiesti / Pitesti where it was very pedestrian unfriendly and any venture into green space or countryside involved running the gauntlet with street dogs. Actually in Ploiesti any bit of green space also involved running the gauntlet with prostitutes servicing their clients in cars but I think that was a specificially Ploiesti situation as I never saw that in Pitesti!!

However in that part of Bucharest you are near to Park Herastrau where you can have a decent walk round the lake, take in some pretty nice playparks, hire a four-seater bike or segway for a bit of a tour. And there is a pretty museum on one side of the lake with traditional houses from all over Romania. So there are green spaces but you will have to drive to them probably!

A friend of mine recommended the paediatrician Dr Manda who is also attached to Euroclinic (albeit the Opera branch back then). She rated her although I never saw her. But it is good to have a name up your sleeve should you need one.

[romaniabound]

Hi thanksamillion - remember chatting with you earlier on this thread. How is life in Moldova? I was always so impressed that you were living there while I was being a wimp about the relative western-ness of Romania! How long do you think you will stay?

[thanksamillion]

Hi! Moldova is good. We moved to a village which is even further from a main road but slightly nearer to a small town. This year has been ok because the winter was fairly short and mild but last year was a bit of a nightmare. DD1 has to go to school by local bus and it was very unreliable and a few times we weren't really sure where she was or how she was getting home!

Things in Chisinau are definitely getting more developed and so it's easier there to have a reasonably good lifestyle but it hasn't trickled out to the villages yet.

We often go to Iasi for short breaks (well a few times a year anyway) and they've opened a good shopping place there (Palas Mall) with H&M and New Look so I can top up my clothes! We went a few weeks ago and I was most excited to go to Lidl

[Caitlyn2014]

Cairocalling, thank you for the good wishes.

I stayed in cairo once upon a time, in Helliopolis, next to the presidential guard building.

I think in many ways Cairo has more going for it, and is easier living than Romania

[kecz]

I lived in Romania for 2 years, about 3 years ago. I had an 18 month old when I first went there, and our DS was born there. We lived on the outskirts of Bucharest in an area called Pipera, and it was BRILLIANT! I wasn't working at the time, and I had social life like you'd never believe. There are/were 2 mum's groups (1 based in town, the other in the Pipera area) and all were extremely friendly. The country was a delight to visit too. A friend's husband commuted to Pitesti and they lived in Pipera. As the road is now much faster, this could be a definite consideration.

Good luck!