Moving to Italy

[Albadaisy]

I'm moving to Italy in a few weeks and I'm pregnant. Does anyone have any experience or advice about pregnancy and giving birth in Italy? I have health insurance and will be based around Gallarate.
I'm terrified about this, so please be nice to me!!

Actually this is pretty much the opposite of what I found, unless things have changed in the last 15 years?

My friend and I were pregnant at the same time but she was in the U.K. I had more scans than her (3 scans, at 12, 20 and 32 weeks), where she lived she got only 1, for the other she went private. I also had monthly check ups, blood tests and weigh ins. The blood tests included a lot that were not in the NHS panel, including toxoplasmosis. I also got tested for strep B a week or so before birth, this was routine for all births. I also got a CVS as routine as over 35 (you could opt for amnio instead).

To respond to another comment, all mine was using the consultorio (family clinic) and I’m in no way poor, but in a city with excellent teaching hospitals. I didn’t use any private services. My friends did but the only difference was they got monthly scans with their private gynae. There is some snobbery about using public services, no idea why as most are much better practiced than small private clinics, plus the doctors are the same! One friend got a missed diagnosis from her CVS as the private practitioner wasn’t an expert and extracted the wrong material. She had to go to the same public hospital I used to get it done properly.

I don’t know about the specifics about using insurance for births in Italy, but I have lived in Milan for almost 2 years and healthcare here is excellent. In fact, Italian healthcare is rated 2nd best in the world, after France (World Health Organization). I have discussed giving birth with friends from my children’s school here and their experience sounded better than my NHS one, eg you get the same doctor to follow you throughout pregnancy etc. One of my friends moved here from Ireland specifically to give birth (her husband is Italian so she had a choice where to have a baby).

I think you’ll be well looked after, even without Italian knowledge.

I'm loving the tales of more recent experiences, especially the food. It sounds great

This is the website of a famous hospital in Milan for births, it's called Mangiagalli. They have this page in English https://www.policlinico.mi.it/mangiagalli-center/diventare-mamma/birth-support-program-in-pills. which will at least give you some idea of how things work here. I have used this hospital for gyno stuff but not birth. Most hospitals in this region are excellent.

Here's a blog of a woman who gave birth there https://www.doingitaly.com/blog/mangiagalli-hospital-maternity-ward-what-its-like-milan

Another (older) blog for birth Buzzi children's hospital in Milan
https://www.italiakids.com/childbirth-in-italy-a-milan-birth-story/

Not Gallarate hospitals, but not that far away either.

Can you delay departure?= If not, search for a doula or Italian teacher with good English to act as your guideand support as soon as you get there and help you with obstetrician and hospital/maternity appointments, etc, as soon as you get there, or even better, before. Ask DH's HR department to help with this. And yes, try and learn as much Italian on extensive course right now.

I gave birth there, as well as getting my CVS done there by the professor who introduced it to Italy. I can’t fault it.
the Buzzi is also very good.

i don’t know about Gallarate, a friend gave birth there but she had an elective c-section

Are you still there bluebunny? Hope I am not cheeky, but could you help with a little welcome committee :) grazie mille

I’ve just checked on this thread. Some interesting points.
My sister is a midwife in the UK. She was very impressed to see my pregnancy booklet of pre-printed requests for monthly scans, ECG, blood tests that I just had to hand over to the pharmacist.
The Consultorio is definitely seen as the basic package and you’re welcome to add private consultations. The best thing for me was meeting local mothers (from all walks of life) at the “Breathe through the pain, you’re about to become a mother” 🤣prenatal group. I burst into tears of relief at my first session.
Formula given in the maternity unit? By the staff, absolutely.
I was sent home 3 days before DD and couldn’t do the night feeds. They needed the bed (I later found out there were head lice in the pillows, in a Northern Ligurian public hospital). She got formula and I got mastitis from too much production. Not pleasant and I was furious. But breastfeeding on demand is strongly encouraged by everybody in the system.
We certainly didn’t get Bounty boxes with samples of formula (are they still a thing in the UK?).

We certainly didn’t get Bounty boxes with samples of formula (are they still a thing in the UK?).

no thank goodness!

Sorry, I know you asked this a while ago but I’ve just come across the thread and feel like I need to share my experiences here. I gave birth in Bergamo hospital two years ago. My Italian is also pretty bad but every midwife speaks English here. I had pain relief and an epidural (but you have to have approval for this a few weeks before your due date). The care was exceptional - you’re required to stay in for three days, sharing a room with one other woman. There were plenty of midwives and nurses on hand and I felt like I had a much more positive experience than if I’d given birth in the UK - which is why I’m doing it again in a few months! I’d also recommend signing up with a consultorio famigliare, where you’ll get monthly scans and checkups for free. Will you be a resident by the time of the birth? If so, definitely get signed up for healthcare as I’m not sure how it works if you don’t have a tessera sanitaria.

I had an elective C-section in central Italy. 2017. Fantastic surgeon and anaesthetist, awful care on the ward, no one helped me establish breastfeeding nor to give formula (I wasn’t very mobile).
Northern hospitals are way better usually though.

(I am an Italian living in the U.K. since 2012, feel free to pm me for any help)