How is having a baby here in Germany different from in the US?

Question

I asked a question on Q and A, and a person responded...

Are you having your baby in Germany? If yes, I will tell you out of experience that it's definitely going to be different than in the US. You might want to do some research already and check out the hospitals in your area.

How is the experience any different from in the US?

Answer 1

Hi, I wrote that yesterday as part of an answer to one of your questions.

I just wanted to let you know that it would be good to get informed already about what to expect.

There are differences between giving birth in the USA and in Germany.

Altstadtweib summed it up very good, especially the part about the drugs (Epidural anesthesia). In the USA you usually get that shot very early and it makes labor not such an intense "labor" with all the pain etc. As Altstadtweib said it makes it more enjoyable for the new mom to be and the Dad.

In Germany though you have all the other options of giving birth under water etc...(the things pinguin baby said)

I did not mean to scare you. I LOVE GERMANY and I would give birth in a second there. The hospitals are great and you even get to stay a whole week!!!!! They teach you how to breastfeed and to take care of your baby.

In the USA you usually get kicked out 24 / 48 hours later after giving birth and you might be overwhelmed with the baby at home and everything....

I hope it did not scare you yesterday with my comment.

Enjoy your pregnancy!!!

Answer 2

I had a baby in the States and in Germany.

They were both induced. My stateside baby was induced with pitocin, which make the contractions really strong so I was given an epidural. My german baby was induced by placing a tablet directly on my cervix causing it to soften and dialate which brought along contractions.  Those contractions never got as bad as the pitocin contractions before the epi.

With the Stateside baby I was in the delivery room the entire time hooked up to machines and IVs.  With the German, I was shown to where my room where I stayed most of the time. I had to go to the delivery room every couple of hours for the baby and me to be checked. I was also told to come whenever my water broke or the contractions were unbearable.  I keep waiting for those awful contractions I experienced with my first from the pitocin.  They never came, they never got that bad. I finally went to the nurse and was about 6 dilated.

In the states I had my baby laying on my back, not feeling nothing from my waist down because of the epi. In german they give you the option to do it laying in a bed, standing up and squatting holding on to a rope type thing hanging from the ceiling or in a tub. I gave birth in a tub.  It was awesome. The warm water defiently helps.  But near the end it got very hot.

The midwife delieverd my baby in germany.  I had nurses in the states but the doctor came in during the last couple pushes.

After my delivery stateside, I was very worn out and tired. I had to have a catheter. I couldn't walk until the next morning. I was very sore and swollen.

After my german delivery I was full of energy. I had such an adrenaline rush. I was up walking around about 2 hours afterwards. I felt great.

The care was about the same.  Both hospitals had a wonderful staff and did their best to keep me happy. In germany it's not common for the dad's to stay, as it is common in the states.  They don't circumsize in germany, well they will but my doctor was going to make us wait until our son was 7 weeks. In the states they did it for our first when he was about 3 days old. But we took our second on to the army post and had the procedure done.

Epidurals are used here in Germany, they just prefer not to use them.  I was given a shot of demerol to help with the pain.

I suggest getting a book, more specifically a book on the Bradley Method. It's for natural childbirth; even if you want pain meds, the book is good toread so you know what to expect and how you can help manage the pain naturally.  

I knew with my second that the German hospital didn't like giving epi. so it's why I chose to figure out natural ways of pain relief.  It was worth reading.

Answer 3

I've only had a baby in the states (c-section, highly recomend that...) but just wanted to say Congrats! I hope the pregnancy test was positive!!!

Answer 4

I had caesarians both in the States and here in Germany.  In the States, I was out of the hospital in 3 days, here you are required to stay at least 8 days.  If you want to go home earlier, you have to sign a form relieving the hospital of responsibility if something should happen to you as a result of leaving early.  Having a caesarian, by the way, was not by choice, they were both emergency c-sections.

Answer 5

Hi, the "Baby Pinguin" said it all.....giving birth is a different experience in Germany vs. the USA.

I had babies in both places. I personally prefered my US birth because I got the epidural shot very early and it made my labor so enjoyable and I was able to watch the baby come out (in a mirror).

In Germany I did not get an epidural because they let you do it the more natural way....(which is not necessarily a bad thing, but OMG I do NOT care about so much pain)

Raising a child is also slightly different. In Germany kids grow up with more independance because of the infrastructure of the cities and they are used to take public transportation to school or go and buy themselves something.

In the USA they are more "protected" because the Moms have to drive the kids everywhere because the cities are layed out way different and everything is bigger and further away.

These are just a few examples from my personal experience.

Oh, and I personally like the American school system better (we live in Fairfax County, VA) because we have a GT (gifted & talented) student and here he gets so challenged and pushed ahead, which is so fabulous. In the German schools they did not care about it at all....

Well, this is a subject I could talk for hours about .....

But talk to people and listen, try to find the best places for you and your baby to go to and I am sure it does not matter where you live ...in the USA or Germany...or somewhere else in the world......both the US and Germany are  fabulous places to live especially when you have an interest in a lot of things and expose your child to it all.

Answer 6

If you have your child in USA, it will turn out to be fat and arrogant, if you have you child uin germany it will be better except for having a horrible habit of stealing all the sunbeds.

Answer 7

German babies will drink lots of beer

US babies will eat mcdonalds and watch oprah

Answer 8

Queen sarcastic cat summed it up pretty good.  I live in Germany and its not all that different.  Just a language barrier.  Once you over come and learn the language like me its all the same.  Both my daughters were born in germany.  which is why i am still here...Wurzburg

Answer 9

As far as I know in the states you have your baby the traditional way. In Germany you can check out the delivery rooms in the hospitals some months before you're supposed to give birth and then decide where or which way you want to have your baby. Like in a bath tub, sitting up or laying down, there are many ways. You can even have it at home and have the accoucheuse come to your house and help you deliver the baby. Although that's not recommended in case of complications. The other thing is (I don't know if your husband is in the military or if he's German) you're health insured, so you don't have to worry about paying a lot of money. After the first baby you usually stay in the hospital for 5 days after the birth and if it's your 2nd baby or so you can leave the hospital the next day (or the same day?) on your own responsibility. If your health insurance is a German one (gesetzliche Krankenkasse, i. e. AOK, DAK, KKH, Barmer, whatever) then you pay like 10€ per day that you spend in the hospital.

I also recommend you to watch "Mein Baby" on RTL...10.30am from Monday to Friday.

Edit: If the epidural shot is that shot you get in the back you can have that in Germany, too. But they don't do it on a regular basis because there is always the risk of a paralysis.

Answer 10

I am part German and we still love to eat..

Answer 11

The other answers mostly sum it up. I can only speak about my personal experience. I gave birth to my son in a German hospital and even though I did not get any kind of anesthesia I love it. There are usually a midwife and a doctor present, you get a delivery room to yourself (unless there are a bunch of babies coming at once). There are many different options how you can deliver. You can drop by the hospital prior to giving birth and have someone show you around and answer any questions you might have. Usually they speak very good English there too. You share a room with one other mother(-to-be), if there is a room available you can get it by yourself on request (helped me a lot since my labor started at 2 am and I could just turn the light on and walk around). I really preferred to have my baby at a German hospital versus a military one since I felt a lot better taken care of and they really made sure that I was ready for taking care of my baby (bathing, feeding etc.) before sending me on my way. By the way, if you are in the hospital and deliver during that stay you do not have to pay the €10 per day, only if you go in with mild labor pains, leave and come back a few days later to give birth. Either way, enjoy it.

Answer 12

Hi there, just one thing to add: In Germany, your midwife will come and visit you at home for a number of times in the weeks and indeed months after you give birth. Just to see how you are doing, whether you have any questions or issues you need help with. This is covered by your normal health insurance (if it's a German one, otherwise check out what you are entitled to).