Giving Birth

Giving birth in Spain

All over the world babies are born all of the time. The conditions vary from country to country. On this page we will explain how it works in Spain. The public health service in Spain are considered to be one of the best in the world and it should be no problem to use this if you are giving birth on the Costa Blanca. However many Spaniards and foreigner go to the other option. Private hospitals or clinics. The only difference will be the attention and time spend on you. Both options will have the expertise available. Having your baby in a private hospital or clinic will mean that in stead of sharing the room with another mother you will have your own room and in most cases with a bed for the father. The treatment will also be more individualised than the public option. The private clinics and hospitals vary so a good advice is to go and check out the facilities on beforehand. In some cases they will not have all the technical equipment at hand and if there are complications you will be sent to a public hospital. When it comes to public hospitals the conditions may vary from run down building to new facilities. They will thought have in common high tech equipment so do not worry about paint lacking on the walls.

At public hospitals there is less emphasis on the involvement of the patient ( the becoming mother) than in the case of a private alternative. Giving birth in Spain in a public hospital means accepting that the decisions will be taken for you and that you just have to do what you are told and when you are told it. Regarding pain relief the doses in epidurals in public hospitals tend to be very low offering very little relief. In Spain it is becoming more and more the standard that the father is present during the birth. The prenatal care on the Costa Blanca and elsewhere in Spain are excellent. You should expect regular visits to your doctor during your pregnancy. It all begins when your doctor confirms your pregnancy. From that on expect to be scheduled for regular visits to the clinic. Included in the visits there will be several ultrasounds and you will be given the option of finding out the sex of your child aprox. 20 weeks into the pregnancy. When you are getting closer to giving birth the visits to the clinic will increase controlling that everything goes as planned. Preparation classes during the pregnancy are available and gives you the opportunity to learn more Spanish as they will of course be held in Spanish. After giving birth it is normal to stay in the hospital between 24 hours and 3 days depending if there are any minor complications. Immediately after leaving the hospital you should contact your local clinic to schedule the heel prick test within the week after birth. Do not forget to book as well a visit to the pediatritian within 14 days after birth. The peditritian will inform you about the local vaccine schedule.