Hello from Osnabrück

[homestyle]

Hello! I've just found this forum this morning, and what great info! I'm about 12 weeks pregnant with what will, God willing, be our first child. My husband and I (and our dog) have been living in Germany for just over one year. Anyone else in the Osna/Niedersachsen area? Here's a quick question for everyone who's given birth in Deutschland: when do you think is a good time to start looking at hospitals? how about meeting midwives for possible homebirth/Gebürtshaus births? I'm currently under OB care with a lady who has been perfect for the first trimester, but I'd like to keep my options open for the future. I'm not even sure, anyway, whether or not she attends births or how that would work. Hmmm, probably should talk to her about that.

Thanks for sharing any experiences you've had!

[mcs]

hello homestyle- i just found this forum recently too. i started a thread called "birthing in a german hospital" or something like that, and had a lot of very helpful replies- they might answer some of your questions.  i think that there was also a thread that talked about home-births with a link to a site listing mw's.....i think i read that here.

good luck!

[homestyle]

I did check out those threads, MCS (in the home birth or birth stories forum, right?) ... they are actually what pointed me in the direction of this forum. I did training and a bit of work as a doula in the U.S. ... and so I felt like at least there I would know what questions to ask, but here I feel pretty naive. But I'll go slow and try not to stress about it. Hey, I've got six months to figure something out. I'll go check out those threads again and see if there's anything new since I saw them last. Thanks for your response!

[mcs]

i was talking about here, in the "germany" forum. i forget what the thread about home birthing (and finding a mw) was called, but if you click through a few pages you should find it, and the other that i started, is just a few threads ago.

i was feeling really nervous, at first, about birthing here, in german, in germany, but after talking more to my mw, friends, and going for a hospital tour, i feel sooo much better (and clear- which helps tremendously) about everything. it does, at least by us, seem to be a lot (lot) more mother/baby friendly. if you are feeling as nervous as i was, i would say that you should start checking out options now- having a plan that i feel confident about has helped me relax a lot.

[Tigerle]

Popular midwives may be fully booked as early as 6 months ahead, and not that many do HB, so talk to your OB now about recommendations. She should have a list with addresses of all midwives in the area.

[homestyle]

Thanks for the heads-up, Tigerle ... I didn't see your response until now. I'll check into this soon!