Having a Baby in Spain


giving-birth-in-spainIf there is something Spain’s hospital system knows about, it is delivering babies. Spaniards are notorious for having large families and thus hospitals and doctors have a lot of practice in this area.

Foreigners who decide to have their baby in Spain will find that the medical attention in Spain for pre-natal care, child delivery and post-natal care is thorough and reliable.

It is true that babies are born every day around the world, however, it is not true that they are born in the same way or under the same conditions. Material standards of living and cultural factors affect medical procedures involved in birthing. The experience and options for birthing may not always be what foreigners from the UK or United States are accustomed to.

Giving birth is an event that “to-be” parents do not take lightly, choosing a doctor for pre-natal care, post-natal care and the birthing process are given serious consideration.

Public Health System has High Standards
It is very important to have confidence in the medical care you are receiving prior to giving birth. Residents in Spain have the benefit of using the standard health care system that has very high standards, but many Spaniards choose to supplement their state coverage with additional private insurance for an extra annual fee.

If you can afford a private health insurance policy while living in Spain, it may prove to be well worth it, especially if you have a family with young children or have elderly family members that need regular medical attention. This provides you with the best of both the state offered care and resources combined with the personal attention of private care.

Public (state) hospitals and clinics have the most modern equipment and facilities, but are commonly known to be lacking in personal attention towards patients. You can count on long waits at the doctors’ office, especially if you are in for just a routine check. Often, you may end up on a waiting list to see your doctor or a specialist.

This is not to say that the doctors are not fully qualified professionals, only that the nature of the Spanish health care system forces them to sometimes see as many as 50 patients a day.

The condition of public hospitals varies from older, traditional Spanish buildings to modern, brightly lit facilities. Yet both have a very high standard and quality control with the newest equipment readily accessible to handle all manner of emergencies or complications immediately.

Having a private policy to supplement public health care will likely ensure that you will see a doctor promptly and be given more individualized attention by doctors. Should the need arise for expensive, highly specialized care, your private physician will be able to guide you into the public system. This is where the public system is at its very best, due to the state of the art equipment and modern procedures they can offer.

Pre-Natal Care
Considerable attention is given to pre-natal care, “to-be” mothers are very well looked after in both private and public centers. Regular visits are scheduled with your family doctor and gynaecologist to make sure that the pregnancy is developing at a normal rate. Standard exams such as blood and urine tests and ultrasounds are given routinely.

At the appropriate stage in your pregnancy, you will have the option to know the gender of your child. Towards the end of your pregnancy, more doctors visits will be required to regularly monitor the baby. Birthing preparation classes are also available to all parents. Depending upon where you live, you may find it difficult to find classes in English, so bring your dictionary with you!

Larger cities and major towns have doctors and technicians that speak English, but it is very unlikely that doctors in smaller towns and villages will have any English-speaking doctors.


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