Hi there,
We live in Marbella and want to start a family soon. Has anyone given birth in the Hospital Costa del Sol, and if so, what was the whole experience like? Is is worth going privately instead?
Would appreciate any advice!
Heather
Hospital Costa del Sol
Hi there
The advice Silver has given you is pretty good indeed, I have had 2 children in the CDS hospital and the care I and my babies received was absolutely fantastic, I have had 1 baby in the UK and would never go back again!! Sorry, just my opinion! Anyway, find yourself a good Doctor here and you can visit the hospital before you give birth and they will show you around if you would like.
Sass
The advice Silver has given you is pretty good indeed, I have had 2 children in the CDS hospital and the care I and my babies received was absolutely fantastic, I have had 1 baby in the UK and would never go back again!! Sorry, just my opinion! Anyway, find yourself a good Doctor here and you can visit the hospital before you give birth and they will show you around if you would like.
Sass
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yummymummy
- Andalucia.com Amigo
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Hi there
I gave birth in the CDS hospital last year. Ummmmm.... not the best experience but then giving birth is tough anywhere you go. There is no private section if you want a private room. Its all public. I shared with one mum to be who had half her family, cousins, in-laws etc etc all in the room at one time with the TV on and all on their mobile phones. Didn't get any sleep! If you want to PM me please do as I'll send you a list of the things to take (like baby wipes, pillows ...). There is a private birthing centre in Marbella and if I remember the name I'll send it to you as I can't think what it is now.
The CDS hospital does have one irish midwife who apparently is fantastic. You'll be very lucky to get her if she is on shift.
I gave birth in the CDS hospital last year. Ummmmm.... not the best experience but then giving birth is tough anywhere you go. There is no private section if you want a private room. Its all public. I shared with one mum to be who had half her family, cousins, in-laws etc etc all in the room at one time with the TV on and all on their mobile phones. Didn't get any sleep! If you want to PM me please do as I'll send you a list of the things to take (like baby wipes, pillows ...). There is a private birthing centre in Marbella and if I remember the name I'll send it to you as I can't think what it is now.
The CDS hospital does have one irish midwife who apparently is fantastic. You'll be very lucky to get her if she is on shift.
Noise is a great problem if you have to share a room. My friend was there for 3 weeks and the person in the next bed had the whole family there until around 1AM. The staff did keep telling them to keep the noise down but it didn't improve. She wasn't giving birth though at least they only keep you in a couple of days then.
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angelmouse
- Andalucia.com Amigo
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- Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2004 11:21 am
birth in Spain
Not sure Silver if childbirth practices here are the same as 'home' . From what I can gather there are some big differences and Spain is practicing what we used to do in the UK during the 1950's. The midwives are still pressing down on the uterus to speed up delivery if things get slow which is now considered in the UK to be frankly dangerous.
Anyway I have only done it the UK way so have nothing to compare other than what I have heard first hand from friends that gave birth here.In Spain apparently women are not given gas which is standard pain relief in the UK as the baby is not affected. If you are having a C section your husband will not be allowed to stay with you in Spain. You are expected to stay on the bed and not move around freely as you can in the UK. You will be expected to give birth in stirrups whereas in the UK you can give birth standing up, bending over, whichever feels the most comfortable and helps 'gravity'. I have also heard the 'cut' to assist delivery is standard and birth plans are not the norm at all. I know there is a private British midwife who you can pay to be with you during delivery but being from the UK she cannot interfere. She can only speak up on your behalf and support you not medically assist. I guess birth is a very personal experience, you have good and bad wherever you are. I think the health service here is very good if you paying for it and I have also heard that paying privately for birth here is much MUCH cheaper than in the UK. If you are English and don't speak Spanish I would if I had the choice go back to the UK, because communication during childbirth is very important and it is a time when you want absolutely no extra stress. If things start to go a little wrong you must be able to communicate with your midwife/doctor and you can't rely on the fact that they will be able to speak English. Why should they? Interesting a previous lady found the Spanish bit better ( did she go private?). Just goes to show that this is all subjective and you'll end up with a wee baby at the end of it whatever and then nothing else will matter anyway....good luck , you will be FINE, xxxx
Anyway I have only done it the UK way so have nothing to compare other than what I have heard first hand from friends that gave birth here.In Spain apparently women are not given gas which is standard pain relief in the UK as the baby is not affected. If you are having a C section your husband will not be allowed to stay with you in Spain. You are expected to stay on the bed and not move around freely as you can in the UK. You will be expected to give birth in stirrups whereas in the UK you can give birth standing up, bending over, whichever feels the most comfortable and helps 'gravity'. I have also heard the 'cut' to assist delivery is standard and birth plans are not the norm at all. I know there is a private British midwife who you can pay to be with you during delivery but being from the UK she cannot interfere. She can only speak up on your behalf and support you not medically assist. I guess birth is a very personal experience, you have good and bad wherever you are. I think the health service here is very good if you paying for it and I have also heard that paying privately for birth here is much MUCH cheaper than in the UK. If you are English and don't speak Spanish I would if I had the choice go back to the UK, because communication during childbirth is very important and it is a time when you want absolutely no extra stress. If things start to go a little wrong you must be able to communicate with your midwife/doctor and you can't rely on the fact that they will be able to speak English. Why should they? Interesting a previous lady found the Spanish bit better ( did she go private?). Just goes to show that this is all subjective and you'll end up with a wee baby at the end of it whatever and then nothing else will matter anyway....good luck , you will be FINE, xxxx
No, you don't get the same kind of choices as you would in the UK but I gave birth recently in a state hospital and was not forced to have an episiotomy, it depends on the circumstances. And I actually found that, as much as I fought not to be put in them, the stirrups weren't static, they moved along with the bed so that I ended up, without being too crude, suspended in the air in a position that really let gravity do its stuff!
My husband was not allowed into the room until the very last minute, which was stressful but only because this was not what I was expecting.
Noise REALLY was a factor after the birth. There was a bit of a circus in the bed next door and it made it very difficult to get any rest.
As this was my third baby, it really wasn't too bad but, to be honest, I don't think I would recommend the experience for a first-timer unless she was fluent in Spanish. That said, even if it's not quite the fluffy world of dimmed lighting and 'pick a position' that we've come to expect in the UK, if you know exactly what to expect (and what not to expect) it's likely to be infinitely less stressful for you.
Good luck Heather.
My husband was not allowed into the room until the very last minute, which was stressful but only because this was not what I was expecting.
Noise REALLY was a factor after the birth. There was a bit of a circus in the bed next door and it made it very difficult to get any rest.
As this was my third baby, it really wasn't too bad but, to be honest, I don't think I would recommend the experience for a first-timer unless she was fluent in Spanish. That said, even if it's not quite the fluffy world of dimmed lighting and 'pick a position' that we've come to expect in the UK, if you know exactly what to expect (and what not to expect) it's likely to be infinitely less stressful for you.
Good luck Heather.
angelmouse
I saidNot sure Silver if childbirth practices here are the same as 'home'
Heather7 if you do not feel happy about giving birth here you should think about going back to a uk hospital, you do have that choice. Spanish women just grin and bear it..lolHospitals here are as good as back home.
No muerdes la mano que te da de comer.
Hi Heather,
I gave birth to my son (first baby) in a state hospital in Granada in January this year. Having read up and surfed the net on births in the UK, I realised very early on that things were going to be a lot different here in Spain. I asked my local midwife about birth plans, different positions, etc... but just got a blank stare. I do speak spanish and so read a lot of the spanish mother & baby magazines to get an idea of what I was in for. When I eventually did go into labour (2 weeks early), and got to the hospital, my husband wasn't allowed in the room with me. I kept asking if he could come in but they said not until I was transferred to the delivery room. Some time later, I was transferred and my husband was allowed to be with me which was a relief. By now, my contractions were getting much worse and I needed some pain relief. The midwives kept saying to me "have an epidural", but I kept refusing. I asked for gas and air and they said they didn't have any, that the only form of pain relief was an epidural. I had the epidural and the pain stopped almost immediatly. Fantastic. The midwives were all young and friendly and the room looked over the bullring and the city of Granada. I remember thinking, this isn't so bad after all. My son was born about 3 and a half hours later and I could feel to push but had hardly any pain. Yes, I did have an episiotomy (which I didn't feel), and my legs were up in stirrups - apparently that's the done thing - but the whole experience was very positive and I would definitely go back there for baby no. 2 (getting broody already, LOL!).
Good luck with starting your family Heather, and don't worry about the Hospital - it will be fine.
Take care,
Kelly x
I gave birth to my son (first baby) in a state hospital in Granada in January this year. Having read up and surfed the net on births in the UK, I realised very early on that things were going to be a lot different here in Spain. I asked my local midwife about birth plans, different positions, etc... but just got a blank stare. I do speak spanish and so read a lot of the spanish mother & baby magazines to get an idea of what I was in for. When I eventually did go into labour (2 weeks early), and got to the hospital, my husband wasn't allowed in the room with me. I kept asking if he could come in but they said not until I was transferred to the delivery room. Some time later, I was transferred and my husband was allowed to be with me which was a relief. By now, my contractions were getting much worse and I needed some pain relief. The midwives kept saying to me "have an epidural", but I kept refusing. I asked for gas and air and they said they didn't have any, that the only form of pain relief was an epidural. I had the epidural and the pain stopped almost immediatly. Fantastic. The midwives were all young and friendly and the room looked over the bullring and the city of Granada. I remember thinking, this isn't so bad after all. My son was born about 3 and a half hours later and I could feel to push but had hardly any pain. Yes, I did have an episiotomy (which I didn't feel), and my legs were up in stirrups - apparently that's the done thing - but the whole experience was very positive and I would definitely go back there for baby no. 2 (getting broody already, LOL!).
Good luck with starting your family Heather, and don't worry about the Hospital - it will be fine.
Take care,
Kelly x
Kelly
Hi there
In answer to a previous post, I had a private Doctor early on in both pregnancies here in Spain then went onto the SS. I took myself down to to the hospital when in labour and never saw a private doctor afterwards at all.
In my personal experience I and my babies were far better looked after here in Spain particularly at the CDS hospital than the UK. In the UK it was to be honest pretty much the same as here although I was offered gas and I threw up so that was no go! was offered epidural and they administered in wrong place and so had to wait 2 further hours for doctor to return from surgery to do again. My legs were in stirrups in UK and DH was not allowed into the labour room til he was scrubbed up! So, in my humble opinion not much different to Spain. My reasons for preffering the treatment here is that the doctors and nurses were always on hand should I need anything and gave me tons of advice. In the UK I was left to my own devices, big help for a first time mum, I don't think. So OK you are in a room with another new mum and her family come and visit, it is noisy, yeah I know, it is nearly everywhere in Spain! But, your time to go home is not long away and if you think you are going to have peace and quiet with a newborn you have got another thing coming
)
Sass
In answer to a previous post, I had a private Doctor early on in both pregnancies here in Spain then went onto the SS. I took myself down to to the hospital when in labour and never saw a private doctor afterwards at all.
In my personal experience I and my babies were far better looked after here in Spain particularly at the CDS hospital than the UK. In the UK it was to be honest pretty much the same as here although I was offered gas and I threw up so that was no go! was offered epidural and they administered in wrong place and so had to wait 2 further hours for doctor to return from surgery to do again. My legs were in stirrups in UK and DH was not allowed into the labour room til he was scrubbed up! So, in my humble opinion not much different to Spain. My reasons for preffering the treatment here is that the doctors and nurses were always on hand should I need anything and gave me tons of advice. In the UK I was left to my own devices, big help for a first time mum, I don't think. So OK you are in a room with another new mum and her family come and visit, it is noisy, yeah I know, it is nearly everywhere in Spain! But, your time to go home is not long away and if you think you are going to have peace and quiet with a newborn you have got another thing coming
)Sass
this might interest some..save the children anual report has classified Spain as the 9th best country to be a mum...followed by uk at Nº 10.
hope this reasures those of you who feel worried.
It also states that 35,4% in Spanish parliment are women not bad for macholand.
hope this reasures those of you who feel worried.
It also states that 35,4% in Spanish parliment are women not bad for macholand.
No muerdes la mano que te da de comer.
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yummymummy
- Andalucia.com Amigo
- Posts: 109
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 12:16 pm
The article you mention above only refers to spain being a good place to be a mum in terms of 3 things:
low level of female mortality giving birth
low level of baby mortality at birth
34.5% of parliament being women
What it doesn't take into account is EVERYTHING else!!! The fact that you can't push prams down some pavements because they are too narrow so you have to resort to the road, restaurants not having high-chairs or children's menu's, no child benefit unless you are working which isn't really worth the bother claiming even though it can only be claimed up to the age of 3, choice or organic produce in supermarkets, cost of absolutely everything related to children and the fact that they charge you IVA here on children's goods. I shan't go on.
The article was actually showing Spain in a bad light in terms of being a parent here. It was only saying that if you are at least you will have a lower chance of dying in the hospitals......
low level of female mortality giving birth
low level of baby mortality at birth
34.5% of parliament being women
What it doesn't take into account is EVERYTHING else!!! The fact that you can't push prams down some pavements because they are too narrow so you have to resort to the road, restaurants not having high-chairs or children's menu's, no child benefit unless you are working which isn't really worth the bother claiming even though it can only be claimed up to the age of 3, choice or organic produce in supermarkets, cost of absolutely everything related to children and the fact that they charge you IVA here on children's goods. I shan't go on.
The article was actually showing Spain in a bad light in terms of being a parent here. It was only saying that if you are at least you will have a lower chance of dying in the hospitals......
Info for state run hospitals
I've read everything with interest, would it be possible to explain how the Spanish system works with treatment at a state run hospital and/or doctors? If you live in Spain and do not pay 'into the system' so to speak, ie. not working do you get free medical treatment or do you have to pay? Or should one take out medical insurance? I'm a little confused as I recently looked into reg with my local doctors and explained I hadn't yet applied for my residencia and only had my E111 and of course wasn't working. They said I would be covered because I had my E111 and would not have to pay for doctors visits or hospital treatment.
I think the admin lady I spoke to hasn't fully understood what an E111 is, as I am under the impression that unless you 'contribute' into the system you have to pay for any visits to GP and treatments at hospitals.
Please could anybody explain a little more as I would like to have another child but need to be clear about the system and the costs involved with Spanish hospitals etc.. and must register sooner rather than later with a G
I think the admin lady I spoke to hasn't fully understood what an E111 is, as I am under the impression that unless you 'contribute' into the system you have to pay for any visits to GP and treatments at hospitals.
Please could anybody explain a little more as I would like to have another child but need to be clear about the system and the costs involved with Spanish hospitals etc.. and must register sooner rather than later with a G
If you are up to date with your NI contributions in England, you are entitled to cover here for a limited time. I don't think the E111 will cover you for ante natal appointments.
You really need to contact the DHSS in Newcastle to find out exactly what you are entitled to and which form you need to claim it. Ring the Centre for Non Residents Tel 0044 84591 55745.They are very helpful.
You really need to contact the DHSS in Newcastle to find out exactly what you are entitled to and which form you need to claim it. Ring the Centre for Non Residents Tel 0044 84591 55745.They are very helpful.
The cover for state health care depends on your NI contributions during a tax year. If you earn a minimum of approx £4,400 in UK in a tax year, you are covered until December following year. We had intended moving end of March 06, but since that is right at end of tax year, the cover we got would run out end of December 07. However, if one of us earns £4,440 in 06/07, we are covered until December 08. And then him indoors is 65, so we're covered anyway
People at DSS were very helpful, and this info comes straight from them
Alison
People at DSS were very helpful, and this info comes straight from them
Alison
AlisonB
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