Giving Birth in Germany as a Foreigner | The 10 Things I Learned
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- Giving birth is a major moment in anyone's life -- so why not do it in a foreign country during a global pandemic? I learned so much about giving birth and pregnancy in Germany, and here are the top 10 things I learned along the way.
Details about "The 10 Things I Learned Giving Birth in Germany as a Foreigner" can be found on our blog: www.blackforestfamily.com/the...
Episode 8 | #livingingermany and #givingbirthinGermany in the Black Forest, Germany | Filmed July 26, 2021
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Originally from the Midwest of the USA, we moved to the #blackforest in 2013 and quickly embraced #expatlife. As American expats living in #Germany, things weren't always easy, but we've grown to love our life in Germany. We started this #travelvlog to share our experiences with friends and family, and to help those who are interested in moving overseas! Whether you are interested in moving abroad, working abroad, studying abroad, raising a family abroad, or just want to #traveleurope, we're here to give you a first person look at what lies ahead. 😊🎥🌎
Hi Everyone! I am truly humbled by the incredible reach this video has had over the past few months. When we started this channel (and made this video) we had no idea just how popular this would become and have really enjoyed connecting with each of you because of this platform.
I wanted to briefly jump on and address the common comment regarding wifi. When I made this video, my frame of reference for listing these 10 items was to be informative for other expat/immigrant/international mom's to be. And as someone who gave birth for the first time during a pandemic, I was unable to visit the hospital before hand and the birthing courses at the hospital were cancelled.
I completely respect that wifi is not seen as a necessary item for most and in light of the incredible cost savings compared to giving birth in the States, I can understand how my critique of paying for wifi may have been interpreted as privileged. However, I still believe that knowing this ahead of time is important if you are someone who was in my shoes: giving birth alone in a foreign country where the standard of care you could receive is an unknown.
I hope this video continues to be helpful to other mom's to be so that they can be better prepared and know what questions to ask and things to look for in anticipation for labor and delivery. And if you would like additional information on the cost of healthcare (and birth!) between the US and Germany, I would encourage you to check out our video covering this exact topic:
czcams.com/video/017c4FA2zjM/video.html
Thank you all for your continued support, constructive feedback, and great engagement.
❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest,
Ashton
From someone working in Hostpital IT in Germany, I can tell you the two reasons for why Wifi/TV is extra at many Hospitals. First, it's something private insurances do pay for, so it's one of the differentiators, and they like to keep it that way. Secondly, it's a way to make money, and sadly a lot of Hospitals nowadays are geared towards turning a profit at the end of the year, so some beancounter figured out how much money they could theoretically get doing this (both from regular patients and (maybe more importantly) private insurances).
In reality, with the amount of work we have to put into the systems that control the wifi access etc, it would probably be cheaper to just let everyone on it, but the flipside would probably be insanely slow connections. Our largest house has something like 2500 beds, and a 1Gbit/s connection for patient internet.
when my wife gave birth to our son, she was in a 3-bed room. One woman has not spoken a single word all day, the other woman, her husband and new-born son have become our best friends and we are still in regular and close contact today (34 years later)!
That is so awesome!! ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest!
I heard this many times.
They also like to place first-timers together with a woman who has already the experience, and that can help a lot.
@@krollpeter give chance a chance!
The women I shared the room with, after giving birth to our first child, later became one of my best friends and the girls became best friends too.
Not always bad to share a room. :-)
I think the amount of money saved not giving birth in the US but in Germany should highly outweigh the cost of Wifi, phone and television, even the private rooms seems not as expensive in comparison. The only hassle is probably to pay it up front instead of not worrying until a invoice is sent later.
You can take your own Handy / Laptop which you !
@@rosemariebrown2413 yes but if you habe prepaid like many people in germany yoj might consider paying for wi fi since a flat rate only prevites that much
And its propaply cheaper then the xl package from your provider
Make sure the name you planned for your child is on the approved list, when giving birth in Germany.
@@noprivacyanymore Yep, no naming your kid "Schweinebraten", "Dumpfbratze" or other nonsense.
@@danilopapais1464 trite and a gross characterization of the impact. I guess we can expect that from guy whose name is a variation for Dildo.
If no free WiFi in hospital while having a baby during a pandemic is the only problem you have, you are a very lucky person!!
Too bad you didn’t mention overal costs aside from the Wifi and shared/single room situation.
My friend gave birth to her daughter and paid $12,000 while mentioning in the same sentence that she has great insurance through her employer.
She thought I was kidding when I told her that the highest cost of my son’s birth was parking (5€).
Can we conclude that health care in the USA is a business and that health care in Europe is to make people getting better and not taking money out of their pockets
When our daughter was born in 1996, my wife was in the 24th week of her pregnancy. She had been admitted to the hospital in the 20th week, and stayed for 8 days after giving birth. I never asked what the stay, medicines, etc. would have cost, if we had to pay from our own pockets, but I would guess it would have run into tens of thousands of Dollars ...
BTW: The Klinikum Grosshadern (doctors, nurses, ...) in Munich was fantastic at the time, and our daughter is now 25 years old and in university.
As in Germany health is not a business you do not pay for normal services . and getting a baby is super normal thing .. right ?
In Belgium also, health is not a business, health care is to make people better and not take money out of their pockets
While giving birth in Germany doesn t go along with medical bills I think paying for TV and Wlan and although sharing a room(big enough) with another mum isn t that bad !
Yeah, this seems to be a first world problem...
Its horrible sharing another room. You have that person's family coming and going and you dont have any privacy. I gave birth in Germany and the "room divider" was a 1m tall curtain. If you got out of bed or walked into the room you would see what's going on the other side. If you had a terrible night its difficult to sleep because you have family and friends talking, laughing, etc. I had to ask the family nextdoor to not be so loud. I prefer to pay more and have my private place.
@@RoadsFranconia it's not a first world problem when you only get an hour of sleep the night before. Having people being obnoxious isn't trivial or minor. It's a big thing for some people. For me it's not good if I don't get to catch up on lost sleep. I always end up sick. If I'm sick I can't take care of my child 1,000%.
After giving birth one need to sleep while they have the help. Generally speaking where you have a lot of help is the hospital.
In german health care system pu actually have the chance to pay more and get your private room..you just have to ask and pay the amount.
@@jessicaely2521 mimimi....generation........🤣
Having had two kids in German hospitals, you made me realize that I took a lot of stuff for granted. But, as for wifi, we didn't pay anything for the births of our kids. Glady give up wifi for thousands in co-pays, etc. If you had a C-Section on top, you saved a fortune. I'm glad that the German HC system tries to keep its cost down and spends its money on good HC. Plus, having a cell phone works too if the reception is ok.
The last thing the german government would do is put more monetary restrictions on top of child birth (children are already expensive on their own). Because the birthrates are already low as it is.
That's why the tax system is in favour of families with children, they are literally an investment in our future.
Whether WiFi is free or not depends on the hospital. My wife gave birth to our son at the Charité in Berlin and WiFi was free.
In the clinics it is becoming more and more standard that there is TV with headphones at the bed and free wifi. Especially in the new or renovated clinics.
That's great! Our hospital had new TVs beside each bed, but we had to pay to have them turned on. Same with the wifi access code. Again, not a huge cost or anything but good to know. Thanks for your perspective! :-)
My personal experience to have a share room were VERY BENEFICIAL as we could talk with each other about all new experiments and feelings ( physically) and even better if some there already gave birth before and the NATURE of the giving birth and how the moms take care of each other for exemplar if the baby cries or not comfy but the mother is exhausted and sleep the other who may been there for 2 days and recovered a bit help the other for to wake up or call the nurse or so on ... share room sound awful but it is sooooooooo good to share all pain and experience with someone in the same situation and on e feel much more relax
Congratulation ! your son look super lovely and cute but MORE IMPORTANTLY HEALTHY L
Don't you think it would have been worth mentioning that you didn't have to pay in excess of 20.000 US$ for giving birth? That the German health insurance paid everything even though you spent most of you life somewhere else and now had the benefit of being treated as if you had paid into this insurance for years - like all the other insured people have done? And that the premium you pay is about one fifth of what you would have to pay in the USA (not even considering the co-pay!)?
For all those reasons I consider it petty ranting about a small fee for WiFi ...
PS
When we were on vacation in the USA in 2004 my wife was admitted to a hospital by a practitioner - she went through several diagnostic procedures and stayed there for almost exactly 24h, ONE DAY. The bill was *7,890.00* US$ - just as a comparison .... that was approx. the cost of the total five weeks of travel we did that year ....
Hi there!
You are correct, the costs of healthcare are significant in the US and it puts many families into debt or even bankrupcy at astonishing rates. And I am sorry to hear that your bill from a US hospital was so significant. I hope your wife has fully recovered and is doing well.
A study published in Health Affairs by the University of Michigan found that in 2015 (most recent year available), the average cost of giving birth was $4,500 with insurance. And considering that the typical American household has only $8,863 tucked away in savings at a bank or credit union (2018 Study by the US Federal Reserve) - the cost of having a child can create a considerable financial strain.
However, my intention of making this video is to convey what I experienced in Germany, specifically. And I hope this is informative for other exptas, immigrants and international families (who may or may not be from the US) who find themselves anticipating giving birth in Germany and aren't sure what to expect once they are in a hospital. I can be daunting giving birth without family or friends around to help or lend advice.
Cheers!
You pay 10€/day out of your own pocket, but this is cheap compared to other countries
Alot of Americans have health insurance so your only paying around $4,000 (3,450.00€). You have to think on what people are buying in the US. A lot of women dont do natural birth anymore. What I mean is they have an epidural. You have to pay for the drug AND the anesthesiologist. You want a person who knows how much drugs to give you and someone who knows where to put the needle in your back. You can save yourself $2,000 (1,725€) by skipping the epidural. I don't understand why women drug their babies. This is what your doing when you get an epidural. Yes I had a child naturally so I know what the pain is like, but its temporary.
@@jessicaely2521 or you live in a country that has a working health care and you only pay 10 € per day in the Hospital 😉
@@jessicaely2521 epidural is not "drugging the kid", please avoid giving such false health advice if you aren´t a professional. In many cases epidural is the best solution to avoid unendurable pain (that in some case is so bad that it doesn´t "go away" by itself), and is often medically recommended when the labor is becoming difficult. It can help avoid more heavy interventions too.
My father in Spain literally followed me when they took me away for the first check (weight, etc) to the central nursery (he had to stay on the other side of the window, but he could see me at all time) and he followed me back until I was placed in mother's arms. I cannot imagine having your child in a central nursery all that time.
Regarding snacks in German hospital: I know more than one person who ordered takeout from their hospital bedafter giving birth because after all that hard work, they just NEEDED pizza!
I honestly almost had Jonathan bring up enchiladas from a local Mexican restaurant.... but of course they were closed because of the pandemic.
Shared room: There are many opposite arguments along.
- You might want to share experience with other fresh mothers (many develop a livelong friendship from that). At least after the mentioned needed sleep.
- One wife with my wife at the first child got into a family crisis since her husband - a dentist - was just finishing his practice and had very short time for his family (flowers, short kiss, look at the baby and out of the way). She was very envy on us were I showed of every time and cared for the baby.
True! So I was roomed up with a very nice young mother who was from Romania. Although my German isn't perfect by any means, she spoke very rudimentary German (and no english either). But because I was about 1 day ahead of her after birth, I could help her when I could to tell her what she could anticipate (for example, the U2 examination, photographs at the hospital, registration for documents, etc.). I was happy I was there to help in any way I could. Since neither of us really had an family around due to COVID, it was good to feel like we had a friend.
Bye the way, public healthcare in Germany is not free. In general, everybody who earns more than 450 EUR /m has to pay for the social security insurance. In case of healthcare it is 14,6% of your net income, BUT it is split 50/50 between you and the employer. There's also always the care insurance, which is an additional 3,05%, but also split. And the public health insurer can and do charge an additional contribution. That's around 1,3%, but again split. So if one earns 3000 EUR /m, one has to pay 284,25 EUR for healthcare and care insurance and the employer pays the same amount. Only people who receive unemployment benefits II (ALG II) don't have to pay. Spouses and children are included, as long as they don't have their own income. E.g., you're married with 4 children, it's still "just" 284.25 EUR /m.
If you are admitted to a hospital you have to pay 10 EUR per day, which includes everything, a shared room, treatment and 3 meals per day and even "Kaffee und Kuchen" in the afternoon. But this fee is limited to 28 days per year or 280 EUR. Many hospitals offer additional free stuff like unlimited tee or coffee or unlimited sparkling water. I personally had to pay for WiFi, which was 5 EUR per 7 days and TV was free. An ambulance ride costs also 10 EUR. Privat rooms are not covered by public healthcare.
I also just gave birth in Germany few weeks ago. I am a bit shocked that you paid 100-200€ for the family room, we paid only 35€ per night which honestly is nothing. I would gladly pay 100 or more to have my dear husband with me. As for the rest, yes dear you do come across as a privileged American (I am pretty sure Germans are also “westerners”). You are confusing private and public hospitals. So sharing a room, paying for wifi/tv (I didnt so it must be up to the hospital), and having crappy food, is standard public hospital situation. We are lucky in Germany you share only with one mum and there is wifi to be bought. In the UK hospitals for instance often you share with 6-10 people (laaarge room separated with curtains) and there is no wifi to buy. Not that there is anything wrong with that either, you dont go there for holidays, the only thing that matter is the level of care, which in both Germany and UK is high. In fact the maternal mortality rate is lower in both countries compared to the USA, so basically, if the trade off for my life is wifi and private rooms I think the answer is obvious. Lastly, regarding inductions, I had to be induced cause my waters broke and labour wouldn’t start after many many hours, and I deeply regret it. The pain of the induction contractions is unreal. So I think its a good think they dont offer it unnecessarily cause genuinely unless you have it you dont know what you are signing up to.
Of course you are entitled to your opinions, and overall your video is great.
I agree, my first was breech and would not turn on his own. They didn’t try to turn him, my doc was really good. But I was induced at 37 weeks. It was an out of body experience. Never again I thought at the time.
@@twingytwango6971 I totally understand! I say the same thing, next time I wont take the damn meds unless there is absolutely no other way. Sadly with induction unless you feel it, you have no concept of the pain we are talking about. I pushed the baby out just fine but I still have nightmares about these induction contractions.
Also with private insurance you get crappy food , atleast in germany ;) I don't expect a high class kitchen but my 3 yo was in hospital recently, and it is difficult and not a good situation if he don't wants to eat, like his roomate - and it isn't possible to get some vegetables instead of the bread.
@@christiang5209 Oh I see how this can be very complicated when you have a toddler that you have to feed! My only experience was feeding myself and husband after delivery. They had a list of different options and I would choose daily. But yes dinner was bread with meat/cheese. Quite honestly this is the German way and German families/kids eat that every night. I learned to embrace it and you know, when in Rome, be like the Romans. But I am not sure if my toddler would eat these things 😅
Depends on hospital. We also paid 270 or so for the family room.
The U1 is done right when the baby is born. You’re talking about the U2, which can be done in the hospital or visiting the family’s pediatrician for the first time. Smaller hospitals might not have pediatricians as part of their staff so that an external one will come over to check the newborns, but often not during weekends.
Regarding rooms there’s also the option to get a standard room turned into a family room so that the dad can use the second bed. This is cheaper than the private rooms, but only possible if it’s not too crowded overall.
Dear Ashton (hope I got the spelling right!), this first part is mostly to my dear fellow Germans who are commenting in the WiFi and the shared room issues: a little more empathy for a first time mother with almost literally no access to the outside world might be in order, guys. Also, I suspect perhaps a little humility re. one‘s own grasp of the subtleties of a language which is not one‘s own might help. - VERY clearly, your video was not critical of what you found at the hospital but simply (a) relating your personal experience and (b) offering advice to others finding themselves in the same situation! Same with the shared room - this has pros and cons and it is definitely good to know about so that one can plan and consider.
I have been watching a few of your videos and find them very balanced and considered as well as interesting and entertaining - both from the POV of a German native (as it happens, born in Freiburg myself, now living in the Bodesee (Lake Constance) region) and someone who had the opposite experience of living both in the US and the UK as a foreigner. Keep up the good work! Best regards, Nicola
Wow thank you SO, so much for this. I am really happy that you were able to take away from the video that I wasn't trying to be critical (I am so thankful for the care I received), but just sharing what I experienced. It is kind of ironic actually.... When we first started this channel I thought that my audience would mostly be Americans or other immigrants who weren't familiar with life in Germany... rather our audience is 80% German! So when I talked in this early video about my "experiences" it was just as you said - trying to help others who might find themselves in a similar situation and not knowing what to expect. Again, thank you so much for your compassionate comment. This really made my evening. ❤️
I can really see your point needing internet access while in hospital, but a pandemic is not the standard situation the planers of the hospital had in mind nor does the health care system. The standard would be, for Germans, that your family can visit you while your in hospital and the health care system is designed to pay for all the costs for your medical requirements.
I see that your emotional health was not thought of in that concept.
But, if you compare the amount of money you would have to pay in the US for having a baby with the costs you have in Germany, WiFi and internet fees are a joke.
It would be nice if you let us know how much you had to pay at the end. I assume your US viewers won't believe you.
Just true .......Thorsten.....🤗
You're right, but we have to admit that WLAN isn't a thing, or better said shouldn't be a thing in our days. Germany is behind other nations and it angers me, because we could have made it better.
I think the point was not complaining about paying, but outlining that Wi-Fi is an extra. And possibly it would be cheaper for the hospital if they do not integrate a billing system to their Wi-Fi.
Don't you had grid coverage there? Like using your own provider that you are monthly paying for anyways wasn't possible?
There was also the problem, that the wi-fi owners were or still are responsible for what the connection in germany.
This law was planned to be changed, but I don't know if it was.
We germans don't go to a place because it has wi-fi. We see that more and more if people from all over the world, but it is like borowing smth that you'll never give back.
It feels wrong to me, like standing infront of a house, watching TV through the window. 1. Why? 2. Doesn't that feel stupid?
@@Wolfspaule may be your looking at the wrong product. Internet access or wifi is like providing drinking water these days. Or like radio. It's one of the basic necessities in life. Wifi is requested mostly because general O2 or Vodafone or other signals are not so good in the hospital. I am facing that situation as I type this. I am paying money everyday to use the wifi here. Germany does have to improve and nothing wrong in knowing how to become better right. Think positive.
Hi! That's basically the same as things work here in Italy plus you're given Pampers diapers for free during your stay (there's no bill to pay) and nurses will teach you how to change, wash and dress your new born baby. Crongrats for your amazing channel I'm bing-watching it!
YES! They also had diapers for us which was so nice. Because of the pandemic, we couldn't tour the hospital beforehand and they cancelled the in-person birth preparation course.
Thanks for watching the video(s)! ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest!
Hello Ashton. The video is great. However, it should be mentioned that in recent years, pure maternity clinics have emerged, which compete for the favor of women. Back then, we chose the women's clinic at the Technical University of Munich simply because it was around the corner from our apartment. The TU Munich is one of the maximum care providers in Munich. If my wife had opted for a maternity clinic, I would now be the single father of my daughter. Something went wrong at birth, the gynecologists left, the doctors in the surgical department took over and a vascular surgeon saved my wife's life. Everything can always go wrong during a birth and then you need a maximum care provider.
Generally there is a central nursery in every birth station, but you can have your baby all the time. But for a walk or a nap you can give the baby to responsble care.
Another fantastic feature is midwife care. You usually find yourself a midwife before the birth who will look after you and baby and visit you at home for up to a couple of weeks. They have time to help with breast feeding and recovery and all the little questions of new parents.
YES! We had a midwife and she was such a wonderful help since we live very far away from family. Having someone who was there when you needed here and answering all of our questions was such a nice peace of mind.
Well, about the food, it varies a lot. BUT: if you have the feeling that the meals you get are too small or want a special diet or whatever. Just talk to the Nurses and they’ll happy to do that for you. Extra portions, vegan options etc are happily served as soon as they know about.
About the room situation: Even when you have private insurance you might have to share when the ward is full. They won't leave people in the hallway when the rooms are not full up.
Yes true! I was also told this when I was giving birth. The maternity ward was quite full and I am not sure if I would have had the opportunity for a private room even if I wanted one.
On the other hand they may not put in another mum if they have still empty rooms
Just enjoyed the story you´ve shared with us. As a german, it was really interesting to hear, how people from other cultures see and feel my country in those kind of exceptional and emotional moments in their life. Btw: great performance in the video with your eye- camera contact! Really pulled me into into your Story 🙂👍
Thanks! This was one of our very first videos and we were still learning. ♥️ Thank you for watching!
You to throw in another option: you can also have a home birth in Germany with very professional midwives. You'll have to pay just 200-400 Euros approximately and the rest will be covered by health insurance public or private.
It's often tricky to find a midwife, so if interested at all find one very(!) early in pregnacy. You can always change your mind later and go to the hospital, but not the other way round.
Glad you had such a positive experience. I accompanied a family member in the hospital. Means we had a two bed room and I paid for the additional bed. But that was only 90 Euros AFAIR. But we have a smaller hospital here. And tv was already included. As was sparkling water, the thing with out a German cannot survive. The rate a hospital calculates for the stay includes medicine and services by the nurses. None of that was in my bill because it was not needed.
Yes! Jonathan likes to joke that I might die of dehydration if I don't have my "fancy" sparkly water. But it's true, I LOVE it and was so happy when I could drink as much as I wanted while in the hospital.
Just discovered your channel today and am addicted.
The U1 is conducted immediately after birth. You're thinking of the U2 which is conducted within the first week. For me it was on the third day back in 1980; not a problem.
Ah yes! Apologies for the error. You are absolutely correct.
Your intro graphics (typo and treetops) is a good idea and was very well done
Thanks so much! Although we had a general idea of what we wanted, we can't take credit for the execution of the logo. We hired a graphic artist to work with us to make it.
@@TypeAshton Tell them: They've made a good job. What font did they choose?
Hey ! I was giving birth in Baden Baden around the same time you did and I can relate to so much! Except for WiFi and family rooms, due to Covid the rooms are not offered at the moment, same was for bathtub, I couldn’t use it. However my WiFi was very fast and free)
Your description of services is very much like ours. Extra perks cost extra but are not a extreme expense. Very flexible on the stay and the food is better than expected. There was no charges, billing, or cost for birth at the Hospital at all. Universal Healthcare in Canada is very good.
I am an American living in Sweden. I was in a Swedish University hospital for TEN days three years ago with a virus infection. I was in the typical shared room at this hospital of four people: two women and two MEN. Yup, not only shared, but also with mixed genders. The four of us shared one bathroom as well. During my long stay, the other patients left, but the new patients continued to balance the genders so that there were always two women and two men in the room. There was absolutely NO internet anywhere where patients had access. Fortunately I love to read and my husband provided me with books, but much of the time I felt so ill that it was difficult to concentrate. Swedish hospitals also have the custom that mobile patients eat their meals together in a dining room. This is to encourage patients to get up and move around and to enable them to have social contact with each other not solely focused on them being patients. It is also easier on the staff of course! This was also the only location on the floor which had television- one. The dining room also included sofas and comfy chairs. Since meals and snacks provided the best “entertainment” of each day, I actually gained weight! Another major difference about the Swedish medical system is that it is the head nurses who largely determine the amount of your medications and when you should receive them. The idea being that it is the nurses who actually have the most contact with you and therefore know best when and how much you need them. This is a system of which I heartily approve! No waiting for the doctor’s rounds or permission when you need something. And they DO respect you when you ask for something. For instance, I found that I cannot easily sleep in the hospital, so I asked the nurses for, and received, sleeping pills. And when the first amount only made me groggy and I staggered to the nurses station to tell them, they immediately helped me back to bed and brought me an additional dose. After that I got a higher dose each night. Last week I was overnight in another hospital due to surgery on a broken elbow (yeah, it hurts lots). They provided TV in each room, shared by two people AND they had internet. So clearly policies are determined at a local level. (This was also a university hospital.) Following recovery, both nurses and doctors checked on me frequently asking me if I was comfortable or needed anything. And the meal I ate (in bed) was terrific! Pasta with a shrimp and clam Alfredo sauce.
Some things differ from hospital to Hospital. We didn't have to pay for WiFi and the Family room was a lot cheaper than you mentioned and the public insurrance payed half of it too.
also you've got to take into consideration that the European legal framework and legal traditions are fundamentally different from the legal traditions of anglo-saxon type nations.
For example the German legal system has the notion of so called "Störerhaftung" (which is very relevant in the context of providing public WiFi). This is a basic legal construct of german law, and not specific to public WiFi.
Within this legal construct, you as a provider of public WiFi would be (potentially) on the hook legally for unlawful actions someone using your public WiFi service commits, since you contributed by enabling them to commit the offense.
Therefore, and since hospitals tend not to be pinnacles of IT knowledge, they just outsource that to some service provider who will take care of the legal an technical pitfalls.
And those providers want to get paid.
There has been some reforms going on regarding the scope of this legal construct, to specifically exclude someone providing public WiFi service from the scope of "Störerhftung", but these are far from being complete or optimal.
When our first child was born, my wife's gynecologist was like a friend. He came specially by bike in the middle of the night. Unfortunately it was a standard room with 3 women and the foreigners received visits from the entire clans.
We had moved and for the second birth we were in a hurry to get to the nearest hospital. The private room and the care was better (e.g. many many free fruit, newspapers) but not as personal.
That was such a beautiful video. - We have awesome midwives in Germany. Actually I think they are better educated from what I have seen. You can 1000 percent rely on them. :)
The pregnancy gymnastic classes I believe are special too over here.
With the wifi...
Over here you either get yourself a prepaid simcard, where you buy the amount of mobile data that you like to have for being able to have internet access, or you have like a mobile flatrate as we call it with your provider.
Im sure having a roommate during a pandemic is nice to have. :)
Glad you made so positive experiences over here. ❤️
Thank you for the nice comment. :)
Another thing to know is - in some hospitals you need a Maxicosi/child seat to leave the hospital. They will not allow you to leave with your baby if you're not able to bring it home safely and according to the laws.
I totaly agree that the food is absolutely insufficient for breast feeding moms. After my first child was born I wrote a letter to the staff of the Hospital to thank them for the great job, but had to admit the next time I would probably order some Pizza devilery service for my wife in addition to the offered one single potatoe, a spoon full of spinache and one lonely egg!
BTW, I guess you meant the U2 made after the 3rd day while staying a little longer in Hospital, because the U1 is made emediately after birth.
I liked the part of the snacks. We got a tough experience about that. Our second son was born around 18:30. When everything was settled, I hurried back to fetch our first child (17 months at that time). So I did not notice it was too late for my wife to get dinner from the hospital. (I should have gotten a pizza or something for her outside of the hospital).
The next morning, she did not get breakfast, because the baby's weight was 4080 g, so more than 4 kilos, she had to get the diabetes test. So the first meal my wife got was lunch at noon the next day.
I agree totally. Don't forget snacks !
Oh my goodness I couldn't imagine. I was SO hungry after giving birth to Jack - although I was also in labor for over 24 hours without food as well. Your wife was a rockstar for making it that long.
❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest!
Or just skip the diabetes-test at day one, eat even If they ask you not to so and take the test the following day. If the baby has 6000g, you can come to another risk evaluation because the propability of diabetes is very high. But hardly over 4000g...
Wonderful video. Our gyno has recommended a list of extra examinations, usg, etc for which we have to pay by ourselves to our gyno.It is not mandatory but we were recommended. Did you have the similar experience? Thanks
Yes that's been the case for us as well. Some of the tests, like the genetic predisposition is "usually" not recommended unless you meet risk factors, but I think I have elected to also go through with some of the other blood testing just for peace of mind.
The TV thing is that Hospitals don't get much money from the general insurance but have to work cost effectv. You would wonder if you would know what the doctor ghets during the hole proces for all examinations etc.
Thanks for sharing your experience. But you should be aware that some of those things may vary from hospital to hospital in Germany. First of all, I'm german, my wife is french and we had our three kids in Darmstadt, Germany.
I had to smile about your "bring snacks", I totally agree with that, because for the second kid, the birth was about 6 pm and the first meal my wife got was at noon the next day. She did not get breakfast because of a diabetes test (the kid was quite heavy, a bit more than 4 kg).
For the TV and WLAN and so on, don't forget health insurance is supposed to pay for medical help, not for luxury. So just take it as a benefit, that you had the WiFi option (I'm not sure you find that in every hospital. In our case we had not (it was some years ago) and usage of mobile phones was not allowed, just like in the airplane).
The three days in hospital are always benefitial, in case of your first child, you have the opportunity to learn, for the next children, you just might be greateful to have a rest.
One point you didn't mention was the fact that there are midwifes coming to your house after birth (up to ten times, I think), payed by health insurance, help you with any issues you might have, answering questions and so on.
Sehr guter Hinweis, dass die Krankenkasse ja alles zahlt (außer TV/Wifi). Jetzt macht das sogar richtig Sinn.
@@ravanpee1325 Meine Frau ist immer vier Tage geblieben. War aber nicht teurer, es gab damals auch kein WiFi sondern maximal ein Festnetztelefon. Haben wir aber auch überlebt.
@@wora1111 Das Essen ist auch nicht immer so toll, aber ist eben kein Restaurant. Wenn man als Privatpatient die Rechnung sieht, wie teuer eine Geburt eigentlich ist, ist man doch froh über die Krankenversicherung. Da kann man auch über sowas hinwegsehen. Wäre es jetzt länger (Wochen), wäre das noch einmal was anderes.
Hi there! Thanks for watching and providing your personal experience. I hope to make an additional video in the future talking about the postpartum experience as well. I know that having a midwife was such a great benefit for us - especially being first time parents and not having extended family members around to help. I can't even count the number of times I needed to ask our midwife "is this normal?". Plus she also helped to provide additional care with my c-section wound. So, so great.
@@ravanpee1325 Ich war in den letzten 5 Jahren 8 Wochen (auf drei Ops verteilt) im Krankenhaus und das Essen war mit Abstand mein kleinstes Problem. Und bei einem meiner Arbeitgeber in der Zeit wurde die Kantine von der Küche des Krankenhauses mit Essen versorgt.
Ich freue mich für dich! Es war eine gute Erfahrung, die von den Menschen um dich herum abhängig war. Wenn alle nett und professionell sind kommt so etwas dabei heraus ;-) Meine Frau und ich hatten eine sehr ähnliche Erfahrung, aber ich finde diese Perspektive "von außen" so interessant! Denn viele Menschen hier in Deutschland schätzen unser Gesundheitssystem gar nicht. Before 1987 all hospitals in Germany were not allowed to make profit. They had to spent all money in staff and equipment. Since the system is privatized, there are many problems, but it seems we still have one of the best HC system in the world.
In the UK the birth is in a private room. A shared room is normal for the ongoing stay. Hospitals generate revenue from TV and Wifi, unfortunately the communication needs are not understood by the medics and managers.
WiFi and TV in hospitals.
You must take the efforts into account to provide this to you.
They have a very delicate network with essential and very private informations stored and used there.
To give several hundreds patients WiFi acces is at bit of a challenge compared to WiFi spots. That is a massive infrastructure that has to be purchased and maintained when lets say 300 to 700 people use the internet and spent much time with e.g. streaming. It may not be at all times, but the possible situation must be tackled bby the network. That creates a big overhead in expenses.
And don't forget it has to be safe and secured and strictly separate from the intranet which in key positions will share the hardware.
TV fee is just some annoying fedral thing which has to be taken as it is
Great video! Thank you very much for sharing your story with us. I think this could be very helpful for a lot of people.
One little question remains in my mind: what about the overall costs of giving birth in germany compared to the US?
As a fresh mother, you will be charged a maximum of 10 € / $ 11.87 per day, your insurance pays approx. 2800 € / $ 3323.60 for a standard birth (approx. 4 days hospital stay) or for a caesarean birth approx. 4500 € / $ 5341, 50
These are just the hospital costs, plus the prenatal examinations and aftercare by the midwife.
If you have statutory insurance, you have to look for these costs in the published statistics. As a privately insured person (civil servant, self-employed, earning above the income limit = € 62,550 / $ 74,246.85 per year) you will receive an invoice, but in the case of births, the hospitals may also submit these costs directly to the insurance company. Usually, these costs are not higher for those with private insurance than for those with statutory insurance.
Thank you so much for the great statistics on the overall costs. I know the only bill we ever saw was for the daily admin fee (although for some reason, I keep recalling 15 euros per day... but I need to dig up that document and re-check. I could be wrong here). Thanks again for watching and providing additional information for others!
@@TypeAshton U pay for food, water, tea/coffee and TV........cause that are no "medical costs" u even had at home.
Entilted American! !!!Stick a Sock in it!
@@manub.3847 Well, I am insured by private insurance. And every time I get the bill they charge up to the max the respective insurance is willing to compensate you. I.e. most of the times they multiply by 1.9 what the rate is for public insurance. And there is nothing in there which is really better than what the other patient gets. I only feel they are more willing to explain more. I have to sit in the same waiting room and join the queue, no cofffee, nor flowers. Even in the hospital I ly in a shared room. So basically my insurcance subsidizes the health care system.
I gave birth to 3 babys as a foreigner and being one or not is exactly the same for every mum, and I gave birth to one in my country México, in México I went private didn't use the national health care but in England was under the health care system .
tbh the wifi thing sounds a lot like typical German inertia. It's not that long ago that smartphone usage in hospitals was considered a big "no" because of sensitive devices they might disturb. As far as I'm aware that still a thing, but much, much less so (ie intensive care units almost certainly still ban them). Obviously if you aren't allowed such devices there's much less need for wifi coverage. Now that smartphones are ok (certainly in areas like the maternity ward) hospitals are beginning to build wifi networks (not all even have them yet). But unfortunately hospitals in Germany these days are expected to run according to commercial considerations as well, which is why your stay (although better than what the US offers apparently) is much shorter than it was in the past, and "extras" like TV cost money - and wifi too, as it's a way to recuperate the cost of building and maintaining those networks.
It's however such a hassle that already hospitals turn around and open up their wifi, after all, it's generally also useful for guests and such. So we'll see how that situation is in 10-15 years. For now, it's "Neuland" ...
I know “gas and air” is finally getting a footing in the US for a means of pain management. Were you offered or did you use it before your epidural? I hav only ever seen it used on UK television shows, so am not super familiar.
Hi there! A lot of that day/night is really quite foggy for me. I don't remember being offered gas, but that doesn't mean I wasn't. Originally they gave me a pill medication for pain when I was only dilated to a 1, and then when I progressed to a 4 I was offered an epidural. However, Jack was in distress and shortly thereafter I was taken in for an emergency c-section.
In Germany we do not use "gas and air". It is in fact not recommended.
Laughing gas/"Lachgas" is being offered as alternative pain management in many hospitals in Germany nowadays. It probably depends on the hospital, similar to acupuncture.
Hello, as you see Iam a German man but I have some quetions: can you share with us what you think about the Motherpasport "Mutterpass", what do you think about the Midwifesystem in Germany?
Hi There! In kind of an homage to Jack's first birthday next month, I'll be doing a series on this exact topic! We adored our midwife and plan to share what that experience was like (finding one, how their role in Germany differs from what a midwife typically performs in Germany, and how she was able to help us).
Thanks so much for watching and the great recommendation!
Hi! Do you need to pre register in the hospital that you want to give birth in? How does the preregistration look like?
Generally, yes. You can register at your hospital about 8 weeks before the birth (your Frauenarzt can help you to organize this). In my hospital it was just a short meeting with the nurses. They took a look at my Mutterpass to get up to speed on how the entire pregnancy has gone (and assess any risks). They also took down all of my information, my husbands, our contact information, insurance information, what we want to name the baby (optional), nationality, etc. - Basically this just speeds everything up so that if you come into the hospital in active labor, you already have a repertoire with the staff, they are already up to speed on you and your health needs, and you don't have to mess with paperwork ahead of time.
Is TB vaccination still done in Europe? Do they do Vitamin K and eye drops? I imagine circs are only done on private pay since generally they do it only for religious reasons?
TB vaccination was stopped in 1998 and you don't have to pay for circs if there are medical reasons to have them done
It doesn't have to be that you either are in a hospital ward or go home. A smarter system is where they have hospital hotel like facilities, where new babies and parents can move, if everything is normal, but for any reason they still want to have professional monitoring of the situation, advice or just time to recover before going home, where help is not exactly next door.
The cost is about the same as for having a normal hotel room, but with special services and next to the hospital. It is a more private place to stay than a hospital ward. It is also less expensive for the society than keeping young mother at a hospital ward just because they are tired or unsure about their skills with the newborn. It offers softer start for parents to start their life with a baby - a third option between hospital and home. People stay there usually a nigh or two, before going home. It is not an alternative for staying in the ward, since that is always used, if there are any medical reasons for the baby or the mother to need additional care.
My wife sent me to McDonald's, so hungry she was in the next day after the birth. It is also common to order food from the room in the Hospital. 😃
There is few hungers like the one after giving birth. 🤣😛 I totally get it!
Giving birth is the strongest and longest workout a woman will ever do in her life, so this is fully understandable!
There is always someone who has to pay for the „Free Wi-Fi“ There is always somebody who has to pay for Wi-Fi even if it is "free". Extras always cost extra, otherwise it wouldn't be called “extra” …
I would not consider WiFi a necessary Service for Health Care .. , a Hospital is not a Hotel . Hospitals operated by n o n profit organisations in Germany , thats a big difference to the US , you may get WiFi there , but you have to pay over 1000 Dollar a day ... unless you have an Health Insurance and even then it depends if its a Hospital in or out of the Insurance Network and which Plan you have choosen . The US Health Care System is crap , if you are rich its OK but if not ...
The German Health care System was invented by Otto von Bismarck in June 15th 1883 , survived 2 World Wars and works since over 100 Years .
Doctors speak English: I am noticing that many 'medical' terms in English actually are simply in Latin (i.e. post partum = "Nach der Entbindung", C-section = "Kaiserschnitt") and they have to learn the Latin words anyhow for communicating with their colleagues? (If I remember correctly Latin either is or was required to study medicine in Germany when I last checked about 40 years ago)
Einer der großen Mythen, der sich rund um das Medizinstudium hartnäckig hält: kein Medizinstudium ohne Latinum.
Während vieler Jahrzehnte, gab es tatsächlich ein Lateinobligatorium für viele Studiengänge, darunter auch Jura und Medizin. Während das Latinum für manche geisteswissenschaftliche und sprachwissenschaftlichen Studiengänge weiterhin erforderlich ist, wurden Jura und Medizin schon längst aus der Liste gestrichen.
Für ein Medizinstudium brauchst Du also kein Latinum.
Die Zulassungsbedingungen für ein Medizinstudium sind vergleichsweise hart. Der überdurchschnittliche NC und viele Wartesemester, schrecken viele von einer Bewerbung ab. Die Bestimmungen zur Studienplatzvergabe wurden jedoch vor Kurzem geändert und ab dem Sommersemester 2020 über zwei Jahre hinweg schrittweise eingeführt.
@@zappel64 ok, ich gebe dazu, ich bin nicht mehr ganz up to date. Zuletzt hat mich das beim Abi wirklich interessiert, also etwa 1974. Und ich hatte ohnehin das grosse Latinum.
@@zappel64 Latein war bereits in den 70iger Jahren keine Zulassungsvoraussetzung mehr. Dafür wurde ein scheinpflichtiger Kurs in "medizinischer Terminologie" eingeführt, der sowohl lateinische als auch griechische Grundkenntnisse vermittelte.
@@wora1111 Aber - heutzutage muss man sogar trotz großem Latinum den Kurz und Schein in medizinischer Terminologie belegen und bestehen..... Auch nicht wirklich sinnvoll!
@@ulrikewei3748 In dubio pro Latinum?
When my wive gave birth to our daughter we pay 45 Euros per day so that I as her husband can stay in the same room with her its called a Family room.
Wow that is amazing! Our hospital quotes us a much higher rate, and given that I ended up needing to stay for 5 days we elected to just share a room.
I’m curious, what is the ius soli situation in Germany these days? I know Jack can claim US citizenship since you and Jon are US citizens, but is he automatically a German citizen since he was born in Germany. (Not all countries have ius soli. If you are born in Austria, for example, you are not automatically an Austrian citizen if neither of your parents was an Austrian citizen at the time of your birth.)
We have actually covered this a bit in another video: czcams.com/video/Ge-ZIu7aKCs/video.html
But we got a couple of points wrong here. Because Jonathan was not here for 8 years at the time of Jack's birth, he does not qualify yet for a passport. But he will soon in the future and will be allowed to keep both passports for life.
I’m happy you made some great experiences in Germany. I don’t know the US System, but I love the German health care system. Except the food in hospitals 😂
The food in hospitals is a universal problem and the source of many problems.
I was a month a 7-month Premie, born in my Oma's Apartment (Grandmothers Apartment) with the help of a Hebamme (Midwife) that also helped 6 years later when my Brother was born in Dinkelsbuehl, Bavaria ....
What you said on the WIFI costing extra in some hospitals - yes that is annoying. I totally get your point on keeping in touch with the family far far away. When my mum was in hospital (in the local one she did not but in the last one she did have WIFI) it gave her lots of distraction aswell, being able to browse around on Facebook, let the world know how she was, keep in touch with peeps or I sent her lots of CZcams links of old movies and TV programms she liked and which she could watch. There is just so much you can watch on telly and at some point you are basically just fed up, especially if there is nothing on you like and you just watch to passing time. When you are bed bound and cannot really get up, I'd say you'll be bored up to your head without the use of Internet
Yes, having an ipad and headphones was really nice. Often, Jack would wake up at 2am for a feeding and then I would be WIDE awake. I hated turning on the light because I didn't want to wake her (we both were thankful to get a little shut eye when we could). It was nice to have something to do that wouldn't disturb my neighbor.
Iam with the public healthcare as well. I do have an upgrade in the incurance for when i would need a surgery or something that would require me to stay in a hospital for a night or more, that I have a single room for myself. So that is an option too. :D Especially for families there are good options. I only had one night in a hospital in my whole life so far and shared the room because it was late already and I was tired when I got there. I shared the room with an Italianwho got the Injury at the same sports tournement that I was attending so it was totally fine :D It can eb rough if you share a room with someone that is in a lot of pain or isnt really cognitively there anymore and is loud for whatever reason that the person obviously is not responsible for. Everbody has the right to moan and feel pain. In those circumstances the "upgrade" can probably be good. I know I need silence and darkness if iam sleeping. Especially if iam forced to sleep on the back :D PS: You might have noticed that Germany does some things right. One thing they totally missed out on in the last 2 decades is WIFI and anything that is technically related. We are behing on so many levels there :D I couldnt think of a german new tech company besides maybe the CGI for movies or shows like Game of Thrones, that have any impact in the world :D New Tech is just not here yet :) We are getting there soon hopefully :D PS: I love that you gave a shout out to the nurses and doctors. We saw it in the pandemic again that these people ALL over the world are a huge backbone of society and deserve all the praise they get and more
Yes! So after I had Jack, I had to go back to the Hospital about a week later due to a post-partum complication. As many new parents have probably noticed - in the first 2-3 days, the new baby just kind of coo's. But about a week in they find their "voice" can can really let out a loud cry. So when I went back, I was put into a room with a brand new mom (who was clearly sleep deprived). And while her baby would wake frequently and make small noises, my baby would wake ever 2-3 hours and LOUD cry. I felt so bad that we were keeping her and her baby awake.
But I can only say the highest of praises to the doctors. Jacks birth was an emergency and we almost lost him. But they were totally calm and very professional the whole time. We owe his life to their hard work.
When my first daughter was born we had a private room and we don't have a private health insurance. The price was around 30€ per night with breakfast, so that wasn't expensive at all. But that was only possible because not all rooms were fully occupied.
We were kind of surprised the cost was 150 euros for ours per night. In the end it isn't a huge cost, but we had heard there was quite a range from other's experiences.
My mother gave me to the general nursery. They are in hospitals, or at least in 1990s and 2000s.
My mother liked it over night and the nurse came with me at night only if I was hungry.
We always have WiFi in our main hospital, have for years. Babys actually come when their lungs are developed properly ect. You really shouldn't induced just because 😬
I see that you have been in the hospital complex of the University of Freiburg (Breisgau). From the medical side this one is top.
....and after all what's the most important thing?
"Hauptsache gesund!"
A warm welcome to Jack and God bless.
Great video. I’ll be giving birth at amberg hospital. I’ve heard in Germany the epidural is not as potent which gives me anxiety smh I really hope it works on me.
Granted, I don't have any experience with an epidural anywhere but Germany. But I was totally and completely happy with my epidural. I think the anesthesiologist heard me say 'thank you' about 800 times. 😂 Good luck with your birth! Wishing you all of the best for you and your new little one!
The dosage of the epidural also determines,whether your body is actively able to assist birth,which might be very important for the baby!Dosage can and will always be increased,if necessary!
have an additional insurance than you can have an single room etc. and the monthly rate is not to expensive. And how the comunity pays the public insurance, tv and wifi must be your owne choice and you can pay for it and not the people at all
Ashton, I am not sure, but I heard that in some hospitals, the critical machines that keep people alive, might, just might, be compromised by normal Wifi etc.. I cna imagine, that they use special equipment (this is just a guess) for you to be able to go into the internet. Greetings from Stuttgart
Rather than a privileged American vibes it's honestly fairly upper class American vibe, but I get that the Americans who can afford to travel or move away from North America tend to mostly be upper class anyway.
So, I have birth last summer in Freiburg as well (I'm German).
It was a good experience.
I kind of had a 'private' room, because of the pandemic they tried to separate everyone, so I got lucky? I wouldn't have minded sharing my room. Maybe you finde a new friend or somebody to talk with.
I only stayed 8h there, because I wanted my husband to bond more as well. Our families were all really excited, because it was the first grandchild on both sides.
I actually had free WiFi so it depends...
I also had great nurses, doctors and midwives. Only one doctor suggested something and I said no... She kind of tried to guilt trip me into saying yes. I still said no. it was a discussion about antibiotics she thought I should take. But my Gyn tested me a second times an said I didn't need those. I knew this would come up an was prepared. I was not prepared that someone I told: "I read about risks and I discussed it with my Gyn an my midwive, who did the part of the 'Vorsorge' and also the 'nachsorge'," would get laud at me for not following their standard...
I am so glad you have such a good birth experience! Jack wasn't the first grandbaby, but I can imagine how excited your entire family as to meet your little one. Congratulations and thank you so much for sharing your experience. ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest!
WiFi was the last thing i missed in hospital - I rather needed a nurse! Help! My baby ist crying and won't Drink. What am i supposed to do?
Jack has a lovely smile ;-)
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest!
As far as I learned about pregnancy (as a male) is that it is totally normal and also supposed by nature that at the end of pregnancy the woman wish it will be over. That helps to make your child be more independent. Woman who doesn´t have this feeling are often more "overprotective" because they can´t "let their child go". This is a psycholical thing.
This is a really interesting theory. I wonder if there have been any follow up studies to look at this. I know others have looked into maternal mental well-being and the outcomes for babies, but attachment could be a really interesting line of study. Very cool.
@@TypeAshton This is a story one of my coworkers told me short before his whife give birth. I cannot speak for him but this was told to him during all the birth preperations that they made during the pregnancy of his wife.
My wife felt similarly. We both were in the mood, it should be over and we can get the Baby soon.
I am very happy, that you enjoy living in Germany
Thank you! We really do love it here. ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest!
@@TypeAshton Cheers from Trier
About the first point I didn't quite understand. Do they give me an epidural or analgesics or nothing? Natural childbirth. I need advice because I'm nervous thanks a lot ❤️💓
Hi there. When I was giving birth, the first thing they offered was a pill medication for the pain (I was only dilated to a 1). Once I was dilated to a 4, I had an epidural. Ultimately, I needed an emergency c-section because Jack was in distress. From start to finish, I received great care at my hopsital.
Good luck on your impending birth! ❤️❤️
@@TypeAshton You really comforted me with your words my sister🥰❤️💓 because I am afraid that I will give birth with artificial pain stimulation. What is the name of the hospital?! please, and congratulations my dear😍😍 I wish you a beautiful and happy life👶❤️😍😍
@@deharmanelnoureliman9733 I gave birth at the Universitätsklinikum Freiburg. I didn't really have a choice of hospitals because I have a history of blood clotting. I was told I needed to give birth here because they have the best emergency medical team on hand of necessary. In the end, it was the best decision ever. The doctor who delivered Jack was excellent.
@@TypeAshton Thank you very much my sister you helped me a lot. I wish you a happy life for you and your little family, and I wish you more successes💓💓💓😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰💓💓💓😍😍😍
Mobile operator networks in Europe have made public WiFi service less relevant. Everyone has mobile internet devices in their pockets. Laptops too tend to have mobile operator data connections. TV channels are available as Internet services.
So, hospitals and other places do still offer free or pay WiFi services, but there isn't so much demand for it any more.
Besides, public WiFi services have not always been secure enough.
I went into hospital for my Myasthenia gravis
and I was scheduled in at 14h00
so I missed lunch
and at 17h30 "Abendbrot" came round
and it was literally two slices of Graubrot
a slice of meat and a slice of cheese
and a small bowl of something described as salad.
I am a vegan and a diabetic
so they found some vegan spread
and a tomato
but that was it.
My sugar crashed that night
and I had to get some Rote Grütze
that the nursing staff had spare from the fridge
I went out the next day to the nearby supermarket
and bought fruit and snacks.
I love how half of all the comments are discussing the Wifi situation when giving birth... The expression "first world problems" comes to mind...
I don't think that the prolonged stay after a C-section you mentioned is standard everywhere. My sister had a pretty gnarly birth which ended in a C-section, and she only got to stay three days to recover. I have since heard many stories like this, the "Pauschale" the hospitals get for certain procedures just does not plan for extended time in hospital for births. which is a shame.
At least in Munich it's common practice to stay 5-7 days after a c-section. Although one friend of mine was sent home earlier due to pandemic baby boom...
@@alkminipap Ok, my friends are all located in Northrine-Westphalia, and this was before the pandemic.
I had 2 C-section and stayed 5 and 6 days. It was in NRW. I would have left earlier, since I was feeling great. Mayby the hospital was full?
thx for sharing this so nice
part two the benefits?
Jack is cute
🙋♂️
Wifi and TV is different by hospital.
And think about the "Kindergeld" that you receive. Each month min till the 18 th birthday.
I gave birth to two babies at different hospitals in Germany. But for me it was not true that I could stay in the hospital for long enough. They sent me home, and also my roommate, even if she begged to be allowed to stay another night. And in my hospital I could not choose if I had a roommate or not. A family room is not available there.
Wow! That is so interesting how different your experience was. I found that it really was difficult to get a firm answer on when I could even leave after I had my c-section. Up until the morning I left, they would say "we will see how you are at X time"..."Maybe you will go home on X day". I appreciated the time in the hospital, but I was ready to go after the 5th day. I am sorry to hear that you and your roommate didn't get the time you needed to recover. Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers from the Black Forest! ❤️❤️
In Germany, a doctor will not circumcise your son merely because you have asked him/her to do so. The doctor first has to diagnose a urological problem, then try to solve that problem via nonsurgical means. What I say here is also true everywhere in Europe, with the possible exception of majority Muslim areas.
I have never seen free wifi in a grocery store or a park in germany ever. In a cafe if you are a customer sure, but free wifi is just not really common.
Everyone has their own phone plans and if you need internet a lot you usually have a flatrate.
Offering Free Wifi also came with a lot of restricting access and blocking sites, because you could be held responsible for crimes commited from your network I think they talked about changing this or changed it, but it is still a risk to offer it to anyone just passing by.
Very interesting, which German city are you living?
Here in Freiburg, many grocery stores (REWE for example) has free wifi.
@@TypeAshton Wow do they? I will check in my local REWE the next time I'm there, maybe it just passed me by, because I don't usually use my phone when shopping.^^
I am from the Nürnberg area, so Bavaria or some people here would be adamant to call it Franconia..
Edit: You are totally right. Free wifi in a lot of grocery stores is a thing now. I just never noticed it. The law regarding the accountability of network owners changed in 2017. To make public wifi more widespread. Not sure why hospitals did not jump on yet. It might have to do with that the amount of time you are expected to be in a hospital and much larger amount of people compared to a grocery store.
There is a link about this from the ministery of economy and climate protection
www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/DE/Artikel/Digitale-Welt/wlan.html#:~:text=Gesetz%20f%C3%BCr%20freies%20WLAN&text=Dar%C3%BCber%20hinaus%20d%C3%BCrfen%20WLAN%20%2DBetreiber,Basis%20bestehen%20hingegen%20keinerlei%20Einschr%C3%A4nkungen.
didn't find the direct translation to english but a similar one
www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/EN/Pressemitteilungen/2017/20170922-zypries-weg-frei-fuer-offenes-wlan.html
Hi Ashley, fyi the tax ID is simply needed for the "Kindergeld" you will be receiving for at least the next 18 years for your son. Every child born in Germany gets such a number. Also needed if the mother is on welfare.
Is giving birth still free if you aren't a full time resident? I know a lot of health care is free to tourists.
It depends on a multitude of factors. From my understanding, tourists from another EU country receive free healthcare because there is a reciprocity agreement. It was partially why I didn't qualify for public healthcare as a PhD student (I didn't come from an EU country or another country with public healthcare that would have offered a German Student in an equal situation in my home country socialized medicine).
What happens to an uninsured American tourist....I am not sure. I would imagine there would be some fees but not at the rate of American costs.
@@TypeAshton Thank you. When I was in the UK I received free health care, including a free ambulance rise. I wasn't hospitalized though.
I want to add something:
In germany "giving birth" beginns in a very early time of pregnancy. Every mother to be gets regulary visits to the doctor and to the midwife during the entire pregnancy. And every mother to be can get a birthpreparation course. Whilst the pandamic via zoom or team or sth else....
Both parents can participate. There you get kind of education about birth situation... So for instance, the partner learns massages to give between the contractions. The parents to be learn the basics about anatomy of mothers pelvis and childs head.... The mother learns a lot alternatives to manage the own body while labor contraction. And it is much to be heard about what the hospital staff would do in an emergency case....
So you can go well prepared into the birth. I mean, it helps a lot.
AND after the birth the new mom gets a training course to learn exercises for the pelvic floor, the abdominal muscles, the back muscles and the glutes. It might prevent problems in a later date.
In my opinion birth care is the best part of german health care.
By the way, I'm german.
I'd like to know if such support before and after birth is also available in other countries?
Hello, I am from Indonesia.
The govt provides health coverage (BPJS) for those paying monhtly fees ranging from free, if you are so poor, to up to 600K IDR (roughly 40 euros) monthly.
There are also people (or their company provides as additional bemefit) with private insurance on top of compulsory BPJS (BPJS is paid as wage deductible)
Now if you use BPJS scheme (public health system) and pregnant, you have regular visits to your midwife or doctor (1st health facility) throughout pregnancy (IIRC 4 times). On month 6 you are referred for USG scan (2nd level health facility). Then they determine if the pregnancy risky or not
If it is normal, refer to maternity hospitals/clinics with wards. If it is risky/need c section then referred to bigger hospitals with NICU etc.
Whether vaginal/CS All is free (some say you may have to buy some certain vitamins). Per room 2(class 1) to 6 (class 3) people.
Maternity classes (massage/lactation wtc) or fancy vitamins are extra pay.
i didn't manage to get a birth prep course, due to current limitations was too difficult to find a free place so i just gave up and started watching youtube videos instead
Sorry, but in my hospital in Germany women are supposed to leave the 3rd day after c section, even when it was a secondary c section ( not planned). When they let you stay longer you were in a more generous hospital.
Wow that is really interesting! I didn't realize there was a different standard at different hospitals for recovery time. Thanks for sharing! ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest.
To my knowldge that WiFi-thing has to do with copyright issues.
Interesting again. So far I only knew about the CZcamsr Antoinette Emily, who gave birth to babies in Germany.
Excuse me, I swear that now I will watch the rest of the video but as an Italian your first sentences shocked me. But seriously, you in America consider induced childbirth a normal practice like this, just to hurry up? Here I believe that it is only taken into consideration if the delay is such as to put the fetus at risk. Unfortunately, in the 90s there was an abuse of caesareans because at every slightest complication the doctors preferred to take less judicial risks and, finding it safer, they recommended it but luckily this trend no longer exists. As long as no complications arise, it is generally accepted that the best option is the most natural one possible.
Hi there. I hope it was made clearer as you watched the video. While I don't want to speak for anyone, I may resonate with other mothers in saying that when you go two weeks past your due date, you're tired, swollen, uncomfortable and ready to not be pregnant any longer. There are many midwives brews, sweeping of the membranes, and other non-invasive methods that can sometimes help things progress along. Unfortunately in my case, I did experience a life threatening complication for the baby that resulted in an emergency c-section. In the end, we have a happy, healthy Jack and I am so thankful for the medical care I received. ❤️❤️❤️ Thanks for watching the video. We hope you follow along on our adventures. Cheers!
@@TypeAshton Hi, sorry my bad english. Thanks for the answer and for the clarifications. U must add that I'm a man and so the last who can speak about :) Of course I'm happy that everything goes fine.
Bezüglich TV und Internet ist vom Krankenhaus zu Krankenhaus unterschiedlich.
Außerdem bist du in einem Krankenhaus um gesund zuwerden und nicht unterhalten zu werden. Wer Unterhaltung will, muss zahlen - richtig so!
1:10 for a minute I was wondering how anyone could name their son "Arson Jack" 🤦♂️😄
🤣🤣🤣 Ah yes, sometimes my midwest accent can make words sound slightly different.
My Wife gave birth to our 2nd son in the midst of 2020 and it was… interesting compared to our first son in 2014 tho‘