Sarah
I was in the US when I fell pregnant and so I called Nice & I asked
someone on the other end of the phone if they knew of any great English
speaking doctors who delivered babies in Nice! She gave me a number a
Dr at the hospital Lenval & I called him & made an appointment
to visit on my arrival in France.
I was 6 months pregnant at this time and he was fantastic, he put me at
ease right away he told me he could deliver my baby no worries and he
then gave me the low down on how the system worked & what to do to
have a baby in France
Ema I was 4 weeks
pregnant and saw my baby "kidney bean size" on our first scan.
I had a super Obstetrician who followed me for both my pregnancies based
in the Clinic St Jean. I was pleased to go straight to my OB at the clinic
knowing that the same person would follow me through to d-Day, though
not necessarily there on the day!
____
__Kidookid: Now
you had it confirmed for sure that you were pregnant ... what did you
do to get ready for the birth? Did you follow Ante Natal Classes?
Shalene I didn't go to preparation classes although
I wish I had. I was moving at the time and wasn't sure which hospital
I was going to be giving birth in. I had some private lessons with an
English speaking midwife at my home which was very good. This was around
seven months. although I had been looking for someone or classes in
English since I was about six months pregnant. My partner was present
for the last private session ( I had three hours in total) to let him
know what to expect and what he could do to help. We also read lots
of books. I really should have gone on a tour of the hospital to find
out exactly the procedures etc as I got this wrong on arrival to hospital
and was it BIG trouble with the midwife on duty!!
I also went to an anti-natal stretching class in Nice to try and meet
some other expat mums, but unfortunately everyone else was french.
Sarah– I didn’t do any preparation classes.
Ema
the mid-wives at the St Jean run birth preparation classes. The classes
included the theory behind how your body and that of your unborn child
evolves through pregnancy and practical classes on how to manage D-Day.
Even if things don't go to plan at least you have had the information
in advance on all eventualities. we also had some physical preparation
classes in the gym with gentle stretching exercises, breathing exercises
and aqua gym. dads can come along too but there weren't that many. They
also run Little Dipper classes to take baby swimming when she arrives
.. I meant to do this but never did. The
classes helped me understand my body and also hear about "real"
experiences from Mums who had experienced child birth - this helped
me share my experience too with others and the actual course gave me
confidence in my ability to deliver.
Where to buy clothes for Pregnancy clothes on the cote d'Azur Read more
Choosing a Birth Location - there are so many options, at home,
in a clinic, at hospital..what did you decide on and why...
Shalene
A hospital birth was all that was offered to me and to be honest, having
now had a baby I wouldn't recommend anything else!! I think I could have
chosen any of the local hospitals and my choice was determined by both
location and the nice english speaking doctor I had there. You have to
go and register and leave a deposit cheque. You also have to have a consultation
with the anaesthetist if you want an epidural and fill in the forms before
hand. I would recommend this as it is the only form of pain relief available.
I also asked a lot of questions to other people to get information about
people's thoughts on the different hospitals. I didn't have a proper tour
(although I did go and have a little look around) as this can only be
done as part of the preparation course.
Sarah
I was having an elective c-section so I was having it at hospital, my
Doctor only delivered at hospital Lenval, so that was the spot.... just
a case of picking the day & time !
Ema-
Following the traditional path to the clinic was my choice!
During Pregnancy did you meet any other Mums and how did you do it?
Sarah - I made contact with a couple of other mums
on Angloinfo and tried the stretching class in Nice
Sarah - I used AngloInfo forums to ask silly questions about the medical system in France, there
I met a few English speaking ladies who were having babies as well
Ema - I didn't meet
any other mums 2B!
Post natal Care - So baby has arrived now what? How did you
find things in the first 4 weeks following the birth...what care is
on offer?
Shalene - In France
it is normal to stay in for four or five days... they teach you how
to bath and change your baby and constantly check on you and test you
and the baby for various things throughout your stay. You then take
the baby to the pediatrician 15 days after birth. You go for a check
up six weeks after birth. I felt a bit on my own during this period
as I didn't know who to call if I had a question... I generally contacted
either my mum or friends in the UK that have just had children. You
then take your baby to the pediatricians every month to check on his
development etc. I guess I would have called the pediatrician if I had
questions about the baby's health, but otherwise there didn't seem to
be anyone (like a health visitor) to contact.
Sarah
no care was offered to me at home afterwards, luckily it all came pretty
naturally for me & I didn't have any problems, so my husband &
I just had a steep learning curve, which we encountered no problems
at all.
EEmaM- The support
I had in the clinic was great, the mid-wives were on hand to help with
bathing every morning and I felt relaxed and at ease and soon became
a natural mum! I had to have a blood test due to my blood type but after
that we were left to our own devices and it was all fine.
If
you have an experience to share too you can participate through the forums! 
