Preparing to give birth in Denmark as an international
Giving birth in a different country is hard and scary, but it doesn’t have to be IF you prepare and surround yourself with the right people.
First of all - Pregnancy, birth and maternity care is free of charge in Denmark! Yeah, you heard it - FREE! That is one of the perks of living in Denmark and being able to give birth.
As an international mom myself for many years before moving back to Denmark. I know how it feels to give birth in a foreign country – I give birth to two sons in Thailand, far away from my native home Denmark. The worst was, that I didn’t know, what to expect, how was their procedures? In my own country I felt somewhat safe and secure, simply because it was my homeland. Since I wasn’t in Denmark anymore, I had to adapt to how it was to give birth in Thailand and it was scary and not easy in the beginning.
I am sure, you have the same misgivings on giving birth in Denmark as I was in Thailand.
So, I wanted to create a guide that will help international moms get pass their fears of giving birth in Denmark.
First and foremost, When you get pregnant contact your doctor and then you will be informed about all the free doctor and midwife check ups, that you can receive throughout your pregnancy. More info
You are free to choose between hospital or home birth. All births in Denmark are attended by midwives, unless it is a medical emergency like a c-section or if you i.e. need an epidural or a vacuum cup delievery, then there will be a doctor.
Here is a link to a hospital Click here (procedures may vary from hospital to hospital, but are similar) Most people choose the closes hospital to their home city. Some cities have hospitals, but don’t have birthing facilities. You might have to travel 30min for the nearest hospital.
After the birth you will get a visit from a health visitor ( sundhedsplejerske), she is a specially trained pediatric nurse, who specialises in newborn families. You can decline from her visits if you don’t like it. But she can be very helpful answering any questions you may have re.: babycare. She also weighs the baby, sees if baby developes right, looks out for signs of post partum depression etc.
ALSO I WANT TO STRESS, IF YOU IN ANYWAY FEEL ”TERRIBLE” AFTER BIRTH, IT MIGHT BE POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION, SO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR OR SUNDHEDSPLEJERSKE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOUSELF AS A MOTHER AND YOU FAMILY TO FIND HELP.
The Sundhedsplejerske will also suggest to join a mother group within your city. I highly recommend joining it especially if this is your first born. The mother group will consist of a few mothers, who have given birth around the same time. If you have more children, you will probably be placed with other second- or more-time moms. If you don’t speak Danish, she might be able to put together an international group. Mother group information
There are many groups within Facebook that supports families, mothers and even fathers that don’t have immediate family around to help.
You can also join Mothering the Mother groups in Billund, Kolding, Vejle and Esbjerg. If you are not located in these areas - just search international mothers in whatever city you are living in. There are many support groups out there locally and internationally. In certain groups like Mothering the Mother group, they create mini mommy groups with mommies that have due dates within the same three months. Meet-ups are arrange before birth, so the mothers can get to know each other before they have their babies, and can find friends, they trust.
International parents usually don’t have close friends and family near by so these groups are created to support each other. It is hard to find friends, so why not put yourself out there and join these groups. You never know if you will find your next best friend or couple friends.
Mothering the Mother: Billund Municipality - Billund Kommune
Mothering the Mother - Kolding
You are of course also always welcome to contact a local doula (could be me) for birth prep classes, Rebozo or even for an extra support person at your birth, or if you have any questions.
http://www.doulajylland.dk or on my Facebook page DoulaJylland or email: doulahelen56@gmail.dk
Plus to hear more information about birthing in Denmark. Go listen to Jackie’s podcast where I did an interview. We spoke about giving birth in Denmark.
