My Pregnancy Week 31
Do I need a midwife?
For my first two pregnancies in the USA I don’t think I ever even heard the word midwife let alone think about possibly needing one. I regularly saw my OBGYN for my ultrasounds and that was it. I never saw anyone but my doctor. If there was another path to take during pregnancy, I did not know about it. If there were even midwives at the local hospital I delivered at I couldn’t tell you. Of my friends who also gave birth in the USA, I’m not sure any of them had midwives. Does the USA use them more now, 6 and 8 years later? Or is this more standard in the UK and Switzerland?
If everyone else has a midwife…
My girlfriend had her third baby here in Switzerland last week and sent me a photo of her midwife weighing her newborn baby at her house. She asked if I had a midwife scheduled and of course I said no! I thought picking the OBGYN was hard enough, and now I need to find a midwife?
So, in a panic, I texted another friend who also just had her third baby here in Switzerland, and she confirmed that yes, she uses a midwife. And, small world, she uses the same one as my other friend. OK, so I need a show of hands here, who has had a midwife?
I had my two girls in the USA with a OBGYN and within 24 hours we left the hospital. I think we scheduled an appointment to come back and get vaccines and weigh the girls. What does the midwife do? They come to my house and check on the baby? Check on my breast-feeding, bonding, and recovery? Our family doctor in the USA showed up at the hospital when I gave birth both times to check on the girls.
Is a midwife really covered by insurance?
First of all, I’m already a bit worried about how much this whole pregnancy and delivery will all cost in the end. Though I keep hearing that in Switzerland everything is covered by insurance related to pregnancy from week 11 or so. My friends say that a midwife is included in basic insurance. And that after the baby is born, the midwife comes to your house 10 times and it is covered by even the most basic insurance. Really?
Call the midwife?
So, I need to call my insurance. And, I need to ask my doctor if he works with a midwife he recommends. Right? I am also thinking, if I did not use a midwife the first two times, do I need one now?
Besides the midwife questions this week, everything is going well with the baby. The baby is still madly kicking away inside me, especially at night. I’m finding it harder to fall asleep at night so I should probably start drinking some really relaxing teas. I have my gigantic wrap around pregnancy pillow that I can finally sleep with at night again now that the Swiss heatwave has finally ended. But I still toss and turn. I’ll try tea tonight.
Any thoughts on the midwife situation? Did you have one here in Switzerland? I wonder if they are more utilized now in the USA than when I had my girls. Any sleep remedies for the last few weeks of pregnancy?
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