I promise this isn’t going to become a baby-only blog, but I haven’t been up to too much else recently. I’m finishing up my first trimester and am glad to report that I never got sick (from the pregnancy – I seemed to pick up colds rather easily). But with allergies from all the flowering trees, and exhaustion (I nap almost every afternoon), I haven’t done too much else this week.

Last week, Thomas went with me to the doctor and we got to see Baguette moving around. Before all this, I had only seen ultrasound photos on the internet, so it never dawned on me that they could show movement. It was amazing! This is the email and photo that Thomas sent afterward to our families. Next time, we’ll try to videotape it.

Today I witnessed the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. I quietly watched as my future offspring was asleep on the Ultrasound unit. It reminded me so much of the fact that at 08:15 on a Monday, it was usual for the mother to be asleep as well. Then the doctor gently prodded Dallas’ stomach with her fingers, and brought the creature to life before my very eyes. It wobbled around on the sonogram, as if to say “Why are you waking me up. It’s not even 8:30 yet”.

It was really quite breathtaking to see as it flailed it’s arms as if to hit the snooze button and pull the cover over it’s head for another 30 minutes of rest. The attached photo is after it rolled over and stared outward toward us. It’s one of the happiest days of my life. — Thomas

This week, on our third wedding anniversary, Thomas and I went to our first prenatal class at the Brussels Childbirth Trust, an English-speaking non-profit providing prenatal classes and children’s groups. Although quite a haul out there, it was a really good class talking about the options for giving birth in Belgium. I really enjoyed meeting other couples that were due within just a couple weeks of me. It was interesting to see some that are just a little further along and are already starting to show.

So, I learned lots of interesting things about giving birth in Belgium, and thought I’d share a few…
(Note: If you’ve given birth in Belgium and I’m confused on something here, please correct me.)

  • After a healthy birth, the mother and baby stay in the hospital for a minimum of 5 days. This is mostly so the hospital midwives can check on the baby, mom, and help with any breastfeeding issues. There really is no option for leaving early.
  • Like Belgian apartments, hospitals here do not have air conditioning.
  • Most hospitals have active rooms, providing exercise balls, large baths, pillows, ability to move around and labor in any position you want. If you request an epidural (very common here) though, you are changed to a traditional room and put in a bed with stirrups.
  • Once the baby is born, if it is healthy, it stays with the mother. There are no nurseries in the hospital.
  • General Belgian insurance provides a shared room for after delivery. The mother will share with another mother and baby, as well as any guests that come to visit. Husbands cannot stay overnight in these rooms. (Luckily, Thomas’ company gives supplemental insurance providing a private single room.)
  • During the birth, the only family member allowed in the delivery room is the father of the baby. There will also be the gynacologist, various midwives, and a physiotherapist cycling through.
  • Belgian midwives are different from American midwives. They work for a hospital and tend to the mother during the birth, similar to how a nurse would do. They will switch at shift changes and do not deliver the baby.
  • 1-3% Belgians give birth at home with an independent midwife, different from a hospital midwife. If there are complications, she will drive you to the hospital.
  • The gynecologist will only arrive for the end of the labor to deliver the baby.
  • Gynecologists are linked to a specific hospital, and if you would rather a different hospital, due to location, preferred language, or facilities, you would need to change gynecologists.
  • The physiotherapist is available to help with the mother’s pain. Lamaze and Bradley methods are not taught here, but yoga is encouraged and TENS machines (popular in Britain) for electric shock (oww!) can be rented from the BCT.
  • General Belgian insurance provides 9 massages and meetings with the physiotherapist. These can be used before or after the baby is born, and more can be prescribed by your gynecologist.
  • Circumcisions of baby boys is not typically practiced in Europe.
  • Episiotomies (a cut in the muscle between the vagina and the rectum) is very common here for laboring mothers, and in which case, the area will be shaved.
  • At the end of your first trimester, the mother must report to her job that she is pregnant, giving her protection on not being fired. Maternity leave is 15 weeks; 7 of those weeks can be taken before; 1 must be taken before; and a minimum of 6 must be taken after. Paternity leave is 10 days.
  • Many gynecologists will give a basic ultrasound at every appointment.
  • You technically have 15 days to register the baby at the commune and decide on a name. Thomas was sure to ask this since he didn’t have a name for his first month.
  • It is a Belgian tradition that the mother drink a good quality stout beer after birth to get her milk ducts flowing.

That was fun! :)  Got any questions?

Related posts:

  1. Letter to our Baby Girl – Week 32/33
  2. TV in Belgium
  3. Our First Week of Parenthood
  4. Letter to our Baby Girl – Week 37