The Birth - Having a Baby in Slovenia
Sunday, October 11, 2009, 08:18 PM
Emily Eva Carrington eventually arrived on the 5th July 2009. She weighed 3600g (7lbs9oz) and measured 52cm. The labour itself was relatively short but Emily seemed just that little bit too comfortable in there and it took a while to persuade her to come out!
Unfortunately my gynaecologist went away on summer holiday the day before my due date so since I went over my due date I was referred to the hospital (porodnisnica) itself. A colleague of mine put me in touch with a lovely midwife named Marusa and I was able to contact her before I went. It was lucky I did as I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do when I got there if she hadn’t been there to show me around. A week after my due date I went to the hospital for a CTG scan and they were concerned that the baby was too sleepy. They ordered me to eat a load of chocolate (a massive hardship for me:-)) in an attempt to wake her up. This wasn’t so successful so after an examination they decided to admit me to hospital. I was terrified!! I suddenly felt like a prisoner as I was lead into the hospital room and given my hospital outfit to change into. I had communicated mainly in Slovene by this stage and although I was quite proud of having done so I was worried I had misunderstood something and wasn’t completely sure what was going on.
I shared a room with 2 other girls who were very nice but I was still pretty shocked at not being allowed to go home so I didn’t feel very sociable. Stefan was the only person allowed to visit me and he was only allowed to visit between 3 and 6pm. From when I arrived in the morning until 3 pm felt endless! That was Friday and that night I hardly slept at all. I still wasn’t really sure what was going to happen and other than having plenty of CTG scans there was no news.
On the Saturday morning I had an examination…one I will never forget as the doctor made more painful noises than I did despite me being in agony as she examined me. This really upset me and in contrast to all the other medical staff I met there she is one I would rather never come across again. All the rest were great I must stress...I guess there is always ‘one’ wherever you are in the world! Anyway, she decided to induce me and I was relieved at the prospect of having my baby soon.
Throughout the day I started to feel small contractions and hoped that it really wouldn’t be long to go now. Stefan arrived at 3 that afternoon and we walked endlessly around the wards hoping the contractions would get stronger. While he was there I went for another examination, unfortunately with the same doctor. She was going to give me the 2nd tablet for the induction but never did and decided to send me down to the delivery room anyway. I waited a while for someone to take me down and in the early evening off I went. The labour took ages to start properly. I suppose the doctor should have given me the 2nd tablet and as far as I could work out it seemed the other nurses and doctors were puzzled as to why she hadn’t. Anyway, thankfully Marusa was on duty that night so it was great to have a friendly face there helping me through. Stefan was sent home and came back in the early hours when things really got going. My biggest problem during the early labour was being attached to the CTG scan which meant I wasn’t able to move. I was in the same position for 4 hours and this was really painful. I had to resort to loads of pain killers and a lot of support from my husband. I quite enjoyed the gas and air to begin with and remember laughing quite a bit. The other stuff was a different story and unfortunately made me sick. However, after the most painful experience of my life, at 10:10am I got the most amazing reward. It was all worth it when I got to hold my beautiful baby girl! Because of all the pain killers Emily and I were very dopey immediately afterwards so I never got the skin to skin contact everyone talks about and Stefan actually got to hold her quite a while before I did. It didn’t matter though once I realised Emily was ok and everything was fine.
;)
That day was wonderful getting to know my baby daughter and I had the room all to myself until the evening so it was a very special time. Stefan was able to stay until 6pm and we spent most of the day staring at her letting it all sink in.
I stayed in hospital for 3 more days which seemed a long time at the time but it was really good for my recovery. The staff were friendly and I think my Slovene improved quite a bit although I did find the language quite hard at times. One bad thing was that I wasn’t allowed any other visitors apart from Stefan. This meant I had to introduce Emily to her Grannie through the hospital window!!
I had a few problems with feeding in the beginning but after a day monitoring Emily’s weight it was all fine and they let me go home. Bringing Emily home for the first time was amazing…definitely one of the happiest days of my life!
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( 2.9 / 133 )The Big Wait - Having a Baby in Slovenia
Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 08:21 PM
I’ve now been on official maternity leave for almost 4 weeks and my due date is the 26th June (this Friday). I’m relieved the weather has cooled down. I think I’m one of very few people to be glad of the rain in Ljubljana after the high temperatures last week. I survived the heat with swimming at Atlantis and lots of cold drinks and ice cream but this is certainly a lot more comfortable! I’ve also been going on some kind of cleaning and baking frenzy…what they say about the nesting instinct is certainly true in my case!
I’ve had a few little concerns along the way and the gynaecologist has always been great and seen me whenever I needed to check something out. Since week 36 I’ve been for a weekly CTG scan to measure the baby’s heartbeat and I am relieved to hear that they won’t leave me waiting too long over my due date so hopefully the wait is almost over.
So now I have my hospital bag packed and am waiting for the big day. Despite all the problems I’ve had I’ve been impressed by the services offered over here. It’s just a question of trying to understand the system and the only way really to know what to do is to ask as it’s difficult to find out things any other way. As I’ve mentioned, things do seem to change so quickly and what one person will tell you may well be different to another so best to check with as many people as possible. I can’t fault the medical attention I’ve had though and at the end of the day that’s the most important thing. Let’s hope I will feel the same after the birth! Hopefully I can post something about that soon along with some baby photos…..
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( 3.1 / 265 )Sick Leave and Maternity Leave - Having a Baby in Slovenia
Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 08:21 PM
Sick Leave
I was very surprised when the gynaecologist told me I could stop working at 20 weeks because I play the oboe and the pressure and breathing could be uncomfortable with the growing baby. I had hoped to carry on much longer than that and because I still felt fine I managed to convince her that I could keep going until 30 weeks. It wasn’t harming the baby and I didn’t feel ready to finish work just yet. By the time I did finish I was starting to get some uncomfortable back pain so then I was relieved to stop.
The gynaecologist wrote me out a zdravniško potrdilo which I assumed was a sick note I could hand in at work to cover my absence up until my official maternity leave began. When I finished work I took it into the office only to discover it wasn’t enough and I had to take this doctors note to my personal doctor in order to get a sick note from that doctor! It seemed a little confusing to be honest especially as I didn’t have a personal doctor at that point. I suppose a personal doctor is what we would call a GP. I asked around and found out I needed to go to the local zdravstveni dom and find a doctor there. As usual, once I had asked where I should go, I walked up to the correct floor only to be greeted by rows of closed doors with no windows not having a clue which one to try first! I waited by the 1st one and some people started to talk to me. They didn’t know what I should do either but they were helpful and let me ask the nurse first when she eventually came out of the room. She told me to go to another room down the corridor so I moved and put myself outside that one instead and waited again. Eventually I was able to explain to that nurse that I would like to register with a doctor and handed over my medical card. After an hour and a half wait it was easy but I was slightly concerned about picking up some germs from all the coughs and colds people around me seemed to have! I’m sure it makes total sense when you know how the system works but unfortunately I didn’t! In the end I saw the doctor and she explained that I couldn’t get the doctor’s note until the end of my sick leave but she wrote it out for me and then all I had to do was pick it up at a later date. Finally it was sorted out but I wondered if it would actually have been easier to be working instead despite the back pain!
Maternity Leave – Porodniški Dopust
Another mistake I made, having not realised how things work here, was not to sort out my own maternity leave. As I had cleared it with work and sorted out the dates etc I stupidly thought it was done. What I didn’t know was that I had to do this myself at Socialno Delo (Social Services). Luckily I just about realised in time. I knew I had to go there to arrange the packet (the money or items they give you for your new baby) but I hadn’t fully understood it all. At least 60 days before your due date you need to go to arrange everything. I found out where I was supposed to go but when I got there I was met by a grumpy security guard telling me they just moved to another place. In the centre of Ljubljana they are now based on Dalmatinova in a big building on the 2nd floor. It seems to be a recurring theme that when I go to a place in Slovenia to sort something out I find out that they have moved…it’s happened at least 4 times recently! Anyway, once I found the right place the staff were so helpful and friendly. I think the lady I dealt with realised I had been having a few problems and even spoke English to me. I filled out the necessary form and took the other form to work and it was an easy process once you knew how it worked. It turned out I wasn’t entitled to the packet, however, because I am not a permanent resident. If you are entitled to this it can be sorted out at the same time and you do not have to get a form from your doctor in order to do so. This was the case last year and the information and changes haven’t yet filtered through to everyone.
A couple of days later I got the paperwork through the post explaining that my maternity leave was arranged. However, I had a big shock when I realised it only lasted until September and I was expecting a whole year. I couldn’t understand why and wondered if maybe it was to do with my residency again. Luckily this was not the case and it turns out that maternity leave is only for 3 months and after that it becomes leave for care of the child (dopust za nego in varstvo otroka). I’m still uncertain if this transfers automatically or if I have to fill out another form. I’ve been told it’s automatic but after all the other misunderstandings I will check it out in good time.
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( 3 / 212 )Parental School (Šola za starše) - Having a Baby in Slovenia
Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 08:19 PM
The Klinični Center in Ljubljana offers a free course for 1st time parents which consists of 10 lectures in the lecture hall of the maternity hospital (porodnišnica). There are courses beginning every month and the lectures are close together (often daily). Stefan and I both went to the first one but because of Stefan’s working hours and the fact that they are all in Slovene I went on my own to the rest. I have to admit I did find it difficult with the language and felt a little bit awkward there on my own but I got my stamp in my maternity book and found some things, especially pictures of different parts of the hospital, very useful. I spoke to the midwife after the first one and she seemed happy to answer questions if I didn’t understand something but because I didn’t understand quite a lot I didn’t take her up on the offer very much as I felt a bit stupid! A lot of things were easy to follow in the context of the lecture and they displayed a number of photos and lists on the screen which were helpful so it wasn’t a complete waste of time for me. I was hoping to meet some people there but it wasn’t really the place for it. Because it was in a lecture theatre and generally completely full it wasn’t easy to strike up conversations not to mention the usual language barrier! I’ve since discovered it is possible to arrange a ‘crash course’ combining all the lectures in one and in English but it’s a bit late for that now for me and in some ways I’m glad I went to the Slovene course as at least I now feel more comfortable with the Slovene terminology.
I should also mention that registering for the course wasn’t too simple. I went to the porodnišnica and asked the security guard where I should go. He sent me down a number of corridors and I found the place easily enough. However, there were lots of people waiting and the door was firmly closed. I still find it strange that there is never a reception or a window in the door here so I always feel a bit nervous about knocking and walking in as I never know what I might find on the other side! I waited for a while and it seemed that the Slovene’s were confused about how it worked too. In the end I just went up to the door and waited for someone to come out. It turned out there were 2 people inside the room just waiting for people to walk in…if only I had known that sooner! Registering was easy and I was given a page of stickers which I had to hand in when I went to the classes.
Stefan had to go to a separate class only for fathers (tečaj za bodoče očete). Without going to this and obtaining a certificate he would be unable to be present at the birth. He took Milenka, his Slovene teacher, along to translate and the class lasted about 3 hours. A few days after the class he had to go to the blagajna (cash desk) to pay a fee of about €17.
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( 3 / 182 )Having a Baby in Slovenia 2
Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 08:18 PM
Morning Sickness, vitamin supplements and maternity wear
Unfortunately I suffered quite a lot from morning sickness during the 1st trimester so I was really hoping this was going to end after about 12 weeks…..no such luck unfortunately and it continued until week 21. Although I had no really bizarre cravings I went through various stages where I couldn’t get enough of a certain food such as potatoes or pesto. The strangest thing that happened was that I completely went off chocolate. I once wrote an entry on this very blog about how if you did a Google search for “chocoholic England” I came up first so it was very strange for me to go off my favourite food! However, I soon got back on it towards the end of the 2nd Trimester.
I have taken vitamin and omega 3 supplements throughout the pregnancy but I chose Pregnacare from the UK. I think it is now possible to buy them in Slovenia but I found a good deal in England. There is also a brand which is very similar available in DM shops in Slovenia. The ones I have taken have certainly kept me very healthy and I haven’t had a single cold or flu during the pregnancy.
I started to look for maternity wear at the beginning of the 2nd trimester. I found it in general to be quite expensive in Slovenia and bought nearly everything from H&M at Super Nova in Rudnik (where they have a maternity section) as well as importing some tops from the UK and I bought a Belly Belt (which I can highly recommend) online. Maternity shops/departments in Ljubljana include Benetton, Baby Center and there are a few in Emporium at BTC and also I found one in Hala A.
2nd Trimester and buying baby things
I had 3 more ultra sounds in the 2nd trimester and again we were very impressed by this considering you only get one or two in the UK throughout the whole pregnancy.
Once the morning sickness stopped I started to feel better and we were able to plan more for the baby. We started to think about and look at all the things we would need. We had a fun day out at Ikea in Klagenfurt coming away with a cot, changing table and lots of other things we hadn’t planned to buy! Stefan also got to feel at home with a helping of Swedish meatballs and other Swedish things! Although we didn’t want to buy the cheapest of everything, Ikea suited our budget. We have also been very fortunate with some very generous friends in Ljubljana giving and lending us lots of great baby essentials.
The other major thing to buy was a pushchair and the choice out there just made it all the more difficult! Since the baby has not yet arrived we haven’t been able to test it properly but we ended up buying an “Obaby Zezu” shipped over from the UK. The 2 main reasons for choosing this were firstly because it is very compact and fits in our lift and secondly it is a travel system combining car seat, pram and pushchair in one. It cost us just over Ł300 including shipping. www.obaby.co.uk
We both feel quite strongly about giving cloth nappies a go and I came across Bambino Mio nappies in Baby Center for half price. It was obviously my lucky day so I bought some of the smaller size to give them a go. We also have some terrys nappies and nappy nippers to try so we’ll see how we get on. We’re definitely going to use disposable ones at the very beginning though while we get used to everything.
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( 3 / 225 )Having a Baby in Slovenia
Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 08:16 PM
The title of this no doubt explains by absence from the blog world lately. I thought writing about this subject could be helpful to others perhaps in a similar situation but it’s also a nice record for me. However, as I have found out, things in Slovenia change so quickly that by the time you read this the information may well be out of date!
My situation is somewhat unusual given that my husband is, like me, not Slovene. With neither of us being fluent Slovene speakers it has made certain situations a bit more difficult. However, after having to sort out so many various things my Slovene has certainly improved!!
1st Trimester
My first step, back in October was to buy a pregnancy test. As with many medical items here I expected I would probably have to buy it over the counter but in fact this was not the case. I found one on the shelves in Muller so that part turned out to be easy. Next step, once the test showed positive, was to find a doctor. As a lucky and healthy person I have never really needed to go to a doctor over here before so I didn’t really know where to start. I have been paying medical insurance since I moved here so luckily that was already in place and I asked my friends for recommendations. I was given the number for a gynaecologist in Bežigrad and would certainly pass her details on as she’s been great and speaks good English (although they really appreciate you trying in Slovene too of course!) Her name is Branka Colja Lovšin and her small practice is based on Linhartova in Bežigrad, Ljubljana.
At my first appointment Stefan and I were really surprised and excited to come away with a picture of our baby at just 8 weeks taken from an internal scan. Certainly in the UK it is unusual to have a scan before 12 if not 20 weeks unless there have been problems with a previous pregnancy so we were impressed. As well as the scan I was weighed and had my blood pressure taken and a urine test….all of which continue to be checked at every appointment. She also sent me for blood tests at the lab around the corner. Here I found my way to the laboratory and waited inline with their ticket system which worked well.
In December we went to have the nuchal translucency test (nuhalna svetlina in Slovene) which estimates the risk of Down’s syndrome or other chromosomal disorders. This can be done between 10 and 14 weeks so they combine it here with the 12 week scan if you decide to have it. I had to go to a different clinic which had the right equipment and I also had to pay extra for it. The one the gynaecologist sent me to was the Zdravstveni Center Dravlje, Ulica Bratov Babnik 10. The ultra sound cost €60 but it was very thorough and what we got out of it was well worth it. We saw our baby jumping around so much and came away with lots of pictures and videos on a CD. They also offer a blood test for another €30 which they can do after the ultra sound for further tests. Everything turned out to be fine which meant we could start telling people our good news in time for Christmas.
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( 3 / 246 )San Diego, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon
Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 12:21 PM
We set off from Disneyland down the coast towards San Diego but stopped at Newport Beach and Balboa Island along the way. The sand here was much more golden and it was such a beautiful day. Balboa Island was really pretty and again we saw lots of really nice houses.
After arriving in San Diego we took a walk to the harbour, wandered around the shops and had dinner by the sea. After sunset we wandered around the historic Gaslamp District before heading back to the hotel.
The rest of the time in San Diego was spent relaxing. One day we went up to Mission Beach and spent the whole day body boarding which was great as the conditions were so good. The next day we went to a retail outlet centre to do a fair bit of shopping before hitting the beach again.
On Thursday we drove from San Diego to Las Vegas, out of California and into Nevada through the Mojave Desert. We got out of the car along the way and the heat was incredible. Very grateful for the air conditioning we continued onto Vegas. We checked into out hotel and then took the car back to the airport. We stayed at the Luxor Hotel which is in the shape of a pyramid. It was really great although a little confusing at the reception. The first evening we wandered along the strip through Excalibur, New York New York and onto Bellagios to see the fountains. We were a bit unlucky in the casino that night but we knew we still had another night to win it all back!
The next day we set off very early and took a flight from Boulder City over the Grand Canyon. The view was simply stunning and the Canyon is so vast it's unbelieveable. Definitely a very memorable trip even if I was a little apprehensive about flying in a small plane but it wasn't even bumpy!
That day we spent by the pool and then hit the strip again in the evening. This time we continued to Caesar's Palace and had dinner by the Trevi fountain where the sky design on the ceiling makes you believe you are outside! We wandered around the shops and then crossed over to the Venetian where gondalas were heading down the canals inside the hotel. They really are amazing places. We even got lucky in the casino that night and Stefan won back the money we lost the night before so we were able to go back content!
On our final morning we went down to the breakfast buffet only to discover they wouldn't give us breakfast that morning. We had no choice and therefore had to go for the champange brunch...such a hardship! It was amazing. There was so much food to choose from and I was so full but the desserts looked incredible so I took a selection just to try them but there was no way even I could finish any of them!
After another day by the pool we started our very long journey home. Las Vegas to Toronto, Toronto to London, a night at Stansted in the airport, London to Venice and finally a drive from Venice to Ljubljana. We had been up for about 50 hours by the time we got home so needless to say we were pretty tired. We had such a fantastic holiday though and have so many amazing memories to last a lifetime!
Photos:
San Diego
Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon
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( 3 / 1294 )Los Angeles and Disneyland
Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 02:43 AM
We began our journey to LA at 7am and after a few coffee stops arrived in Malibu for lunch. Had a wonderful walk along the beach peeping into all the expensive houses along the front. Unexpectedly the beach was really quiet which was great. We stopped at Dukes for a Malibu and coke and then continued to Venice Beach. Here we had a walk and an ice cream while watching the beautiful and crazy people along the beach. There was even a gym outside on the edge of the beach! After checking into the hotel in LA we drove to Sunset Boulevard to do some more people watching along the Sunset Strip.
The next day we set out for Hollywood. We parked next to the Kodak Theatre and then wandered around the various handprints of famous stars at the Chinease theatre next door. After a first glimpse of the Hollywood sign from the shopping centre we went for a walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame and did a bit of shopping along the way. After some lunch we drove to Beverly Hills and marvelled at all the rich homes trying not to get too jealous! We finished the day in Griffith Park watching the sunset and then the full moon from the observatory.
On Sunday we went to Disneyland. We went on all the major rides and had such a great time. Although it was busy we didn't have to queue long at all thanks to their 'fastpass' system and it all worked out well. We even met Mickey and Minnie Mouse! We saw the parade and the fireworks were amazing...Tinkerbell was even flying through the sky! We were there from 8am until 11:30pm and the day finished with a spectacular light show over the lake featuring Mickey Mouse and lots of other Disney characters. Definitely worth a visit at any age :)
Photos:
Los Angeles
Disneyland
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( 3 / 1341 )Monterey and Carmel
Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 04:44 PM
Kevin and Stephne drove us to collect our car and then we were let loose on the freeway. Stefan drove us to Monterey and after checking in at the hotel we drove into the town itself. After a mexican lunch we had a wander around the shops along Cannery Row and then went to the Aquarium which was fantastic. We then headed to The Sardine Factory, a restaurant where Kevin had suggested we order a 'Flaming Sardine'. Not quite knowing what we had let ourselves in for we ordered it and the waiter made this cocktail for us and then set light to it.....it was actually really nice and luckily not at all fishy in taste :).
The next day we went to Carmel. Unfortuantely it was a bit cold and foggy but it was a very pretty town and quite old-English like. We walked down to the beach and then back through the shops in town. There was also a vintage car exhibition starting up.
From Carmel we drove around the 17 Mile Drive along beautiful stretches of coastline. I drove for the 1st time in the US....I had never driven an autimatic before. It felt far too easy like I was driving some kind of toy car! We ended up at Pebble Beach but it was so busy there was no where to park so we continued to Pacific Grove for a proper American burger.
Took it easy in the evening to prepare for the long drive and packed few days ahead in Los Angeles.
Monterey and Carmel photos
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( 3 / 1223 )San Francisco and the Napa Valley
Friday, August 15, 2008, 04:39 AM
After a fun day in London meeting friends and doing last minute shopping we flew to San Francisco via Toronto. By the time we got there we had been up for nearly 24 hours and had a bit of a delay so we were very happy to be greeted by Kevin and Stephne who we met through this very blog. Before going to their house they took us into the town to show us a few sights and for a delicious pizza.
On Sunday Kevin drove us to the harbour and we took the ferry to San Francisco. After a look around the shops in the Ferry Building we headed up the hill on our first cable car and then down to Union Square for coffee in the sunshine. Next stop was Fisherman's wharf and Pier 39 where we saw lots of sea lions and a clear view of Alcatraz. It was pretty busy here so we decided to get away from the crowds and go walking up on Russian Hill before a meal at 'Street' resataurant. We then took a walk down the very twisty Lombard Street and then went back to Union Square for an Irish coffee. Taking it easy from then was a good idea as the jetlag began to kick in.
Monday was wine tasting day and Kevin and Stephne took us up to the Kuleto Estate in the hills of the Napa Valley. Nothing could have prepared us for the views that awaited us. It was completely breathtaking and the wine also exceeded our expectations. We finished the wine tour with a picnic and then set off for a final tasting at Domaine Chandon. When we got home we continued to be spoilt with delicious Bbq steaks.
On Tuesday morning we set out for the Redwood forest along with the boys....two corgis named Tim and George. we drove through the wealthy Marin County before arriving at Samuel P Taylor State Park. The Redwood trees were huge...it's hard to believe they get so much bigger further north. Next stop was the Golden Gate Bridge which we walked across to the city. It was very windy but we had great views despite patches of fog. We were then taken on a sightseeing trip by Kevin and Stephne around all the parts we missed on the first day and then went for a meal at the Nob Hill Cafe. Here we met the San Francisco Twins...Vivian and Marian Brown dressed in matching furry leopard skin cowboy hats!
We loved San Francisco and can't thank Kevin and Stephne enough for their hospitality!
Click here for photos
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