American Women's Club of Hamburg
Having a Baby in Hamburg
(edition September 1999, revised October 2000)
Our club member, Susan L, through her experiences of giving birth to two children in Hamburg, has collected a wealth of information for those of you who are expecting a baby or have just had one.
 Medical
Issues
- The Doctor
(der Arzt/die Ärztin)
- How to find one.
- How many visits to expect.
- Services (s)he provides.
- What needs to be scheduled early.
- The Midwife
(die Hebamme)
- Birthing
Classes (die Vorbereitungskurse)
- Taught by midwives.
- Yoga courses.
- Amniocentesis
(die Fruchtwasseruntersuchung)
- When it can be performed.
- Special Ultrasound as alternative.
- Choosing the Hospital
(das Algemeine Krankenhaus - AK)
- Criteria for selection.
- Visit early to be prepared.
- Special open-to-the-public evenings.
- List of main hospitals in Hamburg.
General
- Maternity
Clothes (die Umstandsmoden)
- Where to find the best deals.
- Lead Plumbing in Your
Home
- How to test for lead in home plumbing.
- Air Travel
- Airline rules on pregnant passengers.
- Discounts for babies and children.
- Traveling with infant car seats.
- Some Sound Tips
- How much to buy before the birth.
- Baby Shower customs: German vs American.
- Screening visitors.
- Your Hospital Stay
- What to bring.
- How long you'll stay.
- What to expect from the nurses, doctors, midwives.
- "Rooming in" vs letting baby stay in nursery.
- The Delivery
(die Geburt)
- How to know when it's time to get to the hospital.
- Who will be in attendance.
- What the doctor and the midwife will do.
- Dealing with pain.
- Circumcision
(die Beschneidung)
- German vs American customs.
- How to find a doctor who will perform the operation.
 After the Birth
Reading Recommendations
Many of these books can be ordered directly from Amazon.de. Simply click on the Amazon.de logo or image of the book cover (below), and you will be taken directly to the book's page at the Amazon.de site. The page will open in a new browser window. If you put the book into the "shopping basket" and order it right then, AWC will receive a 15% rebate on the price of the book (thank you!).
 Baby in Hamburg, Biersdorf AG, 1998, ISBN 3897400170. DM 16.80
 The Bilingual Family, A Handbook for Parents, Edith Harding and Philip Riley, Cambridge University Press ISBN 0521311942. DM 43,94
 Die Hebammensprechstunde, Ingeborg Stadelmann. Eigenverlag. 12. Auflage 2000. A wonderful alternative to books based on traditional school medicine. ISBN 3980376001. DM 38,50, €19,68
- Pregnancy Week by Week, Nina Grunfeld, Conran Octopus Ltd., ISBN 1 85029 567 0. It will even tell you the week when your baby grows body hair. It satisfies your curiosity to know what your baby is up to.
- Your Baby & Child, Penelope Leach, Knopf, ISBN 0 679 72425 7. She is the expert.
- What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Eisenberg Murkoff, Sandee Eisenberg Hathaway. Workman Publishing. ISBN 0 89480 769 2
- Stillen, Behörde für Arbeit, Gesundheit und Soziales Amt für Gesundheitsversorgung, Tesdorpfstr. 8, 20148 Hamburg, Tel. (040) 44 19 53 32. Arbeitsgruppe "Stillen" im Hebammenverband Hamburg. Free
- Good Reading Guide to Children’s Books, ISBN 0 7475 3198 6. DM 33.80
- If unmarried: Information für Mütter die bei Geburt ihres Kindes nicht verheiratet sind Behörde für Schule, Jundend u. Berufbildung, Oct. 1999.
Questions? Comments?
If you would like to know more about joining our club and networking with other people with
lots of experience in living in Hamburg, please request a membership
packet.
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