Comments on: Having a Baby in Norway – An Introduction http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/04/having-a-baby-in-norway/ discover the kingdom of the North Tue, 22 May 2012 20:01:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: maria junio http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/04/having-a-baby-in-norway/comment-page-1/#comment-8070 maria junio Wed, 09 May 2012 07:37:24 +0000 http://mylittlenorway.com/?p=1526#comment-8070 hi there, I am from Philippines, i work now in norway as an aupair, my visa will expired by 15,11,2012, I have a boyfriend who is norwagian, I am pregnant for 1 month now, My question are, Can i gave birth my baby in norway? or the government will send me back home its beacouse i don't have visa anymore by next year? what are those other things that i need to do for my baby?can she/ he and me can stay in norway? or not?please answer my mail, sothat i will know what are those things that i can do,for the best of my baby and me. thank you and have a nice day :-) ____________________ <em><strong>from L-Jay:</strong> You cannot stay in Norway - you will have to return back to the Philippines. If your boyfriend wants to pay for you and acknowledges the baby is his then you can apply for family reunification but you can only do this from the Philippines.</em> hi there,

I am from Philippines, i work now in norway as an aupair, my visa will expired by 15,11,2012, I have a boyfriend who is norwagian, I am pregnant for 1 month now,
My question are, Can i gave birth my baby in norway? or the government will send me back home its beacouse i don’t have visa anymore by next year?
what are those other things that i need to do for my baby?can she/ he and me can stay in norway? or not?please answer my mail, sothat i will know what are those things that i can do,for the best of my baby and me.
thank you and have a nice day :-)

____________________
from L-Jay:

You cannot stay in Norway – you will have to return back to the Philippines. If your boyfriend wants to pay for you and acknowledges the baby is his then you can apply for family reunification but you can only do this from the Philippines.

]]> By: melu http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/04/having-a-baby-in-norway/comment-page-1/#comment-7961 melu Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:39:51 +0000 http://mylittlenorway.com/?p=1526#comment-7961 hey there, im 25 and have lived in norway for 8 months now. I am hoping to have a child in the next few years but feel really put off by how everyone over emphasizes, ' well..lets just say they do things very natural here'. A natural birth sounds good but that does mean i want to feel stranded before that time.I am from the U.k and have many friends recount how helpful the midwifes were before hand with explaining things, and what to look out for and what is normal etc. I am afraid that here they will ultrasound me now and then to look for obvious problems with my baby and that is all. How can one have a happy pregnancy if they do not feel that they are in control and have all the information necessary to take care whilst carrying there child? I guess i must sound a panic but my mother suffered from many miscarriages and i am terrified of doing something wrong or missing a sign that something is wrong during a future pregnancy. Do you have any pearls of wisdom? :) ____________________ <em><strong>from L-Jay:</strong> You need to get a midwife that talks English - not just speaks but 'talks' - meaning can have a long conversation without difficulty. A lot of the reasons you don't get information is because practitioners can't 'English' very well or they are not confident in English.</em> hey there,
im 25 and have lived in norway for 8 months now. I am hoping to have a child in the next few years but feel really put off by how everyone over emphasizes, ‘ well..lets just say they do things very natural here’. A natural birth sounds good but that does mean i want to feel stranded before that time.I am from the U.k and have many friends recount how helpful the midwifes were before hand with explaining things, and what to look out for and what is normal etc. I am afraid that here they will ultrasound me now and then to look for obvious problems with my baby and that is all. How can one have a happy pregnancy if they do not feel that they are in control and have all the information necessary to take care whilst carrying there child? I guess i must sound a panic but my mother suffered from many miscarriages and i am terrified of doing something wrong or missing a sign that something is wrong during a future pregnancy. Do you have any pearls of wisdom? :)

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from L-Jay:

You need to get a midwife that talks English – not just speaks but ‘talks’ – meaning can have a long conversation without difficulty. A lot of the reasons you don’t get information is because practitioners can’t ‘English’ very well or they are not confident in English.

]]> By: farah shah http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/04/having-a-baby-in-norway/comment-page-1/#comment-7877 farah shah Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:50:28 +0000 http://mylittlenorway.com/?p=1526#comment-7877 my first pregnancy ended in miss-carriage & at that time i was in england and around 5 months pregnant. i live in norway now and pregnant again. i feel kind of lost because i feel like they leave you to it.. for example in england you get a midwife at week 7 & they talk you through the dos and donts especially if its your 1st time. they give you a health form to keep track of everything which you must keep with you at all times. & a big package of books & leaflets information about pregnancy. the midwife starts tracking your weight in the 1st trimester ..also all medications are free for a year when you become pregnant in england.etc etc.. what i found here was that when i went to my 1st antenatal appointment i had to tell the docter what to do... excuse me will you please check my blood do a blood test and will you give me a urine test.. i was so glad that i had read what to expect on your 1st antenatal appointment also i had the experience from before. the doctor did not ask me about my history i basically had to tell her and she didn't seem bothered. i am 13 weeks pregnant now & found out they dont give you a midwife till week 24!!! i have my ultrasound in 5 weeks.& 2 days ago i was sent some leaflets with very minimum information about pregnancy.& i saw my docter yesterday & she said she will probably see me after the ultrasound. i am really trying to be positive about this but i feel i have to dig out all the information myself. i want to know why they give you a midwife so late in the pregnancy?? & why they dont track your weight ?? so far i have not been asked about my medical history ,is this normal.? & they do not give you any advice or information unless you ask them specific questions. even though this is my second time i am pregnant i feel its my 1st time. also here you have to pay for all medications. ? my husband has norweigen citizenship.. & i got mine a few months ago. my mother will visit me soon so i will tell her to bring my package of books on pregnancy which i had left in england.. & i guess for now i will just have to get my information from those and the internet.. ps i find your blog very informative & i want to say a big thanks for that !! x ____________________ <em><strong>from L-Jay:</strong> You do have to pay for the first cap of medications - I think it is up to kr.2000 before the 'free' kicks in - but you will have to check with the health service. A lot of what you are going through with the Norwegian system is largely to do with social custom. Norwegians don't give you information unless you ask for it and a lot of Norwegians expect that you know what to do in pregnancy because you have done it before and they expect you to rely on family and friends. You are the one that has to get all the information - you need to ask. In English speaking countries it is common for doctors to talk with you as friends, developing a relationship, sharing more information. In Norway the doctor-patient relationship is like a service at a drive-thru - you order what you want and pick it up at the next window - no chit chat. In regards to history and medical records - it is always messy transferring that sort of stuff between countries - Norwegians certainly would find it hard to read a doctors handwriting in English...lol. It is normal for them to disregard your previous history - if youve had any problems relating to pregnancy just tell them. The point is, in Norway you are also responsible for your doctor appointments. If you just sit there and expect the doctor to do everything then you wont get much. You have to participate and encourage a lot more than you'd be expected to in say the US or UK - there the doctors take charge. And who says it is best for doctors to take charge anyway?...lol. Best of luck </em> my first pregnancy ended in miss-carriage & at that time i was in england and around 5 months pregnant. i live in norway now and pregnant again. i feel kind of lost because i feel like they leave you to it.. for example in england you get a midwife at week 7 & they talk you through the dos and donts especially if its your 1st time. they give you a health form to keep track of everything which you must keep with you at all times. & a big package of books & leaflets information about pregnancy. the midwife starts tracking your weight in the 1st trimester ..also all medications are free for a year when you become pregnant in england.etc etc..
what i found here was that when i went to my 1st antenatal appointment i had to tell the docter what to do… excuse me will you please check my blood do a blood test and will you give me a urine test.. i was so glad that i had read what to expect on your 1st antenatal appointment also i had the experience from before. the doctor did not ask me about my history i basically had to tell her and she didn’t seem bothered. i am 13 weeks pregnant now & found out they dont give you a midwife till week 24!!! i have my ultrasound in 5 weeks.& 2 days ago i was sent some leaflets with very minimum information about pregnancy.& i saw my docter yesterday & she said she will probably see me after the ultrasound. i am really trying to be positive about this but i feel i have to dig out all the information myself.
i want to know why they give you a midwife so late in the pregnancy?? & why they dont track your weight ?? so far i have not been asked about my medical history ,is this normal.? & they do not give you any advice or information unless you ask them specific questions. even though this is my second time i am pregnant i feel its my 1st time.
also here you have to pay for all medications. ?
my husband has norweigen citizenship.. & i got mine a few months ago.

my mother will visit me soon so i will tell her to bring my package of books on pregnancy which i had left in england.. & i guess for now i will just have to get my information from those and the internet..

ps i find your blog very informative & i want to say a big thanks for that !! x

____________________
from L-Jay:

You do have to pay for the first cap of medications – I think it is up to kr.2000 before the ‘free’ kicks in – but you will have to check with the health service. A lot of what you are going through with the Norwegian system is largely to do with social custom. Norwegians don’t give you information unless you ask for it and a lot of Norwegians expect that you know what to do in pregnancy because you have done it before and they expect you to rely on family and friends.

You are the one that has to get all the information – you need to ask. In English speaking countries it is common for doctors to talk with you as friends, developing a relationship, sharing more information. In Norway the doctor-patient relationship is like a service at a drive-thru – you order what you want and pick it up at the next window – no chit chat.

In regards to history and medical records – it is always messy transferring that sort of stuff between countries – Norwegians certainly would find it hard to read a doctors handwriting in English…lol. It is normal for them to disregard your previous history – if youve had any problems relating to pregnancy just tell them.

The point is, in Norway you are also responsible for your doctor appointments. If you just sit there and expect the doctor to do everything then you wont get much. You have to participate and encourage a lot more than you’d be expected to in say the US or UK – there the doctors take charge. And who says it is best for doctors to take charge anyway?…lol.

Best of luck

]]> By: Anne Beate http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/04/having-a-baby-in-norway/comment-page-1/#comment-7770 Anne Beate Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:33:18 +0000 http://mylittlenorway.com/?p=1526#comment-7770 I noticed that you wrote: "If you want a C-section you will have to go to a private birthing ward which means you will have to live in a city that has private hospitals (which are only a handful – Oslo, Bergen etc) and you will have to pay big money because of it. Pregnancy and birth medical is free in Norway but only if you want to give birth the Norwegian way – naturally. " I just want to correct you on that one. C-sections are available at ALL Norwegian hospitals, free of charge. I was born by C-section and so are my two children. The reason I was born by C-section is that I my head was facing up (and my feet down) so being born the natural way would be dangerous. The reason my son was born with C-section is that I was afraid of natural birth and asked for it. They explained the benefits of both natural and C-section, yet aknowledged my fear, and let me have the C-section. Then when I had my daugther I got C-section because if you have already done it once it is advisable to have it again. They try to encourage those who are able to have natural births to have natural births. But if you have a small pelvis, or the baby is in a wrong position or is very big etc., you get a C-section. If you have a phobia against giving birth naturally you also get a C-section. If anything goes wrong during a natural birth there will be an emeregency C-section. A lot of women want to have C-sections with no reason, it's a "hype". http://www.klikk.no/foreldre/article476093.ece They say that's unfortunate, because there are greater risks, especially with general anasthesia, and children who are born by C-section have a greater risk at becoming allergic or having asthma later in life because being born the natural way is better for the immune system. Anyways, don't worry, pregnant women: having a C-section here is perfectly possible although not encouraged! And it is free. No reason to go to a private place, as all major hospitals offer it. I live in Oslo and here you can have C-sections at Ullevål, Aker sykehus, Rikshospitalet and A-hus. That is.. all the hospitals! ____________________ <em><strong>from L-Jay:</strong> As said, a c-section is given only when necessary but in Norway they do not give it out willy-nilly - it has to be a decision or an approval made by a doctor. If you don't need it you won't get it. But if you want to get it willy-nilly then you pay private.</em> I noticed that you wrote: “If you want a C-section you will have to go to a private birthing ward which means you will have to live in a city that has private hospitals (which are only a handful – Oslo, Bergen etc) and you will have to pay big money because of it. Pregnancy and birth medical is free in Norway but only if you want to give birth the Norwegian way – naturally. ”

I just want to correct you on that one. C-sections are available at ALL Norwegian hospitals, free of charge. I was born by C-section and so are my two children. The reason I was born by C-section is that I my head was facing up (and my feet down) so being born the natural way would be dangerous. The reason my son was born with C-section is that I was afraid of natural birth and asked for it. They explained the benefits of both natural and C-section, yet aknowledged my fear, and let me have the C-section. Then when I had my daugther I got C-section because if you have already done it once it is advisable to have it again.

They try to encourage those who are able to have natural births to have natural births. But if you have a small pelvis, or the baby is in a wrong position or is very big etc., you get a C-section. If you have a phobia against giving birth naturally you also get a C-section. If anything goes wrong during a natural birth there will be an emeregency C-section. A lot of women want to have C-sections with no reason, it’s a “hype”. http://www.klikk.no/foreldre/article476093.ece
They say that’s unfortunate, because there are greater risks, especially with general anasthesia, and children who are born by C-section have a greater risk at becoming allergic or having asthma later in life because being born the natural way is better for the immune system.

Anyways, don’t worry, pregnant women: having a C-section here is perfectly possible although not encouraged! And it is free. No reason to go to a private place, as all major hospitals offer it.

I live in Oslo and here you can have C-sections at Ullevål, Aker sykehus, Rikshospitalet and A-hus. That is.. all the hospitals!

____________________
from L-Jay:

As said, a c-section is given only when necessary but in Norway they do not give it out willy-nilly – it has to be a decision or an approval made by a doctor. If you don’t need it you won’t get it. But if you want to get it willy-nilly then you pay private.

]]> By: EG http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/04/having-a-baby-in-norway/comment-page-1/#comment-7757 EG Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:05:04 +0000 http://mylittlenorway.com/?p=1526#comment-7757 many thanks for your post! very informative and clear. I want to know what 'free' support or assistance are provided to non-citizens who give birth in Norway ____________________ <em><strong>from L-Jay:</strong> You need to be a resident to get any financial support. You have to be working to get maternity/paternity leave. If you are not then you'd get about NOK30,000 as a lump sum for 'birth' money. You get about NOK3000 a month for the first two years if you are not working and stay at home looking after the baby. It drops to NOK1000 when the child turns three because then you are expected to return back to work.</em> many thanks for your post! very informative and clear. I want to know what ‘free’ support or assistance are provided to non-citizens who give birth in Norway

____________________
from L-Jay:

You need to be a resident to get any financial support. You have to be working to get maternity/paternity leave. If you are not then you’d get about NOK30,000 as a lump sum for ‘birth’ money. You get about NOK3000 a month for the first two years if you are not working and stay at home looking after the baby. It drops to NOK1000 when the child turns three because then you are expected to return back to work.

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