Interview with midwife Judith Cadogan
What are your services and how can people contact you?
I provide antenatal care and advice, preparation for labour and childbirth, newly born baby care and all aspects of postnatal care including breast feeding.
I provide a child minding, mothers help and babysitting service
I can be contacted freely on 646823839 Judith Cadogan
What is the "normal" procedure in terms of check up and scans for pregnant women in Spain ? When do women need to choose their hospitals? Are they guaranteed a hospital of their choice or are they given a hospital as assigned by their gynecologist?
In this area of Spain ( north Costa Blanca) procedures depend on whether you use the Spanish Health system or go privately. So making a decision early on helps. Both systems have comprehensive programs for antenatal care but the private system is very dominated by Doctors and scans
How do your midwifery services differ from the Spanish system?
As I work independantly I can tailor your care to your individual needs in conjunction to your formal care.
Why do you feel there is a need to offer alternative midwifery services in Spain?
I can provide help and advice in English complimenting the Services already provided by the state. I can give general & family advice specifically suited to your own family needs. This will be on a more personal level to you as a couple than that provided by the State services.
Do you think midwifery services are underdeveloped in Spain?
Postnatally yes.In Europe the extended family has traditionally always been there for backup & support. However expat families do not have this so I am here to provide help in these early days during this enourmously important event in their lives.
Do you believe there are an unnecessary number of C-sections performed here and from your experience how accommodating are the Spanish public and private hospitals to natural births?
With the opening of the new Denia hospital and the close proximity of the Acquario Hospital in this area of Spain natural childbirth is more readily available.
What advice would you give a woman looking for a natural birth in Spain ?
Research different methods of giving birth and the implications, giving thought to your circumstances. You always have to be aware that things can change unexpectedly and your plan needs to be flexible.
From your experience, what are the main concerns of foreign mums-to-be preparing to have a baby in Spain?
Most new mothers are worried about the language barrier and access to care and pain relief in labour.
Many expectant mothers believe gynecologists in Spain are overly concerned with their weight during pregnancy, do you think that is justified?
Society as a whole seems to be preoccupied with womens weight at the present time, there are lots of other ways of assessing maternal and foetal health.
Do you work with any specific hospitals on the Costa del Sol and if so can you recommend any in particular?
I do not work at any hospital so I can give unprejudiced advice on the hospitals of your choice.
Do you also offer post-natal care to foreign mothers, if so what does this encompass?
Yes I can help post-natally which I think is extremely important especially if you have no immediate family close by to help. This may involve care of the new born baby, breast feeding, bottle feeding, bathing, nappy advice, weaning & childcare. Help for the new mother, general health care, weight loss, time management, future family planning advise, post-natal blues. Adjusting to the new addition of the family including the father & siblings.
Post-natal care is a service which many foreign mums complain is almost non-existent in Spain, why do you think this is?
As before due to the extended family helping in most cases, more parents are now wanting to become more independant from the traditional family life, I believe this is a service now needed here in Spain.
Are there any baby groups / meeting places for new mums in your area? Can you recommend any?
There are some groups in this local area but poorly attended. The private schools in this area all have mother & toddler groups and nurseries which have better attendance & therefore more recommended.
Can you recommend any shops for maternity clothes and new born clothes / equipment?
There are many shops in our area & all provide a wide range of choices which will meet most peoples needs. Mums need to shop around & spend some time with research on the internet as for a guide on prices.
(Oct 2010)
