Interesting Facts and Frequently Asked Questions
About Having a Baby in Germany

1. Will the baby be a German (or EU) citizen? Unfortunately, no. This would have been a wonderful gift to give a child, but the U.S. does not recognize dual citizenship with Germany.
2. Do the doctors and nurses speak English? Most certainly. Although in many instances we will not have the luxury of doing everything in English. I am particularly curious to see how we do in Lamaze class.
3. Fact: Midwives are quite common in Germany. This is a beautiful thing on many levels. Kirsten was lucky enough to find a midwife who is Irish and thus will be able to help us learn the ropes (in English) of those first few weeks of parenthood. Nothing like a personal instructor who speaks your language to get you going!!!
4. Before we can leave the hospital, we are tested if we are able to feed and bathe the baby unassisted. While this sounds annoyingly like Finals from high school or college, we kind of like this idea the more we think about it. Thank God for the midwife (see #3)!!! It’s a bummer, though, that we don’t get a diploma.
5. Fact: the German authorities have to approve the name you give your child. Believe it or not….this is indeed true. We haven’t figured out exactly what to do here yet. Although the cynic in me thinks we’ll end having to go to some government office that is open on the second Tuesday of every month from 9 – 10:30 a.m., but only when it is raining. I am not quite sure if this is a rubber stamp thing or if the authorities really can reject our child’s name. Stay tuned….
6. Fact: The doctor who monitors your pregnancy is not the one who delivers your baby. It sounds strange at first, but once you get over it, it actually is not that big of a deal. The continuity through the entire process is the midwife (again, see #3), whose role increases in the last trimester and first few weeks of acclimating to a new presence at home.
7. Here is a really neat idea: the Mutterpass (translation: Mother’s Passport). Click here to see what it looks like (although you won’t be able to understand the text). This is basically a passport for the mom with the entire pregnancy medical history that Kirsten carries with her at all times.