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Having a Baby in Madrid

baby and father under brown blanket
Written by damien

There is little that can be done about life’s longing for itself, and it can happen that young families coming to spend some time working and living in Madrid might find an expected – or unexpected – new arrival joining the family during their stay.

In order for you to be reassured that everything will be ok with your family and your new addition, ShMadrid focuses on having a baby in the Spanish capital.

Related article: Great nursery schools in Madrid

Basic information when expecting in Madrid

Medical standards

mother and baby in light coloured clothers

Photo via Pixabay

Should the good news of you having a baby arrive during a stay in Madrid, that is no reason to panic and make plans to cut a stay in the city shorter. A short look around the city will show that the locals are adding new additions to their families all the time in Madrid.

There is no reason to suspect that the medical standards relating to pregnant women are any less than you’d expect anywhere else in the world either. In fact, the truth is that irrespective of whether the pregnant mother elects to choose private or public care, the standards are acceptably high.

Maternal resources

In Madrid, Spain’s largest city, the maternity facilities on offer are wide ranging and comprehensive. If you visit MumAbroad, for example, you will find a wide range of local services in the city, including maternity services, various childcare services, courses and workshops for kids, and much more.

Those families who choose to use a public health service when their baby is born will find themselves visiting one of the city’s larger facilities, which tend to be somewhat impersonal, although efficient.

For example, you can receive specialized prenatal and postnatal care at Hospital Universitario La Paz (in the neighbourhood of La Paz) and Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja (in the district of Hortaleza).

You can also view a full list of Sanitas Hospitals in Madrid here to find which is closest to you. For non-Spanish speakers it can be a challenge working with these hospitals, which means that most expatriates living in Madrid usually prefer to have the prenatal and postnatal care, as well as the birth itself, under the supervision of smaller private clinics, where at least English is always spoken and all of the costs will be covered by their private health insurance.

Related article: Acupuncture Centers in Madrid

Maternity leave

baby in pink with hat

Photo via Pixabay

Once mother and baby make it home, they may well be entitled to some statutory maternity leave, which in Spain extends for just 16 weeks. Recently, paternity leave in Spain was extended from 15 days to 16 weeks as well, giving it the same time frame as maternal leave.

So, if you have just received the good news that the stork is about to visit when you’re living in Madrid, there should be no cause for any panic or worries. Instead, you should place yourself in the competent hands of Madrid’s maternity services.

That is what they are here for, after all, so you might as well enjoy these services while you are in the situation to do so.

Did you have your baby in Madrid? Any advice?

About the author

damien

Originally from France, Damien has made Spain his home. He loves languages, learning, food and startups.

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