Antenatal Care in Spain

Antenatal care is mainly provided in local health centres who will refer you to a local hospital for the birth or if you are having a detailed scan or problematic pregnancy. In some areas mums to be do not attend the hospital where they plan to give birth until they are in labour.

Antenatal screening in Spain varies slightly from one region to another, but usually starts at a local health centre or Centro de Salud. When your pregnancy is confirmed you will meet a midwife who will want to know your medical history and fill in your pregnancy records (cartilla  del embarazo). Then you will have the normal blood screening tests to check for Rhesus, Rubella and antibody status and infections such as Toxoplasmosis, Hepatitis, Syphilis and HIV.  If you want private midwifery treatment which includes Ante Natal clases then Anne Halpenny is an Irish midwife who has been working on the Costa del Sol for over 12 years.  You can find out more at her website: www.annehalpenny.awardspace.com

In most regions you will be offered the triple test which screens for abnormalities and includes a nuchal fold scan at 12 weeks and a combined blood test to rule out Spina Bifida, Downs Syndrome and Edwards Syndrome.

Ultrasound scans are offered at 20, 32 and 40 weeks to ensure that growth and development are maintained as well as  two O' Sullivan's Tests (which are commonly known in the UK as the glucose tolerance test) which  check for diabetes and are  carried out in the second  and third trimester of your pregnancy in Spain.

In your 37th  week of pregnancy your baby will monitored weekly on a CTG machine to get a pre-labour reading of your baby's heart rate to check that your baby is coping with contractions and labour.

If you are having private antenatal care and going to give birth in a state hospital, make sure that you have all your notes and blood test results with you when you go into labour.

Once you have given birth remember that Spanish families play a big part in the aftercare with the grandmother and other family members doing a lot of the work which nurses would normally do in the UK.

A doctor will come and see you to check if you need help and you do have to ask for it.  If you need a translator then ask for one to be present when the doctor is there. If you want to register with a private gynecologist then Dr Berral is a British Trained Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician with a clinic conveniently located in the centre of Marbella on Av Ricardo Soriano.