Prenatal education – Your birth in Hungary

FirstMed’s ‘Prenatal Education’ classes restarted little over a year ago, this time with additional topics covered by our staff to give the most useful and fresh information to first-time, or first ‘birth in Hungary’ parents, about what the birthing experience consists of. The team is made up by the following: a pediatrician, an obstetrician, a midwife, a pediatric nurse, a prenatal exercise trainer, and an expat father who has seen it all first-hand.

The purpose of the course is to prepare parents for their first birth or first birth in Hungary. Our team hopes to prepare new patents with our seven class course taking place over six weeks. All of the classes are held in an open manner, feeling more like a group discussion than a lecture. Any or all questions are welcome.

The class topics consists of:

• Giving birth in Hungary. This class is led by a midwife and the expat father covering services and reality of how to prepare yourself for having a child in Hungary. You’ll get insight on the differences between state and private care, birthing costs, documentation issues, what is and isn’t allowed, as well as honest assessment of a ‘public-care’ birth. This will provide an accurate picture, the good and the bad, of the quality of birthing services with some additional useful advice.
• Closer and closer; 2nd and 3rd trimesters. In the first half of the presentation a FirstMed’s nurse, who is also a midwife, will talk about the changes that the fetus and mother go through during the second and third trimesters as well as offering a few practical tips. In the second part of the discussion our physical therapist talks about the importance of prenatal exercise, with the opportunity to sign up her prenatal exercise class.
• Labor and pain management. Our OB/GYN, Dr. Vonnak,  will speak about ways our body talks to us as well as signs which signal that labor is on the way. She’ll cover procedures in the hospital that surround a natural birth and then speak on optional pain management techniques which may be needed during labor.
• Plan B: Cesarean Section, VBAC, and, complications. Sometimes a natural childbirth is not possible. Dr. Vonnak will discuss cases when C-section becomes unavoidable, what it entails, and discuss potential natural vaginal birth for those who have had C-section in the past.
• Arrival of your newest family member: The Newborn. A FirstMed pediatrician, Dr. Boros, discusses what happens to our newborn just after birth and during the first few days while still in the hospital. From there she moves onto life during the first 4-6 weeks at home, the role of the pediatrician role, and that of the local ‘védőnő’ or ‘health visitor’, who comes from the department of family services to check on you and your child. This is one of several topics which are particular to Hungary and often leave foreigners confused if left unexplained.
• Breastfeeding and other issues. Breastmilk is the best nutrient we can give to a newborn. Fortunately more and more “nursing-friendly” hospitals are supporting the initiative providing breastfeeding support for new mothers. Though it may look easy, there may be a number of pitfalls during to overcome for productive and pain-free feeding. Midwife Dora Magyar will go into issues regarding breastfeeding and techniques so you can experience this yourself.
• Infant First Aid. What could be scarier than discovering your child has stop breathing or become injured due to a serious fall? Would you know what to do? Our pediatric nurse, Ildi Sandor, will go through major situations that would require first aid. The practical training on resuscitation will be complimented with more information about choking, accidents, and how you deal with your newborns first fever.

We tend to use diverse multimedia devices during our lectures to make the information easier to understand and digest, and to promote interactivity. We are delighted to get questions, as they help the session unfold and facilitates to touch on more topics. At the end of each session there is a “take home message” that contains the essence of all that was discussed during the session.

If you would like to participate in the next course beginning Winter 2017, please register here: https://firstmed.hu/prenatal-education/.