An Expat Talks about What is Was Like Having a Baby in Dublin, Ireland

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Dublin

How recently did you give birth in the country that you are reporting on?

2000

Describe your experience giving birth there. What type of facility did you go to? What (if any) type of pain management did you use? How long did you stay in the hospital? Was it a positive experience? Etc...

The Coombe Women's Hospital.

Deplorable.

Staff attitudes from the 50s. This is the country that pioneered the medically managed model of birthcare, and they've not changed a lot since. Prenatal care is better and more personable for dairy cattle and don't even ask about postnatal care.

The only breastfeeding mothers I saw for the 5 day duration of my stay were foreign, like me. The hospital provided breastfeeding classes which were utterly laughable, and otherwise treated us like the lowest, most loathsome, stupid, and aggravating people in the ward. How *dare* we breastfeed and room in with our infants?

If you want birth-trauma, or a cesarean, you're in the right place. If you want a natural birth with personal attention, forget it.

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How did you choose your doctor, midwife or other type of medical professional?

I was referred to The Coombe as being the least of the available evils. If this was the best, I'd hate to see the worst. I was warned off from National Women's completely.

If you were to have another child in this country, would you do anything differently in terms of preparation and/or the delivery?

I'd have an unassisted homebirth before I set foot in an Irish hospital again.

I'd rather go back home to Texas than do that, of course, but the question states "If you were to have another child in this country".

If a friend of yours living in the same country were expecting, what advice would you give her?

Move to another country. I hear the Scandinavian countries as well as Australasia are good for birthcare.