Pregnancy & Birth in Spain Blog 

Spanish paperwork... aren't you loving it?

The amount of stamps, staples and copies involved in Spanish administration still manages to surprise me. Even as more and more things become digitalised, somehow I keep finding myself drowning in paperwork, appointments and documents.

And when you've just had a baby, the last thing you want is to spend your first weeks trying to work out what needs to be done, where you need to go and which document you need to take with you.

I know this from experience.

When I registered my own children in Spain, I did the registration process myself. It was easy enough, but at times it was challenging to get the right appointments at the right place and in the right way. Having a valid Cl@ve or digital certificate can make Spanish administration easier (if the websites work, grr), although exactly what you can do online varies depending on the procedure and where you live.

What helped me enormously was a practical list from my gestor, Lourdes Sintas Fernández of Asesoría Sintas. I used her list to work my way through the registration process myself. Because I am autónoma, I also asked Lourdes to handle the application for the parental benefit for both me and my partner.

Lourdes put a lot of effort into helping me navigate the paperwork, and I am very happy to acknowledge her contribution to this guide. She works with both autónomos and companies, is fast and efficient, and speaks English too, something that can make a big difference when you're trying to navigate Spanish administration as an international family.

So I thought I would turn that practical list into a guide for other English-speaking parents having a baby in Spain.

Choosing where to give birth in Spain is about more than whether maternity care is public or private. This guide compares intervention rates, birth philosophy, costs and your options, helping you make an informed decision that fits your own priorities.

Public C-section rate

Giving birth in Spain as an expat? Know your legal rights — consent, refusing interventions, privacy, choice & home birth — explained in plain English.

When I was pregnant with my third baby, I visited a few hospitals to get a feel for them. At one of them, on the tour, I started asking the "difficult" questions — the ones about choices and consent. The maternity nurse showing me around told me, quite simply, that the doctor decides, not the patient.

I gently pushed back. I explained that I'm the patient, that I have human rights, that nothing happens without my consent — and that hospital protocol, however useful, isn't law. Her reply has stayed with me ever since: "Well… here, you should see it as law. It's the law, and the doctor decides."

I was blown away. And I knew immediately I wouldn't be having my baby there — not because of that one nurse, but because of what her answer quietly revealed about the culture of the whole place. Because the culture of a hospital is exactly what surrounds you on the day you give birth.

Are you preparing for birth and wondering what to do with your body when the moment arrives? Most women picture lying on their back in a hospital bed — but that's actually one of the least effective positions for birth. Moving freely and choosing positions that work with your body and your baby can make a huge difference to how your labour progresses.

Here are six birth positions worth knowing before your birth day:

Sitting on a birth stool 

Acupuncture During Pregnancy, Birth Preparation & Postpartum

My personal experience with acupuncture during pregnancy began with my first pregnancy. My HypnoBirthing instructor had mentioned that acupuncture in the final weeks could help with the thinning and softening of the cervix. Since I was already seeing an acupuncturist I trusted, I wanted to give it a try.

I was 37 weeks when we started the treatment, which was fine, but it just didn't seem to set anything in motion. I was 42 weeks when my midwife wanted to check me — and she was very surprised to find that my cervix was already softening and I had dilated 1 cm without noticing a thing! In the end I was going every day, as everyone was starting to get a little nervous. And then it happened — right there on the table, I had my first contraction! I was over the moon!

This was back in the Netherlands. Here in Spain, in Málaga, I got to know Julie. She is an amazing lady with a wealth of knowledge and experience working with pregnant women. I went to her during my last pregnancy in 2024, and I would — and do — recommend her to all pregnant women for the wide variety of things she can help with.

In this blog, Julie tells you a bit about acupuncture and how she can help you. Enjoy!

How chiropractic care relieved my pregnancy back pain

You know that moment when you're shuffling across your living room like you've aged forty years overnight, one hand pressed against your lower back, moving at the pace of a sloth on sedatives? Yeah. That was me during my third pregnancy. And here's the kicker— as a hypnobirthing practitioner, I literally teach pregnant women about preparation, self-care, and listening to their bodies.

Talk about not practicing what you preach.

Let me back up and tell you how I went from walking like I needed a zimmer frame to standing straight again—and why chiropractic care during pregnancy might just be the missing piece in your birth preparation toolkit.

During my pregnancies I have always suffered from morning sickness in the first 18 to 20 weeks, morning, day and night. So you can imagine I tried about everything to make it better.

Wanna know what was the magic trick? 👇🏻

Patience. That´s it. Nothing fully helped and made it disappear as I had hoped. 🪄

I could have taken a medicine that a doctor can prescribe, but I didn´t want to take any medication, so I decided to just take it as it is. Some things made it more bearable. Read on to see what helped me get through this time without medication.

As we conclude our exploration of maternity care in Andalusia, this article covers the prenatal visits and healthcare procedures during the final trimester of pregnancy. For the first and second trimester check the links.

Consistent with my previous articles, remember that these are guidelines, and you always have the freedom to make informed choices about your healthcare.

Important preliminary consideration: Each medical procedure and recommendation during this trimester is voluntary. Healthcare recommendations are not immutable laws, but suggestions to be carefully considered. Always take time to research, ask questions, and make decisions that align with your personal health philosophy and individual circumstances. If you need help to gather information don't hesitate to contact me. I will be more than willing to get you to some good sources of information. 

As a continuation of our exploration of maternity care in Andalusia, this article focuses on the prenatal visits and healthcare procedures during the second trimester of pregnancy. Consistent with the previous article, it's important to remember that while these are standard recommendations, you always have the freedom to make informed choices about your healthcare.

Informed Choice and Medical Procedures

As an expat preparing to give birth in Spain, one of the most daunting challenges you might face is the language barrier. Communication is crucial during pregnancy and childbirth, and not being fluent in Spanish can add an extra layer of stress to an already intense experience. But don't worry! With the right preparation and tools, you can overcome these language barriers and have a positive, empowering birth experience. Here are five effective ways to bridge the communication gap:

1. Learn Key Pregnancy & Birth Terms and Phrases 

In Spain, just like in most developed countries, a woman is offered an ever-increasing variety of tests. These tests and scans available throughout your pregnancy vary from early ultrasounds to blood tests for gestational diabetes. Each serves a specific purpose, whether it's confirming your due date, screening for potential chromosomal conditions, or monitoring your baby's growth and development.

During pregnancy, you will be making lots of decisions, many concerning tests and scans. These are tools designed to provide information and support, not to cause unnecessary stress or anxiety.

Even in a healthy pregnancy, it is considered normal to have lots of check-ups. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, and although offered to everyone, not all tests and scans are valid or useful for everyone. So be critical and ask yourself if you really feel all the tests are fitting for you and your partner, your situation and your life values. Also, I speak of them being offered to you, but sometimes it can feel like you have no choice in the matter. That is a misunderstanding. You can always say no and/or ask for more information.

As a resident in Spain, whether you're working for a company or are self-employed, you have access to the public healthcare system throughout your pregnancy. Public healthcare in Spain is organized regionally, by autonomous community, which means it can vary somewhat in the different regions of Spain. For this article,  I use the information provided by the Andalusian Health Service ¨Servicio Andaluz de Salud (SAS)¨, which offers the medical care for all pregnant women residing in the region, so this includes Malaga and Costa del Sol, where I am based. If you've elsewhere in Spain it might differ slightly, but in general it will look more or less the same. 

How maternity care is arranged in Spain in short