How much does it cost to have a baby in Hungary?

The answer is not simple. It depends on a number of factors, such as what kind of insurance – if any – you have, and what kind of birth experience you would like.

With Hungarian or EU health insurance, and getting all your care through state clinics, it’s possible to have a baby for free in Hungary.

With no insurance, and choosing a private clinic for your prenatal care and a private maternity ward to give birth, your bill can exceed HUF 1 million.

That is quite a range, with everything in between possible, of course. Read more about your options here: Birth in Hungary: How much does it cost?

If you are still confused about how prenatal care and birth services work in Hungary, I’m glad to answer any questions you have. Please make an appointment.

Mommy-baby group has a new location and a new time (at least for the summer)!

This group is for moms with small babies and pregnant women. It’s completely informal. We get together weekly, usually about 4-5 moms + babies + some older siblings, to chat, sip tea and have a good time. Sometimes it’s all small babies, sometimes it’s all pregnant women, every week it’s something new!

When: Every Wednesday from 9 am to 11 am!!!

Where: II. Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 61, 1st floor #3, Világgyerek buzzer.  (Map)

By public transportation: Szent János kórház stop on the 61 tram.

Parking: Available in surrounding streets.

Your hostess: Réka Morvay, psychologist, doula, childbirth educator and breastfeeding counselor-in-training!

PLEASE NOTE:

• You MUST keep pressing the Világgyerek button CONTINUOUSLY until the door buzzes to let you in, otherwise we cannot open it for you from upstairs.

This is an informal support group for women to talk about their questions and experiences with pregnancy, particularly being pregnant and giving birth in Hungary, as well as questions about life with a small baby, breastfeeding, sleeping, feeding, etc. Older siblings are welcome too! There is no appointment necessary, just show up whenever it is convenient for you!

This group is free of charge.

Please spread the word!

Wearing your baby on your back is the single most comfortable, practical and versatile way to wear your baby. From newborns to toddlers, this type of carry is truly universal! Learn how to do it and free your hands! The class includes tips on hip wearing as well.

Our instructor is Eszter Szakállas, a certified babywearing instructor.

The class costs HUF 3500.

When: Wednesday, May 26th 2010, 12 pm to 2 pm

Where: II. Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 43/b, 3rd floor #3, Életkör buzzer.  (Map)

By public transportation: Városmajor utca stop on the 61 tram.

Parking: Free (but usually unavailable) on Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor, meter parking on surrounding streets.

PLEASE NOTE:

• The location is NOT stroller (pram, buggy, baby carriage, whatever) friendly! Sadly, most strollers will not fit into the elevator. If you have a bike lock with you, you can lock your stroller within the building on the ground floor, but I would highly recommend bringing your baby in a carrier or wrap instead of a stroller.
• You MUST keep pressing the Életkör button CONTINUOUSLY until the door buzzes to let you in, otherwise we cannot open it for you from upstairs.

Happy baby, active mom

This class is for pregnant women and moms with small babies. Learn tips and tricks for how to most comfortably wear your baby in front, and when to make the switch to your back. Ideal for younger/lighter babies. For pregnant women, we include ties to support your belly in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

The class will be held in English by Eszter Szakállas, a Lana-certified babywearing instructor. The class lasts approximately 2 hours. Bring your own wrap or sling if you have one, but slings will also be provided for those who are still trying to make up their minds. There will also be a realistically weighted doll to practice with for those without babies.
Cost: HUF 3500 per family

Where: Életkör, II. Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 43/b 3rd floor #3 (Életkör buzzer downstairs – need to press CONTINUOUSLY to be let in)

When: Wednesday May 19th 2010, 12 pm to 2 pm

Please spread the word!

I recently wrote an article about the importance of social support for new mothers after a baby is born. Baby blues is a condition that affects most new mothers as hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, and the sense of responsibility in caring for a new life all take their toll. However, some mothers are particularly vulnerable at this time. Studies have identified a number of risk factors for developing postpartum depression, which is a serious form of clinical depression that can affect mothers in the first months after a baby is born. The one that puts expat mothers at especial risk is the potential lack of social support during this vulnerable time. Lack of social support has been identified as one of the risk factors that are not only correlated with postpartum depression, but may actually cause it. In my experience, the biggest problem is that some mothers tend to underestimate the demands a new baby will place on them, and so do not prepare in advance for the help they will need. Since most of a new mother’s energy and time will be taken up by caring for her baby, somebody else needs to take care of everything else she used to do, from work, errands, shopping, older children, etc. Attempting to keep on meeting these responsibilities after the birth of a baby as if nothing had changed is a one-way ticket towards frustration and possibly depression. Mothers who give birth in a foreign country are especially vulnerable, since they may be far removed from their families and may not have had time yet to develop a network of friends who could help.

To read more about how to identify postpartum depression, how to recognize risk factors, how to prevent or treat it, read my article entitled Expat Moms at Higher Risk for Postpartum Depression.

Breastfeeding. Sunday May 16, 2010 2 pm to 6 pm

Content: why is breastfeeding good for the baby, why is breastfeeding good for the mother, how to get off to a good start and avoid problems down the line, how does milk production work, how to ensure you have enough milk, how can you tell whether baby is getting enough milk, feeding on cue versus feeding on schedule, sore nipples and other breastfeeding complication, lots of pictures and videos about how to get the baby on the breast correctly (to avoid damage to the nipples and ensure proper milk flow), when to express milk, how to express milk, how to safely store milk, using artificial nipples (bottles and pacifiers), herbs and foods to increase supply, breastfeeding and illness, breastfeeding and medications

Handouts: breastfeeding cheat sheet

Fees and organization

Private classes: HUF 10 000 per occasion

Group classes: HUF 5000 per couple for groups

Location: Életkör, II. Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 43/b, 3rd floor #3 (Életkör buzzer – keep pressing continuously to be let in!)

Please RSVP so I know how many handouts to bring! And feel free to forward this email to anybody you think may be interested.

New time! New location!

Due to popular demand, the time for the Newborn Care class has been changed from Monday the 10th to Sunday, the 9th. Because the class was originally scheduled at this time because the Életkör space we usually use is full on Sunday, we will hold this class in a new location, near Móricz Zsigmond körtér. See below for directions.

3. Newborn Care. Sunday May 9th, 2010 2 pm to 6 pm

Content: what is a just-born newborn like, what does the Apgar score mean, when to cut the umbilical cord, cord blood banking, what do newborn babies expect from the world, why is skin-to-skin contact important, why is early and frequent breastfeeding important, baby’s secretions: what’s normal and what’s not, feeding and expected weight gain, burping, sleeping, dressing, bathing, umbilical cord care, crying and comforting, types of babies, learning, playing, baby wearing, how to survive the first six weeks

Handouts: English-Hungarian shopping list of baby supplies, breastfeeding cheat sheet, registration and maternity benefits information sheet

Location: XI. Vak Bottyán u. 3.  3rd floor #1. (map) Press 60 or Békés on the intercom by the front door.

By car: Approach either from Szabadság híd or Bartók Béla körút. There is plenty of parking in the street.

By public transportation: Check on the Google map for options. Trams #6, 18, 19, 41, 47, 49, 61 and buses #7, 7E, 27, 33, 33E, 40, 40E, 86, 153, 173, 173E, 188E, 203, 240, 240E have stops nearby.

Cost: HUF 5000 per couple

Please sign up in advance so I know how many copies of the handouts to bring!

2. Labor and childbirth

Content: how does labor start, when to go into the hospital or call the midwife, inducing labor, what are the stages of labor, what to expect during them, what does it feel like at each stage, what can the helper do at each stage, the importance of positioning for mother and baby, natural and medicated pain management, how to avoid an episiotomy, what to expect at a Hungarian hospital, what to expect during a C-section, what to expect during a premature delivery, recovery from birth

Handouts: what to pack for the hospital, English-Hungarian shopping list of baby supplies, birth plan worksheet, What Is Labor Like article, What About the Pain in Childbirth article, C-section article

Fees and organization

Cost: HUF 5000 per couple

Location: Életkör, II. Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 43/b, 3rd floor #3 (Életkör buzzer – keep pushing CONTINUOUSLY!!)

Time: Sunday, May 2, 2010. 2 pm to 6 pm.

If you are interested in attending, please register your interest!

I am pleased to announce that the first installment of a 4-part series of childbirth education classes will be held this Sunday from 2 pm. This first class is entitled Expecting in Hungary. We will talk about prenatal care options in Hungary, public versus private hospitals, home births versus hospital births, how to choose a care provider, who is the védőnő and how can she help you, what routine procedures you can expect in Hungarian hospitals, what pediatric routines you can expect to be performed on your baby after birth, how to find a pediatrician, Hungarian vaccination schedules, how to register a birth in Hungary, what documents you will need, whether you are eligible for Hungarian maternity benefits, just to list a few!

Handouts: list of English-speaking obstetricians, list of hospitals in Budapest, list of registrars in Budapest, birth plan worksheet, registration and maternity benefits info sheet

When: Sunday, April 25th from 2 pm to 6 pm (2-hour presentation followed by Q&A)
Where: II. Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 43/b. 3rd floor #3, press the Életkör buzzer CONTINZOUSLY until you are buzzed in
Cost: HUF 5000 per couple
Contact: Réka Morvay at rekamorvay@gmail.com or 20/455-5836 to sign up

Please spread the word! We still have space for 1 or 2 couples.

1. Expecting in Hungary. Sunday April 25, 2010 2 pm to 6 pm

Content: Prenatal care in Hungary, how to find and choose the right hospital/doctor/midwife for you, who is the védőnő and what is her function, what kinds of maternity benefits (if any) are you eligible for, how to register a baby’s birth in Hungary if one or both parents are foreign nationals, what’s your due date and why is determining it correctly important, thinking ahead to your birth experience, and how much you can expect to pay for a birth in Hungary, what hospital routines you can expect in Hungary, what pediatric routines (including vaccinations) you can expect in Hungary

Handouts: list of English-speaking obstetricians in Budapest, list of hospitals and clinics with maternity wards, birth plan worksheet, list of registrars, registration and maternity benefits information sheet.

2. Labor and childbirth. Sunday May 2, 2010 2 pm to 6 pm

Content: mother and baby at term, how does labor start, when to go into the hospital or call the midwife, inducing labor, what are the stages of labor, what to expect during each stage, what does it feel like at each stage, what can the helper do at each stage, the importance of positioning for mother and baby, natural and medicated pain management, how to avoid an episiotomy, what to expect at a Hungarian hospital, what to expect during a C-section, what to expect during a premature delivery, recovery from birth, how to prepare for the immediate postpartum period

Handouts: what to pack for the hospital, English-Hungarian shopping list of baby supplies, birth plan worksheet, What Is Labor Like article, What About the Pain in Childbirth article, C-section article

TIME and LOCATION CHANGE!!!

3. Newborn Care. Sunday May 9th, 2010 2 pm to 6 pm

Content: what is a just-born newborn like, what does the Apgar score mean, when to cut the umbilical cord, cord blood banking, what do newborn babies expect from the world, why is skin-to-skin contact important, why is early and frequent breastfeeding important, baby’s secretions: what’s normal and what’s not, feeding and expected weight gain, burping, sleeping, dressing, bathing, umbilical cord care, crying and comforting, types of babies, learning, playing, baby wearing, how to survive the first six weeks

Handouts: English-Hungarian shopping list of baby supplies, breastfeeding cheat sheet, registration and maternity benefits information sheet

Location for this one class: XI. Vak Bottyán utca 3. 3rd floor #1. Press 60 or Békés on the intercom to be let in. Map.

4. Breastfeeding. Sunday May 16, 2010 2 pm to 6 pm

Content: why is breastfeeding good for the baby, why is breastfeeding good for the mother, how to get off to a good start and avoid problems down the line, how does milk production work, how to ensure you have enough milk, how can you tell whether baby is getting enough milk, feeding on cue versus feeding on schedule, sore nipples and other breastfeeding complication, lots of pictures and videos about how to get the baby on the breast correctly (to avoid damage to the nipples and ensure proper milk flow), when to express milk, how to express milk, how to safely store milk, using artificial nipples (bottles and pacifiers), herbs and foods to increase supply, breastfeeding and illness, breastfeeding and medications

Handouts: breastfeeding cheat sheet

***********************

Fees and organization

Private classes: HUF 10 000 per occasion

Group classes: HUF 5000 per couple for groups

Location: Életkör, II. Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 43/b, 3rd floor #3 (Életkör buzzer)

Please RSVP so I know how many handouts to bring! And feel free to forward this email to anybody you think may be interested.