German vs. American Baby Doctors

Over the summer a friend of mine suggested that I should blog about the difference between having a baby in the U.S. versus having a baby in Germany. Though I thought it would be interesting to read, I found that I couldn't write about this topic. Quite simply, at that point I only knew the German system.

Now, however, I've gone to a few appointments at my American doctor's office. I can't really say that one is better than the other, but I can say that my prenatal appointments certainly are different. In general I have found that the American doctor's office is much more "medical" looking. It's a big practice with five doctors, nurses, receptionists, and billing people. In Germany I had one doctor in a converted town house. Two nurses, who did everything from answering the phones to taking blood, assisted her.

Here are a few other observations that I wanted to share.

• At my first prenatal appointment in the U.S. I had to sit with the billing department to discuss the cost that I am responsible to pay. In Germany, I paid $10 a quarter to cover administrative fees. Everything else -- including prescriptions -- was covered by my insurance. *
• Each appointment in Germany took forever. Since I hit the sixth month mark, the visit started with monitoring the baby's heart rate and my contractions. To do this, I had to lie down for twenty minutes with the fetal monitors. In the U.S. they check the baby's heart rate, but with a hand-held device that measures the heart rate for a few seconds. Whatever number shows up then is the number they record in my chart.
• At both offices, each visit starts with giving a urine sample. In Germany, the nurse would write my name on a regular plastic drinking cup, which was then placed in the open on a tray outside the bathroom with the other patient’s samples. At my first visit in the U.S., I got a list of instructions about how to provide a "clean sample." The medical-looking cups come with lids and the samples are then placed in a metal box that is accessible to the nurses from outside of the restroom.
• In Germany you don't get a gown. In the U.S. you do.
• In Germany the doctor that provides your prenatal care does not deliver the baby. She's not even associated with a hospital. I had to select the hospital on my own. In the U.S. one of the five doctors in the practice that I've selected will be on call to deliver the baby.
• Six weeks before your due date in Germany you start seeing a midwife, who may be the person to deliver your baby. The midwife will give you a list of foods and teas that you should start consuming to help you through your labor.
• In Germany you are also entitled to additional alternative treatments to help you feel more comfortable during the last few weeks, such as acupuncture and massage.
  

* Note: Even though I had government insurance in Germany, I have to note that our monthly costs were more than what Kevin and I had to pay in the U.S., where our insurance was covered by our jobs.