• Can you give birth at home?

That is very common, but I opted for the hospital.

• Can you choose not to take medication? Are there any alternatives birthing options?

Yes, in addition to standard options, there is gas and TENS machine (you can use it all the time through delivery or just to certain point).

• Are you free to move during labor, can you listen to music, dim the lights etc?

100%, whatever is going to make it easier on you. I was offered scented candela and etheric oils.

• Who can stay with you at the hospital?

One person of choice (has to be older than 18, so, no kids) but only if you are in single room which is in most of the cases. However, if occupancy in hospital is hight at the time, they put you in a double bedroom (it is super hard to get any sleep in that scenario).

This might be different in other hospitals, but mine was in top 3 public hospitals in Sydney. However, private hospitals always offer a single room.

• Can someone be with you during the labor?

During pandemic, it was only one adult person. Under normal circumstances, I heard that there can be more people present during labor (2-3).

• Can your partner cut the umbilical cord?

Yes.

• Who can visit you in the hospital and when?

Anyone can visit during the time reserved for the visits.

• Where does the baby sleep?

Always in room with mom, by her side.

• Is skin-to-skin done?

Yes.

• Is breastfeeding promoted?

Yes.

• Is episiotomy a normal thing?

No.

• When do you leave hospital?

Depends on the delivery. 2 nights in the case of natural birth, or 3 nights if it was C-Section. But it can also be same day or one night, if there were no complications.

With my first born, I stayed for 3 nights, even though it was a natural birth, but I lost a lot of blood (it was forceps delivery).

With my second one, I could’d been discharged on the same day, but I asked to stay at least one night (they let me).

• Is it typical for someone to move in with you for N-weeks and help around?

Not really. But I guess that depends on family. Everyone is different

• Are there any special traditions that you have respected during the first 40 days after the labor?

Not really.

• What role does husband/partner play in the early stage?

In our family, he did everything. I was only focusing on the baby.

• Do husbands/partners get a parental leave?

Depends on a  company, his doesn’t offer.

• When do women go back to work?

Depends on company and what woman wants. Government paid leave is around 3 months but some companies allow additional 2-3 months. Women often choose to take unpaid leave (until their baby turns 1 year).

• How many women leave work to be stay at home moms?

Depends. Usually women with multiple kids decide to be stay-at-home moms since daycares are expensive.

• What are the main reasons for that (i.e. they genuinely want to stay with kids or find it hard to navigate both)?

Definitely money in most cases, I think.

• How expensive are daycares?

Price depends where you live. Too expensive, regardless.

• How expensive are the nannies?

Even more. I don’t know anyone with one.

• Are there in-home daycares (or is there an alternative between a daycare and a nanny)?

Yes, but hard to get in. Groups are typically only of 3-4 kids, and it’s one woman looking after them. Among people I interact with, they are not very popular.

• Are there support groups for moms?

Yes.

• Can moms work remotely (certain jobs)?

Depends on job, but it’s definitely more likely scenario after covid.

• Can you bring the baby with you to work? Do others ever do that?

No one is forbidding that. But not many women do that since it is really hard to focus, especially with a smaller baby. I do it occasionally, but only for couple of hours.

• How do you spend the maternity leave?

Around my baby.

• Does your baby sleep in the same room as you? When do you transition them out?

Mine sleeps in the same room as us. We transitioned our older when she was 20 months old.

• Do parents co-sleep with babies and how?

Depends. Our older slept so well in her crib. But our younger in mostly in our bed because she is waking up a lot during night.

• Did you feel ready when you went back to work?

No.

• What was the hardest thing about going back to work?

I just got my period back and it was really heavy. I also missed my kids a lot.

• Are you breastfeeding? Was your decision to breastfeed impacted by knowing you have to return to work after N-weeks? Did anything change (breastfeeding wise) after you got back to work?

I transitioned to formula before going back to work. My milk supply was too low.

• Is there a system in place that supports moms with postpartum depression?

Yes.

• Is there such a thing as lactation specialist?

Yes.

• Was there a nurse coming to visit you/check in on you and the baby after you were released from the hospital?

Yes.

• How is mother’s physical health treated? Who examines the mother and when? (Pelvic floor, diastasis, etc.)

A doctor, while in hospital and after 6 weeks.

• Did/do you take any lactation vitamins or supplements?

Yes.

• Prenatal care (when do you get the maternity leave, are there any changes to your salary, who pays your salary -the government or the company, what if you are unemployed, pelvic floor specialists, physiotherapy for the pelvic floor, exercises, courses and pregnancy oriented sports)

You work until you can, no one pays anything before birth. You can choose all of the above if you want at your own expense.

• When do you first bath the baby?

Our first one – on the first day, our younger one-  after 4-5 days.

• When do you start giving solids to the baby?

4-6 months, depends when they are ready.

• How do you introduce the solids?

I started with fruits, rice cereal and vegetables.

• Did you sleep train the baby?

No.