Pregnant in Spain: What Should I Prepare Before My Baby Arrives?
Pregnancy, birth preparation, antenatal care, postpartum, and being pregnant in Spain as an expat
Finding out you’re pregnant can be one of the most incredible moments of your life. You see those two lines on the pregnancy test and suddenly everything feels real.
And then the questions start.
What do I do now? When should I tell people? Where am I going to give birth? Do I need an antenatal class? What happens when I go into labour?
If you’re pregnant in Spain and living here as an expat, there can be even more to think about.
In this guide, I’ll share some of the things I would really encourage you to prepare for before your baby arrives, beyond simply getting everything ready for the baby.
What Should I Prepare for Before My Baby Arrives?
It’s easy to spend your pregnancy preparing for the baby.
You choose a pram, buy clothes, set up the nursery and make sure you have everything you think your newborn will need.
But sometimes we forget to prepare for the actual experience.
The experience of giving birth.
The experience of becoming a parent.
The first days and weeks with your baby.
Breastfeeding, sleep, recovery, your relationship and your emotions all deserve some thought too.
Prepare for yourself, not just your baby.
Antenatal preparation isn't about predicting exactly what will happen. It’s about giving yourself knowledge, understanding your options and feeling more confident when something unexpected happens.
1. How Can I Prepare for Birth?
Birth is not something we can completely control, but we can prepare ourselves for it.
Learning how labour works, understanding the different stages of labour and knowing what interventions may be offered can help you feel more confident.
It can also be helpful to think about what makes you feel safe, what your preferences are and how your partner can support you.
Creating a birth plan or birth preferences isn't about trying to control every detail. It’s about taking the time to think about what matters to you before the day arrives.
What you can do
✔ Learn about the different stages of labour.
✔ Think about your birth preferences.
✔ Understand the options that may be available to you.
✔ Talk to your partner about how they can support you.
Preparation gives you knowledge and confidence, even when birth doesn't go exactly according to plan.
2. What Should I Know About Giving Birth in Spain?
If you’re an expat in Spain, preparing for birth can come with another layer of questions.
You may not know exactly how the Spanish healthcare system works, especially if this is your first baby here.
You may wonder what happens when labour starts, when you should contact your hospital, where you need to go or what paperwork you’ll need after your baby is born.
And if you're doing all of this in a language that isn't your first, it can feel even more overwhelming.
What you can do
✔ Find out where your maternity unit is.
✔ Know how to get to the hospital.
✔ Ask questions about what happens when labour begins.
✔ Make sure you know what documents you’ll need.
These may sound like small practical details, but they are exactly the things you don't want to be figuring out while you're having strong contractions.
3. How Will I Know When I’m in Labour?
This is something I really encourage expecting parents to think about before their due date.
What happens when contractions start?
Do I call the hospital?
Do I go straight there?
Do I wait?
What happens if my waters break?
What if I lose my mucus plug?
Every birth is different, and your midwife or medical team will guide you according to your individual situation.
But having a general understanding beforehand means you won't be searching Google and wondering what you're supposed to do when the moment arrives.
What you can do
✔ Learn about the signs of labour.
✔ Know when and how to contact your healthcare team.
✔ Have your hospital bag ready.
✔ Know how you’re getting to the hospital.
A little preparation can remove a lot of unnecessary stress.
4. How Can My Partner Prepare for Birth?
Your partner doesn't need to become an expert in birth.
But preparing together can make a huge difference.
Your partner can learn what helps you feel safe, understand your preferences and know how to support you during labour.
They can help you create a calm environment, support your breathing and be there emotionally when things feel intense.
Sometimes the most powerful thing a partner can say is simply:
I'm here. You're safe. I've got you.
That sense of safety and support can be incredibly powerful during labour.
5. How Should I Prepare for Postpartum?
The baby arrives and everyone says congratulations.
It is beautiful and incredible.
But you've also just given birth.
Your body has been through something enormous. Your hormones are changing, you're exhausted and you're learning how to care for a tiny person who suddenly depends on you for everything.
This is why I encourage expectant parents to prepare for postpartum as well as birth.
Think about your first week.
Who is going to cook?
Who can help with older children?
Who can bring you food?
Who can help around the house?
Who can support you if breastfeeding isn't going as you'd hoped?
And perhaps most importantly, what can you let go of?
Your postpartum deserves preparation too.
Your house doesn't need to be perfect. Your laundry can wait. Your meals don't need to be Instagram worthy.
Your job in those first days is recovery and getting to know your baby.
6. What Should I Know About Breastfeeding?
If you want to breastfeed, prepare yourself with realistic expectations.
Breastfeeding is natural, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is easy.
Sometimes babies need help learning how to latch. Sometimes mothers need support. Sometimes there are challenges with milk supply or pain.
And sometimes everything goes beautifully from the beginning.
Whatever your experience, needing support doesn't mean you've failed.
This is why I encourage parents to know where they can get help before their baby arrives.
Don't wait until you're exhausted, your nipples are sore, your baby is crying and you don't know what to do.
Know who you can call and build your support network before you need it.
7. How Can I Prepare for Newborn Sleep?
Sleep is another thing I really want parents to prepare for.
Newborns wake frequently because they have tiny stomachs, need to feed often and are still developing their circadian rhythm.
They don't necessarily understand the difference between day and night yet.
For some families, newborn sleep feels relatively manageable. For others, it can be extremely demanding.
If you're breastfeeding, you may also be the person your baby needs most frequently during the night.
What you can do
✔ Talk with your partner about how you will share the nights.
✔ Think about how your partner can support you even if you are the one feeding.
✔ Consider how you can get some protected sleep during the day.
✔ Have realistic expectations about newborn sleep.
You don't need to have a perfect sleeper from day one. You need support and realistic expectations.
8. Do I Really Need All the Baby Equipment?
It’s very easy to get carried away when preparing for a baby.
There are so many products that people tell you are essential.
But babies actually need surprisingly little.
They need somewhere safe to sleep, clothes, nappies, feeding, warmth and, most importantly, you.
Before you buy everything you see, make a list of what you actually need.
And if you're having a baby shower, think about asking for practical support too.
Food deliveries, help around the house, a cleaning service or a lactation consultation can sometimes be much more valuable than another tiny outfit.
9. How Can I Build a Support Network as an Expat?
If you're living away from your home country, your support network may look very different from what you imagined.
Your mum might live in another country. Your sister might be thousands of kilometres away. Your closest friends may not be nearby.
And suddenly you realise you don't have your usual village around you.
So build one.
It doesn't have to be enormous.
It could be your partner, a friend, another mum you've met, a doula, a lactation consultant or someone from your healthcare team.
Someone you can call.
Someone who understands.
Someone who can simply say, “Yes, this is normal,” or “Actually, let's get some help with this.”
You don't have to build your village alone.
10. How Can I Prepare Emotionally for Becoming a Parent?
Preparing for a baby isn't only practical.
You may also need to prepare emotionally for how much your life can change.
Your identity changes.
Your priorities change.
Your relationship changes.
Your body changes.
Your sleep and your daily life change too.
You can love your baby more than anything and still miss your old life.
You can feel incredibly grateful and completely exhausted.
You can feel confident one day and completely lost the next.
All of these feelings can exist together.
And if you're living abroad, you may also experience moments of loneliness when you see your friends and family continuing with their lives back home.
Give yourself permission to feel all of it.
You Don't Need to Have Everything Figured Out
If you're pregnant right now, I don't want you to feel like you need to have everything sorted before your baby arrives.
You don't need the perfect nursery.
You don't need every baby product.
You don't need to know exactly what kind of parent you're going to be.
But I would encourage you to prepare for the things that matter.
Understand your birth.
Understand your options.
Understand where you're giving birth.
Prepare your partner.
Think about postpartum, feeding and sleep.
Build your support network.
And give yourself the opportunity to learn.
Because the more you understand, the less frightening the unknown can feel.
Join My Free Birth & Baby Masterclass
This is one of the reasons I created my Birth & Baby Antenatal Workshop.
I don't want you to simply know how labour works. I want you to understand the whole journey from pregnancy to birth and those first days with your baby.
We talk about birth, the physiology of labour, birth preferences, breathing, hypnobirthing, mindfulness, newborn care, breastfeeding, sleep and postpartum.
And because I work with so many expat families, we also talk about what it can be like to navigate pregnancy and birth here in Spain.
If you're expecting a baby in Spain and would like to feel more informed and prepared, I'd love to have you join me.
With love,
Anna
Doula · Lactation Consultant · Gentle Sleep Coach
Supporting Expat Families in Spain
