Doorway

This building is near the church where I take Christian to see the Mütterberaterin. One of the many turn-of-the-century buildings that catches my eye in my neighborhood and makes me reach for the camera.

And what's a Mütterberaterin you ask? The Mütterberaterin (MB) is neither a licensed doctor or registered nurse; it is a specific position here in Switzerland that requires its own Ausbildung (education and training). A MB will be responsible for a specific geographic area - say, several towns in the country side or a particular neighborhood in the city. It's a great set-up. Generally the MB will weigh and measure your child, briefly check on developmental milestones (is he holding his head up yet? has he started to smile?), and answer any questions we might have. The MB is not meant to replace regular check-ups with the pediatrican, but between doctor visits you can keep track of weight and development and catch any looming issues early. Of course, for things outside the MB's area of expertise she will recommend seeing the peditrician, but a lot of what parents worry about fall within her training. Somebody with experience and a knowlege of child development - and first hand familiarity with the wide range of development that is still considered normal even if it doesn't follow the charts exactly - sees your child regularly and can pick up on anything that doesn't "seem right" and, possibly more importantly, reassure parents that something we think doesn't "seem right" is nothing to worry about. She can give advice on how to help baby sleep, what kinds of solids to introduce and when, what foods eaten by a nursing mother might upset a baby's stomach, what types of toys and games help develop particular skills and muscle groups, and so on. It's like having a baby book that gets to see and touch your child every two weeks.

And this is free. All free. Technically, since the MB is a government sponsored position, we pay for it through our local taxes, but we can visit twice a month 12 months a year for years and never pull a franc out of our pockets. Regular use is in fact encouraged. When we were discharged from the hospital we received a little health notebook (Gesundheitsheft) for Christian (Alex got one, too, when he was born). There is basic care and developmental information inside, pages to keep track of developmental milestones acheived, pages for the pediatrician to record regular visits (there is space for 11 standard checks from 4 weeks to 14 years), an immunization schedule, and two full pages for the MB to record weight, length, and comments. Clearly you are expected to visit the MB. I've taken Christian three times already.

Oh, and he's delightfully healthy and average, in case you were wondering.