Mataupu
In Austria, mothers stay at home with their children
“Are you thinking of leaving somewhere soon?” Without your child? “ The midwife looked at me with wide eyes when I asked her how to use the breast pump. For her, the mother does not necessarily need to know how it works. She will spend all her time with her baby until
its 2 years old. In Austria, almost all mothers stay at home with their babies, at least one year, and the majority, two or three years. I have girlfriends who chose to be with their children for the first seven years and society takes a very positive view.
In Austria, nurseries are rare for babies under one year old
Few nurseries in Austria accept children under one year old. Nannies aren’t popular either. If the woman works before being pregnant and her husband has a stable job, she easily gives up on her career. Once the baby is born, the Austrian state pays each family € 12, and it is up to the mother to choose how long her maternity leave will last. Her post is guaranteed for two years and after that she can resume part-time. Some companies protect the post for seven years, so the mother can quietly raise her child up to primary school.
Myself, I was brought up in the Austrian countryside, on Valentine’s Day. We were five children, my parents worked on the farm. They looked after the animals and we helped them from time to time. In winter, my father would take us to a hill not far from the house, and from the age of 3, we learned to ski. Between November and February, everything was covered in snow. We dressed warmly, we tied the skis to our boots, daddy tied us
behind his tractor and we set off on an adventure! It was a good life for us children.
A big family
For my mother, maybe it wasn’t so easy to have five children, but I have the impression that she was worrying less about it than I do today. We went to bed very early – all five of us, no matter how old – we were in bed at seven in the evening. We got up at dawn.
When we were babies, we had to stay in the stroller all day without crying. It motivated us to learn to walk very quickly. Large families maintain a fairly high level of discipline in Austria, which teaches respect for the elderly, patience and sharing.
Breastfeeding is very common in Austria
My life in Paris with my only son is very different! I love spending time with Xavier, and I am truly Austrian, because I can’t imagine leaving him in a nursery or a nanny until he is 6 months old.
I realize that in France it is a great luxury, and I am very grateful to the Austrian state for being so generous. What saddens me in Paris is that I often find myself alone with Xavier. My family is far away and my French girlfriends, young mothers like me, have returned to work after three months. When I go to the square, I am surrounded by nannies. Often, I’m the only mom! Austrian babies are breastfed for a minimum of six months, so they don’t sleep through the night right away. My pediatrician in France advised me not to breastfeed her at night, just water, but I can’t take the plunge. It doesn’t seem “correct” to me: what if he’s hungry?
My mom advised me to call a specialist to find out where the closest water source is to my home. This is something quite common in Austria. If a baby sleeps over a spring, move his bed. I don’t know how to find a dowser in Paris, so I’m going to change the place of the bed every night, and we’ll see! I will also try
to wake him up from his nap – in Austria babies sleep a maximum of 2 hours during the day.
Grandmother’s remedies in Austria
- As a birth gift, we offer an amber necklace against teething pain. The baby wears it from 4 months during the day, and the mother at night (to recharge it with good energy).
- Little medication is used. Against fever, we cover the baby’s feet with a cloth soaked in vinegar, or we put small pieces of raw onion in his socks.
Austrian dads very present with their children
With us, dads spend the afternoons with their children. Usually work starts at 7 a.m., so by 16 or 17 p.m. they are home. Like most Parisians, my husband only comes back at 20 p.m., so I keep Xavier awake so he can enjoy his daddy.
What surprised me the most in France was the size of the strollers, when my son was born he slept in the stroller I had when I was little. It is a real “spring coach”, very large and comfortable. I couldn’t take her to Paris, so I borrowed my brother’s smaller one. Before I moved, I didn’t even know it existed! Everything seems small here, the strollers and the apartments! But for nothing in the world I would not wish to change, I am happy to live in France.
Fa'atalanoaga a Anna Pamula ma Dorothée Saada