Having a Baby in Israel

Having a baby in Israel is rarely a cause of worry for expat women. The government has a national health policy that makes giving birth in a public hospital free of charge and provides birth allowances depending on how many children the woman has. When she decides to give birth in a private hospital, she loses the benefits the national health system's maternity package but will still be entitled to the birth allowance. The option of taking out private health insurance in Israel is also always available. Private health insurance is also helpful given the present political state that the country is in, where terrorist attacks and bombings could seriously affect women who are expecting to give birth in Israel.

A popular alternative for pregnant women in Israel is giving birth at home with a midwife. The government is strictly regulating home births, however, and not all midwives can deliver babies outside a hospital. Home births are also only allowed if there are no expected complications in the health of both the mother and the child. There are many risk factors that could be cited when a woman is prohibited from giving birth at home such as pregnancies longer than 41 weeks. Women who are carrying more than one child at a time in their womb are also not allowed to deliver at home. But whether the delivery is done a hospital or at home, the attending or midwife is required to have professional liability insurance.  

When it comes to finding a doctor or midwife in Israel, expats can simply search online for online listings of these professionals, or they can also inquire from their embassy. Children born to at least one Israeli parent acquires Israeli citizenship automatically. Those born to foreigner parents can still acquire Israeli citizenship through naturalization, upon which dual citizenship is allowed. All legally documented expat women may avail of Israel's maternity package. International health insurance in Israel is also available for pregnant expats. It is advisable for expat women to be very cautious when planning to deliver within the country due to the risky and dangerous environment.