In today’s episode of our Expat Experts Series, Amanda and CJ sit down with Seli Jacome —a birth and postpartum doula, lactation consultant, and former Frankfurt resident who flipped the script on expat family life four years ago by relocating her trilingual family to Valencia, Spain.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to move out of Germany, or how to navigate the vulnerable phases of expat motherhood while building a business from scratch in a brand-new country, this episode is a must-listen!
🎧 Key Takeaways from the episode:
* The Search for Slow Living: How the desire for green space, safety, and a slower pace of life drove Seli's family to move from Germany to Spain.
* Embracing Multi-Cultural Identity: Seli discusses navigating her family's unique German, Korean, Mexican, and British roots within expat parenting.
* The "DIY" Approach to Expat Parenting: How Seli spotted a massive gap in the Spanish postpartum healthcare system and created her own international community groups (including a massive secondhand kids' market in her garden!).
* The Mental Load of a Third Language: The exhausting reality of managing pediatric appointments, school systems, and daily life when navigating your third language.
* Germany vs. Spain: A fascinating comparison of school flexibility, healthcare structures, and why Seli’s family swapped German structure for Spanish sunshine and a slower pace of life.
* Navigating Big Moves with Teens & Newborns: Seli’s firsthand expat parenting tips on moving across Europe with older children and a 7-week-old baby in tow.
📝 Other Episode Highlights
🌍 A Truly Global Family Background
Seli is half-German and half-Korean, married to a man who is half-Mexican and half-British. Together with their three kids, they speak English, Spanish, and German at home. Despite deep roots in Germany, Seli opens up about never feeling like she 100% fit in—and how that ultimate search for belonging led them to the colorful, diverse expat bubble of Valencia.
🛑 The Shock of Spanish Bureaucracy & Healthcare
Think German paperwork is tough? Seli shares hilarious and stressful stories of navigating old-school Spanish paper trails. She also breaks down the cultural shocks of expat motherhood in Spain, where the cozy German Hebamme (midwife) home-visit culture doesn't exist, forcing new moms to navigate postpartum care entirely differently.
💼 Finding Your Niche in a New Market
When Seli arrived in Spain, she realized local mothers return to work much earlier (around 4 months) compared to Germany, leaving a massive lack of expat family support for postpartum care and community playgroups. By embracing a "Do-It-Yourself" attitude, she successfully rebuilt her doula and education practice to serve the international community.
⭐ Connect with Our Guest
* Find Seli here:
* www.21doulaservice.es
* 21doulaservice_selijacome
❤️ Enjoyed this episode?
If you found Seli’s expat parenting journey inspiring, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode filled with real, raw stories and practical expat family support.
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