Batumi is a city families with children move to more and more often: the sea, the mild climate, the calm pace of life. To make the move go smoothly, it’s worth arranging the medical and everyday side of things in the very first weeks, while everyone is healthy and there’s time to choose.
Documents and insurance
Bring the child’s medical documents with you — the vaccination record, extracts, doctors’ reports — rather than sending them with the luggage. We’ve put together a detailed documents checklist in a separate article. Check the terms of your insurance: whether it works in Georgia and what it covers.
A pediatrician in the first weeks
In a new country the family organizes the child’s medical care itself: parents choose the pediatrician and arrange the first visit themselves. So don’t put off the initial appointment “until the first cold”: at a calm visit the doctor will record the health history, go over the vaccinations and answer questions about local life — from water to sun.
Housing and daily life
- check the apartment’s safety: windows and balconies are a common risk for children in high-rise buildings;
- find out how the home is heated in winter — the humid climate feels colder than the thermometer shows;
- for a baby, plan a safe place to sleep and play from day one;
- find the nearest pharmacy and a shop with children’s goods close to home.
Climate and adaptation
Batumi’s humid subtropical climate differs from a continental one: summers are hot and humid, winters often rainy. Give the child time to adapt, keep an eye on hydration in the heat and protect them from the sun. If the child’s wellbeing during the climate change worries you — that’s a question for the pediatrician, not a reason to wait for it to “go away on its own”.
Nursery and school
If the child will attend nursery or school, you’ll need medical certificates — they’re issued by a pediatrician after an examination. Requirements differ between institutions, so get the document list from the nursery or school itself first.
Emergency contacts
Save Georgia’s single emergency number — 112 — in your phone, along with your pediatrician’s contacts and the clinic’s address. Three lines that, in a critical moment, save what matters most — time.
The first week: order of actions
- keep the child’s medical documents at hand, not in boxes with belongings;
- choose a pediatrician and book an initial appointment — without putting it off;
- find the nearest pharmacy and check its opening hours;
- save 112 and the clinic’s contacts in both parents’ phones.
Sea, sun and water
Introduce the child to the sea and sun gradually: the first swims short, sun in the morning and evening hours, sun protection a must. Weather-appropriate clothing, a hat and drinking water along are simple measures that make outings safer. Questions about drinking water and sea bathing for a little one are convenient to discuss with the pediatrician at the first visit — the doctor will take the child’s age and condition into account.