Intercultural reactions

So, telling people at work now. I have quite a mixed international group of colleagues, and noticed that my German colleagues in particular had a bit of a different reaction than my other colleagues. Here is the typical exchange of words after I've shared our news:

With English, Swedish, Dutch and American colleagues:

1. The normal congratulary noises, maybe some advice stuck in there, maybe some anecdote about their children or something like that.
2. Then, back to business - questions along the line of "When are you due?" When are you planning to go on maternity leave", "Who will cover for you" and "When will you be back?"

- For the Swedish reaction add something along the lines of "Are you on a UK contract or a Swedish contract?" and when they find out I am on a UK contract "Oh dear... how long maternity leave do you get?" and then always very surprised that I get 9-12 months.... Swedes always assuming it is much worse in the UK than Sweden (which it is in some ways which I need to blog about at a later date, but not in others and never as bad as we tend to think...)

With my German colleagues:

1. As the above, exactly the same
2. "So, when are you leaving us"?

??? Not a word about coming back... after some quiet time I then add "...but I am coming back"... and they react with mild surprise at this, and maybe something like "so, there is good child care in the UK?" with a slightly surprised voice. A female German colleague even shared with me that she and her boyfriend are planning to move to the US when she gets pregnant as "this bloody country just don't get the working mum thing".

Ok - so I think I work with very conservative Germans and of course there are different options in Germany too, but can't help but wonder whatever happened after the reunion with DDR? Did nothing of the equality from the East drip into the West?

Final note: It is not that I disagree with women choosing to stop working to be stay at home mums, quite the contrary, it is beautiful - IF and WHEN this was their choice. As it is equally great when dads choose to do the same, as well as when couples choose to organize other help as they are both working. Every way works as long as you love and care for your family. I am just against not offering choices to people that is all.

Anyways, I am very glad to live in a country/city where choice is ripe and people tend to find their own ways that suit their lifes the best!