MsElui

when ive been out and about (ie at the zoo, or the fire station open day) - ive seen stalls/displays offering medical services. Some of these have a nurse practitioner service where you know you are going to pay say $60 but walk out having had a good consultation and hopefully a prescription. Might be worth googling that kind of thing for your town/city. That way you would know your costs up front and could be prepared.

and dont worry about the age just yet - i saw it on your other post. I also had difficulty concieving around that age and was trying for a few years. Once i started to think maybe it would never happen and got less uptight about it and relaxed - i did fall pregnant and had baby number 1 at 34. We tried again afterwards and again it took a year before baby number 2 at 37. Im currently expecting number 3 at 39. (ps im not saying you are uptight - I WAS definatly uptight though, ovulation testing every month and performing to order so to speak and i dont think it did me any favours as like I say as soon as I relaxed about trying so hard it did happen.)

Rete

Also large cities often have hospitals that have clinics attached. These are set up for people who can afford to pay a sliding cost fee for services but don't have medical insurance because they can't afford it, etc.

Always worth checking into this as well.

I was 20 and pregnant when I married for the first time. We didn't have the proverbial pot and no health insurance because it would not cover pre-existing conditions and pregnancy back in those days was considered a condition. We made arrangements to pay the hospital $XX a month until paid in full and used the services of our family doctor in place of an OB-GYN to save money.

You find that the best laid plans can go awry quickly and that oft times what seems like a rough road can be traveled without breaking down the car.

islandergirl

OP how about you use some of your savings to buy yourself a little car and give yourself a bit of independence, that way you can at least escape from the house, maybe get to the doctors and once you are feeling better some part time work.

You will need a vehicle once you have a baby anyway, little blighters need quite a few medical check ups the first few months.

Homesick English Girl

I'm actually considering that to be honest. I don't have much but could perhaps get something road-worthy for around $2k - the only downside is the cost of everything else on top, such as insurance, gas, road tax etc.
I've got a bicycle, but somehow I can't imagine peddling like a woman possessed down I-35 with a baby in the basket, bwwhahahaha.
Christ, even driving on there scares the hell out of me... I'm alright just driving 2 miles down a straight road to Walmart and back, but aside from that, San Antonio is HELL to drive around.

Actually, now I've got the chance, I was wondering if anyone might be able to help me with some advice. If I got pregnant, then decided to have the baby for free in the UK, when we return to America (we'd be gone a few months only) what nationality would my baby be?
I'd like it to have dual citizenship, but I've heard that it would automatically be British and I'd have to go through the whole immigration process again, this time for the baby.
Any ideas?

Jerseygirl

What about your US GC status...if you go back to the UK for months you could loose it?

TruBrit

fyi....http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...ents-away.html

Homesick English Girl

Thanks Jerseygirl, and TruBrit....although I'm not sure how that article relates to me considering I'm 100% British, still a British citizen, paid my taxes all my working life and don't have the surname Singh.
So, can anyone actually answer my question?

NB: Jerseygirl, as long as I don't leave for longer than 6 months then no, it doesn't affect my status.

Sally Redux

Change your surname to Singh.

Jerseygirl

You are not entitled to NHS treatment because you are not a UK resident...only emergency treatment. It doesn't matter if you are British or that you've paid or still do pay taxes. If you wish to become a UK resident you can't be a US resident..you can't have it both ways.

Anyone (greencard and visa holders) can be refused admittance to the US at point of entry. Don't know where you got the 6 mth timeline from.

TruBrit

sure, you are not presently a UK resident, you chose to live in the US. the NHS is not a savings plan where you pay your taxes and then claim back later. i know it pisses me off too the way the governement hands out to all the takers. best you take out an insurance policy to safe guard yourself and the baby and or change your name to Singh.

Jerseygirl

Homesick English Girl

My immigration lawyer and the gentleman that interviewed me for my Greencard. I think they know what they're talking about.
And, um, yes you can have it both ways.
I believe it's called DUAL CITIZENSHIP.
No matter, I'll look elsewhere.

Jerseygirl

You're deluding yourself. You do not have dual citizenship...even if you had you are a US PR and as such you are not entitled to use the NHS.

Kate2112

You know the more I read, the more convinced I am that the title of this thread was not an exaggeration.

Erica P

Jerseygirl/TruBrit

I am just going to piggy back on this thread to turn it into something useful!

You both have me worried now (don't worry i'm not going back to the UK just to have a baby). We are Canadian PR's and have been for six months. We intend to move back to the UK next year - does that mean we will not be UK residents immediatey upon landing? We have only just decided to move back within the last couple of weeks and residency status of the UK hadn't even occured to me as an issue.