Nylon

We're moving back to NY next week and I'll be in my 34 week. I would never give birth in the U.S. without insurance!! Although here, I have a private doctor and BUPA only paid up to a certain amount within a certain time period. Once we hit that cap we had to pay for all our prenatal care here in London. So basically it was the same.

You MUST have insurance in the U.S. when giving birth. There's no doubt about it. My husband insurance pays for everything except the $20 co-pay we will have to pay when that time comes in about 6 weeks or so.

Our first pregnancy was a nightmare. I unfortunately had complications, had M/C'ed and was adamant about going home to my own OBGYN at the time to heal me up and paid some where around $12K after everything was said an done (not including the airfare to get back to the states). But the main thing was and most important to me and my husband was that, I was COMFORTABLE in my own country, back home with my doctor whom I had been with for over 15 yrs.

If you can handle being away from your husband and giving birth without him around and would feel more comfortable at home than in the U.S. do it for your peace of mind. It's worth every penny of it. Like my husband says, it's only money. Your health, the baby's health, and mental well-being are priceless.

Best of luck to you. I'm sure all will work out.

FlyergirlUK

Who're ya flying with?

Nylon

Unfortunately Delta. We usually fly nothing but BA but unfortunately the prices were outlandish. BA's tickets were more for a return ticket than a one-way! Iimagine that? BA's prices changed dramatically from June to July. So we had to bite the bullet and fly an American carrier.

There are no flight restrictions with Delta (domestic or internationally). But why any women would want to fly at 38 weeks is beyond me. BA you can fly up to the end of 36 weeks (in a normal) pregnancy with a doctor's note.

FlyergirlUK

Not so unfortunate, really, as BA are right jobsworths when it comes to flying when you're that far along in your pregnancy - I had a bit of a nightmarish time when I was coming back from the UK at 31 weeks and had to spend a small fortune getting a doctor's note that would satisfy them, (and after all that, they never even bloody looked at it)!!

Have a safe trip.

Nylon

Really. I just recently flew on BA a couple of weeks ago and was treated with kid gloves. I was even bumped up because I was pregnant. Guess it depends what mood the flight attendants are in that day.

FlyergirlUK

Wasn't the flight attendants though - they were their usual great selves - this was at check-in.

I got upgraded too but that wasn't the point - I could've done that myself with the money I had to spend out to get on the flight. Thinking about it, the cost of getting that doc's note could've upped me to first class!
Then Hubby had to do extra mileage to come pick me up from the airport cos I ended up having to fly to Dulles instead of BWI.

ladylisa

Well great news I had a call yesterday from my brother in the UK to say that his wife had just given birth to a baby boy would you believe it a July 4th baby. She had him in a 'birthing unit' in Cornwall. He was telling me that its basically a small clinic that is set up solely for women to go and give birth, each woman has her own suite which includes a bed, and pool, bean bags etc. so she basically decides where and how she wants to have the baby. Each suite also has a separate kitchen area and bedroom for relatives....how cool is that. She had 2 midwives with her throughout. She had a trouble free birth at 7.00pm and by 11.00pm was home phoning all the family..she is over the moon with the whole experience. And guess what its all free c/o the NHS.

FlyergirlUK

Many congrats to the happy parents!

Whereabouts in Cornwall?

sam65

Don't get pregnanat here without health insurance unless you have a lot of money in the bank.....I had a really easy straight forward pregnancy...an edpidual my main cost....total for prenatal care, two nights in the hospital.....all the usual tests etc was a little short of $15,000....luckily I had health insurance so only had to pay a tenth of that...but even that's a pain when you have so much to buy ready for baby's arrival!! Care here is MUCH better....but yep..it costs quite a bit!!!

Nylon

What's the saying? You get what you pay for?

Wintersong

IS the care any better? I was under the impression that you didn't get as many pre-natal checks over here as you do in the UK and that you don't get the kind of post partum service that you do in the UK. Add to that the fact that if I have a son they will try to convince me that mutilating him at birth is a good idea and I know where I'd rather give birth.

I can't believe the amount of money that people are quoting here - and this is WITH insurance!! Christ almighty, it's supposed to be a "civilised" country. God help anyone who can't afford health insurance, that's all I can say.

commoner

I'm going into my 31st week of pregnancy soon and so far the care I have received in West Sussex has far exceeded my expectations.

My midwife is great, although I briefly had to get used to the idea of having a midwife, and my Parent Craft classes begin tomorrow.

I probably will never give birth in the US, but from what I have read and heard from other Americans, I prefer the method of care used in the UK. I love the pink medical folder and being able to flip through your information whenever you want. I love not feeling like the clinic isn't putting me through a battery of unnecessary tests. Pregnancy seems to be treated more like a natural process here instead of an abnormal condition.

If anyone here has given birth in both countries, it would be worth hearing from you.

FlyergirlUK

I have and, though everyone here was nice enough during all the ante-natal appointments I missed being able to just walk down the road and visit the midwife for a check-up.
I preferred giving birth in the UK as well despite being on a ward with other new mums and their babies afterwards, (as opposed to having my own room over here).
The whole thing was more relaxed over there from start to finish, as opposed to here.
I also felt that the whole process had more of a business-like air about it here.

The whole after care in the UK was top notch compared to here. Sure, you can pay someone like a doula or a nurse who specialises in post natal care but no-one actually comes over to check on you here.
You can't just stroll into your nearest clinic and get your lil one weighed every week, chat with a nurse and buy formula cheap here.
You have to choose your child's paediatrician - you can't just take them along to your family doc unless, of course, he happens to be a paediatrician also. Then you have to pay for each visit - it doesn't matter how long you're there for, ($20 co-pay each time my lil man has a well-baby visit)!

There's probably more but the lil guy's after the keyboard...

ladylisa

My brother lives in Helston but I'm not sure if the clinic was in Helston or Falmouth? I know it was a short drive from their home.

ladylisa

I haven't had a baby myself but I cant agree that care is better here. Every one I know that has had a baby in England has had home visits by their midwife before and after giving birth. I've never heard of that here. The level of care by the wid wives is second to none.

I also know many women in the UK that have have stayed on a ward in the hospital and have made friends with the other woman and continued their friendships after. This is especially important for some women as it stops them feeling so isolated having other mothers around for social visits. My friend in particular is now best friends with a girl who she shared a ward with and their children have grown up together.