Should I have the baby in HK or Canada?

[MeowMeow]

i'm pregnant with my 1st and have been debating whether to have the baby here in HK or back home in US (los angeles).

it'd be great to have family & friends (esp. mom) to take care of me afterwards but then my husband wouldn't be able to stay for a long time. he would most likely take a 2-wk vacation, if that, and have to fly back to HK for work.

i've heard of many expats going back home to have their baby. for those, was it difficult? how old before the baby can travel and you can return home to HK? how about all the baby stuff?

I delivered my DD in LA and I can tell you good for the help we get from mom and friends, but felt lonely when hubby was to able to be there. Same as your situation, hubby can only stay for limited time. I brought my DD back to HK when she was 2 months old, great flight with feed - sleep - feed. She loved the plane, I guess at that age all they do is feed & sleep. About the baby stuff, you'll have to get new ones like bottle sterializer, baby monitor, and etc. due to different voltage.

My DS was delivered here in HK last year and it was a really good experience here. If you're interested, PM me i can tell you the differences and also about baby's US citizenship.

Good Luck

 

[jaz1311]

hi

hi

i m not sure if u hv make yr decision. my only advise is if you are not a canadian resident then I really do not think Canada is a good place due to their medical system.

I just came back from Canada late last month and I am giving birth in HK in Nov 08. My hubby is still in canada but he will be back to HK on time for the birth of the baby.

Hope it helps.

 

[mummymoo]

Also you need to work out your insurance status as you may not be entitled to give birth in the public and your private insurance may have a waiting period, and private births here are very expensive compared to Australia.
Also most obs and gyn recommend no flying after 34-35 weeks.
Many things to think about and weigh up.

 

[MLBW]

In Favor of Birthing "Back Home"

I'd be interested to know how people manage having the baby back home.
How do you time having the baby with making sure you're husband is there? (afterall you can't predict the exact date they arrive...)

Also most airlines won't let you fly after 35 weeks and although having family and friends there I'd be pretty miserable without my hubby.

This is an old post but I thought I'd reply.

I did exactly that--went back to the States to give birth. It's not easy but I wouldn't have done it differently. I would never give birth in Hong Kong if I could help it.

I flew at 29 weeks and my tummy barely fit behind the lap tray. It was a really miserable flight and my legs swelled up really bad. I was apart from my husband for about 10 weeks. He got a few weeks off from work and arrived two weeks before the due date. It worked well as I went into labor naturally on my due date and gave birth 43 hours later .

It was not the easiest way to do things--but the quality of care that I received and the options I had for birthing were that which I couldn't find in Hong Kong.

My husband is a local Hong Kong person so I guess even though I'm an expat, we don't really live the typical expat lifestyle that I've noticed here--husbands having really good-paying jobs with benefits--living in the heart of the city--that sort of thing.

So, for us to give birth in a private hospital and have to pay the fee upfront would be an impossibility. In the States we had payment options.

And as we were fully committed to and prepared for natural childbirth with the husband present we couldn't very well go through the public system either.

Home births aren't an option in Hong Kong and as it turns out, I ended up losing a lot of blood so it's a good thing I was in a hospital.

Also, with it being my first child, it was great to have my mother, whom I'm close with, there to help out.

No, it wasn't easy but if I had it to do over again--even with all the crazy travel, I would.

 

[capital]

hi

i m not sure if u hv make yr decision. my only advise is if you are not a canadian resident then I really do not think Canada is a good place due to their medical system.

I just came back from Canada late last month and I am giving birth in HK in Nov 08. My hubby is still in canada but he will be back to HK on time for the birth of the baby.

Hope it helps.

Canada is not good because of their medical system? This is a bizarre statement. In canada you do not have to book a room in advance, you never have no worry that you won't have a hospital to dlever in, as they cannot refuse you. The baby stays in the room with you, you husband can stay with you in labor and overnight after baby is born, you labor in a private room. lots of newer hosptils or renovated hospitals will have all private postpartum rooms as well. It is free, safe, and clean. You can pay for a home birth if you want to. It is pretty fantastic to a lot of the stories I read about on here. of course if you are not Canadian or a landed immigrant they you should have medical insurance, as you will have to pay.

As too the original poster, I can see ins pite of how good the system is hear, logistaiclly it would be difficult to go back to canada to have the baby. what did you decide to do?

 

[jaz1311]

Canada is not good because of their medical system? This is a bizarre statement. In canada you do not have to book a room in advance, you never have no worry that you won't have a hospital to dlever in, as they cannot refuse you. The baby stays in the room with you, you husband can stay with you in labor and overnight after baby is born, you labor in a private room. lots of newer hosptils or renovated hospitals will have all private postpartum rooms as well. It is free, safe, and clean. You can pay for a home birth if you want to. It is pretty fantastic to a lot of the stories I read about on here. of course if you are not Canadian or a landed immigrant they you should have medical insurance, as you will have to pay.

As too the original poster, I can see ins pite of how good the system is hear, logistaiclly it would be difficult to go back to canada to have the baby. what did you decide to do?

I was not a landed immigrant or caanadian so I even have difficulty looking for a ob who is willing to look after a new patient who is willing to pay cash though i do not have insurance. Unlike in HK I can have to option of going private.

My husvband is canadian and I am not cos my country of origin do not allow dual citizenship and I am not willing to give up my original citizenship.

 

[capital]

I guess it is a great system for those who have access to it then. What did you end up doing? Did you have to go back home to have your baby?

 

[jaz1311]

hi capital

you are right. The system is great in Canada for those who have access to it.

I am now in HK and waiting for my boy to arrive in Nov 2008. Mu hubby is still in Canada due to work commitment and will be back on time for our boy arrival

Thank you.

PS. Only problem was because I only return to HK on 29 Jul and I am suppose to have a c-section on 12 Nov so it was quite really worrying initially when there was no maternity rooms available in the hospital. But now I finally got a confirmation and everything is settled.