An interview with an expat mom Having a baby is one of the biggest and most rewarding decisions anyone can make. But delivering in a foreign country can also be daunting. Many expat moms-to-be wonder, “Should I go back to my home country or should I deliver here?” We caught up with Brittany, an expat mom in Shanghai, to hear about her experience choosing a hospital as a first-time mom in China. She delivered her baby boy, Travis, at Jiahui International Hospital last month. This was your first pregnancy. Did you have any concerns about delivering in China? My prenatal care was done at a public hospital and then I switched to an international hospital for the delivery. I made the switch because communication is so important. At the public hospital it became quite stressful because my doctor didn’t speak English and the nurses needed to translate everything. There were…
Jacquelyn introduces to the world her 5th daughter. This was her 4th child born in China and she explains what the experience was like. (Youtube video)
China is constantly changing and adapting to the rest of the world. However, it is important to have patience and understanding when it comes to certain medical procedures that are still new here. VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-section) is an example of one of these procedures. Here are few things you need to know if you’d like to attempt a VBAC in a Chinese hospital: Advocate for yourself and investigate which hospitals and doctors are pro-VBAC. The doctor will be the one to give the green light to the hospital, so they don’t suddenly push you towards the C-section. Be mentally ready that you won’t get much assistance during contractions. And be aware that they may not really monitor the baby during labor: in the 16 hours I was at the hospital, I only had the monitor hooked up once at the very beginning. They did mention they would monitor…
