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 is sitting in style at the hospital as she’s hooked up to a fetal monitor. (Youtube video)
This post originally appeared on wwambam.com and is reposted with permission by the author, Felicity Miller. Going into premature labour is a very stressful situation to find yourself in. However, there are ways to increase your chance of having a positive experience. Do your homework early. I can’t emphasis this point enough. Find out the resuscitation cutoff dates in the different local hospitals. They may be different. The hospital I was in (2011) was over 28 weeks and over 1,000g. My baby was born on the morning of 28 weeks and weighed 1,000g exactly! If you go into premature labour at 25 weeks, you do not want to turn up at a hospital that will count the birth as a miscarriage. This first decision is important. If a lady has a placenta abruption while alone in the middle of Shanghai she needs to know where she wants to go. Read…
