I never thought I would be one of those women to have their babies in America. For as long as I can remember, I always thought the stress would be way too much for me! I couldn’t imagine giving birth in a strange land, far away from doting family and friends. So, for me, it wasn’t even a consideration.

But when I got pregnant, everything changed. My husband wouldn’t hear otherwise. He wasn’t convinced about the quality of healthcare in our country, and wasn’t prepared to take any chances. Another consideration for him were the diplomatic privileges we would be giving our children, through the dual citizenship.

It took forever to convince me to go. I loved (I still do even) my doctor here, and not only was I convinced I would be in the safest of hands with him, it broke my heart that he wouldn’t be the one to deliver these kids he had assisted God to give me. But in the end, I bowed to pressure and travelled, and gave birth to the girls in the U.S.

Whilst I have no regrets, if I were to be pregnant again, I’m not sure if I would do it again. Asides the diplomatic advantage, I still have 100% quality in healthcare here, as long as you choose the right doctor.

But for those who still want to take the plunge, here are some important things you need to know!

1. You need to ask yourself if you can afford it!

Yes, yes, everybody around you is travelling to America to give birth. Good for them! You also want to follow suit? No wahala. But before you take this all-important decision, have you run yourself through a very important reality check? Does your bank reflect enough that can pay for the procedure, as well as upkeep for you and the baby? As a general rule of thumb, the amount you should probably be thinking of is at least $10,000.

If the answer to the questions above is No, my dear, please gently find yourself a good hospital here, and get that dream out of your head. Do not let anybody deceive you about going to America, only to take advantage of their Medicaid to get the benefits of giving birth for free!!!! Yes alright, if you apply for it, chances are that you will get it, and yes, you will have your baby for free. But as you are leaving America with that baby, take a gooooood look at the place, because that is the last time you will ever see that country. Taking advantage in their medical system will ensure that you are never approved for any subsequent visas. So…word to the wise. Don’t do it!!!!

2. Have a Good Idea of what the Cost really is!

Depending on the nature of procedure you have, here is what you can expect to spend

Vaginal Birth (Birth Center, not Hospital) = $3,000
Vaginal Birth (Hospital, no complications) = $10,000
Vaginal Birth (Hospital, with complications) = $13,000
Caesarian Section (Hospital, no complications) = $15,000
Caesarian Section (Hospital, with complications) = $23,000
It is important to note that these numbers are for Singleton births. For delivery of multiples (twins, triplets, etc.), you can expect to pay more than this.

Some of you may be saying “Ha! This is not what they told me oh! I was told it was cheaper!”

Whilst it is true that a lot of states are cheaper than others, and a lot of hospitals give discounts for people who pay early, or people who pay in cash, which could considerably slash these prices by as much as half, you absolutely must not use this as the basis of your computation. Always be prepared for the worst case scenario! If you get a heavy discount, awesome! It means you have more money for the baby!

3. Decide what State you will be going to

If you have friends or family (personally, I prefer family) in a particular state, be sure to confirm that they are willing to take you on. Hosting a pregnant woman isn’t easy, and adding a baby to the mix makes it even harder. Be sure that they are happy to take responsibility for you, assist you with transportation to your doctor’s appointments, or to the shops to purchase essential items, or to the hospital on D-Day. You yourself should also have enough money to take care of your needs, help out with groceries, and generally chip in, so that you are not too much of a weight on them. A reasonable amount to work with is about $500 a month. Note that this assumes that you are no longer doing any baby shopping, and are not paying rent or utilities. This is just the most basic amount for you to get by!

If your options are open, and you are considering the most economical place to have your baby, then you have a bit more flexibility. Here is some information about the States and pricing that could be of interest to you:

More: https://hi247.com.ng/2018/07/23/giving-birth-in-america-13-things-you-need-to-know/

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