₦airaland Forum

LOL

Freshface: Dserious congrats on dat POE story! I tap into it! But mehn 37wks! Mbanu! I can't try dat sh*t mehn! U be real gangster!

Ore mi @MerryMom, how is your wkend? Same here @ first timer, though I plan to go at 36 weeks so I can maximize my 3 months leave . Also trying to figure out the timings especially when to fly back with baby so that I have enough time to settle in back home before work starts. God dey.

MerryMom: Lovely POE story. Flying @37 weeks, that's gangstar! Lol
I plan to fly at 34 weeks tho. I understand baby can come anytime from 36 weeks. I be first timer and still naive about dates, timings, what to expect e.t.c

@dserious Thanks very much for this detailed account, and thank God you had a great journey. Please I have one question - did the airline give you any stress with regards to the fact that you were 37 weeks? How did you go about it?

dserious: ohk, so i arrived the U.S yesterday with my big belle (im 37 weeks). I thank God for grace; and u nairalanders, cos i applied all d tips i received here. My interestingly favored POE story goes (its long sha cos im giving every detail).....

@ gold crested birth certificate...

nefertitiram: Cedar Sinai ke? Chineke! Christina Aguilera gave birth there this month. I think Kim K gave birth there too, I also think that was where Madonna gave birth, who else sef? Kerry Washington etc.

Uncle abeg, I know Nairaland is an anonymous forum, I can bet that you are Don Jazzy or a superstar too. Abeg, consider El Paso and send the balance $10k to move my ministry forward. 21 thousand gini Will the birth certificate be gold crested?

@olamuah maybe if you post your interview transcript, the gurus in the house may be able to advise you better on possible reasons for your refusal and advise on what you need to do different in your next application.

olamuah: Thanks for ur advice so far, really appreciate. Kipping my fingers crossed, hoping on God.Not even sure our denial was cos of dat, some said they might be thinking we want to run since it was all d family and haven't travelled before, but whatever will kip u posted.thnks

@MerryMom O da mi o binu

It's just that I was trying to do my own bit and help since I've gained soo much from this thread. As I am not a guru, I should have not joined responses to 2 different posters in 1 response, I suppose it could have been confusing but now I have learnt

Once again please always tell VO the truth o for those yet to apply and go for interview. I cannot imagine anyone being turned back at POE because they did not tell the truth, that's just horrible.

MerryMom: @Genomi, I am not talking to you o. I am encouraging those that are yet to fill their own DS-I60 forms to come out straight because it's almost even easier to get the visa that way. So if you feel insulted, I am not responsible.

I have heard about 5 pregnant women who concealed their intentions turned back at POE because of that, imagine the stress. These people won't tell you the real reason why they were turned back but you will see some testimonials in previous nairaland pages (unfortunately, some data got wiped out). All the border officer will do is simply look at your visa application date, ask for your documents showing EDD, look at your interview transcripts, calculate it backwards and if it falls within when it's obvious one is preggys, we all know the answer.

Again, for the benefit of those that are yet to fill their forms, chose "B2", in the organization where you will visit, you can easily fill in your US hospital details there with their address, phone numbers e.t.c . That way, when you get to POE, whether Houston, Atlanta or Ajegunle , the broder officer won't stress you much or turn you back cause you concealed information which they view as premeditated falsely under "Vacation" when you were applied.

Biko, I'm not talking to those that have done their thing their way o, I'm not in the business of accusing people. Ema binu

@MerryMom I really think you should read posts thorougly before you make accusatory comments, it comes across as very insulting. If you read @Tvegas's comments,a nd the portion I highlighted, you would not have come here and said whoever is reading the thread should not lie. For your benefit, I will paste Tvegas's comment again below and highlight the portion that answers you - you can declare you are going for medicals through the type of visa you select, but like Tvegas pointed out, you cannot type 'Child Birth' anywhere in the form and medical can mean a whole bunch of things.

The DS160 does not even give you any direct means to declare childbirth,what you find there is medical/tourism and that medical can be for eye,nose,leg etc treatment. That is why,its the duty of every applicant to declare upfront and damn the consequence.

Now I was talking about Dropbox (@virgymaria had asked), which does not give a chance for further explanation, hence my advice that she should send the embassy an e-mail declaring her actual intentions just like I did in case of those posters asking about how to go about declaring childbirth intentions through Dropbox.

As for the other poster, please see my response to her below:

@olamuah Please if you are going to re-apply, tell the truth to the VO and you may stand a chance.

MerryMom: Please and please, whoever is reading this thread, I beg you, do not lie, do not pretend "there is no where to declare your birth intentions". That is why there is "B2" which clearly states Medical/Tourism.

Not trying to sound upright but we cannot continue to uphold our leaders to a certain level of criticism in Nigeria when we normal citizens are willing to lie for little things (or big things in this case). The onus is on everyone of us to tell the truth and let the VO decide to issue the visa or not based on eligibility. Truth is, whether you lie or not, VO will decide the eligibility before issuing visa so why lie to create loads of problems for yourself and other family members in future?

Sorry about the rant but I just had to also drum it here that we do not need to lie to get to the top in life. Ese gan, nagode

Tvegas: Madam if truly you've been following this thread,you will see that some consequences often accompany lying, chief of them is a 10 year ban for misrepresentation or cancelling an already issued Visa for same reason. The VO has most likely noted the false answer on your record,you can read my transcript as an example. Also,Doctores parati cannot resolve the inconsistency on your record as they also beg their patient to always say the truth at every point. Left to me, i will drop the idea for now as you've made the issue difficult but nothing is impossible so you may still go ahead.
Malory I appreciate your willingness to advice the OP but consider this fact. Do you know that a lot of NIV applicants who are repeatedly denied US visas are under the 10 year ban for misrepresentation but its not the VO's responsibility to tell them hence they keep burning their hard earn cash via several applications?. Poster can try her luck but its an obvious risk someone like me wont take. The DS160 does not even give you any direct means to declare childbirth,what you find there is medical/tourism and that medical can be for eye,nose,leg etc treatment. That is why,its the duty of every applicant to declare upfront and damn the consequence.

That was what I was trying to explain, the form does not give you a means to declare childbirth which is why I sent them an email after obtaining my visa through drop-box.

@olamuah Please if you are going to re-apply, tell the truth to the VO and you may stand a chance.

Hi @virgymaria - I was in the same boat as you. I went ahead and renewed my visa through drop-box, thought there was nowhere to actually type that my purpose was for childbirth. What I did after getting the visa was to send an e-mail to the embassy stating my intention to go and give birth.

virgymaria: Hello Everyone, I trust you all are having a great day.

I am really sorry nefertitiram for your loss. May God wipe away your tears and that of your husband and give you both the grace to bear this loss. Amen.

Please house your assistance is urgently required. I am presently pregnant and I intend renewing my US (B1/B2) visa via dropbox so that I can give birth in the US. My visa will be expiring at the end of January 2015 and I intended travelling by the beginning of January and staying till end of March. I want to know what to write as the reason for travelling. A lot of people have suggested that I write "going on vacation" since I might not be called for an interview but following this topic on nairaland has enlightened me on the dangers of that. Please what do you suggest I write as the reason for travelling. Can writing travelling for Childbirth while applying for a B1/B2 visa deprive me from getting the visa?

Thanks guys.

Hello mamas,

Please has anyone used United Airlines? What was your experience? I would like to use them to Atlanta as they currently have the lowest price at N231k

@nefertitiram I'm deeply sorry to hear about this, soo painful even though I don't know you personally. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Please try to be strong and stay positive, God will surely surprise you. *hugs*

sayoberry: thank you very much. sent the mail already.
making the fifth hospital. I just have to find a price fit for my pocket

I pray you find one soon, let's see what they say.

Hi @sayoberry, please send an email to pricequote@gwinnettmedicalcenter.org. You can also copy contactus@gwinnettmedicalcenter.org

Chei, this MIHS matter, diaris God o . To add my 2 cents, I think what @Flowers is trying to say is, we should all still put in the effort to do our own research. But lets wait and see and hope the increase is not too much.

Anyway are there any Atlanta bound mamas on this forum? I will be travelling first week in December and was wondering if there's anyone else going around the same time. I will be using Gwinnett

Tvegas: Who no like affordable healthcare?. My friend was billed $25k when she had her first child in New York, so she jumped at the Phoenix offer as soon as she read it here. . I agree with you that the task of searching for good alternatives is a must for us all on this thread.

LOOOLL..Infact ehn, the whole Phoenix thing sounded too good to be true when I first read about it on this thread, it is a real heaven sent package

@ Merrymom sorry jare I was thinking El Paso, and was trying to say the same thing may happen to Phoenix people. We should sha try to diversify before anyone starts raising eyebrows

@Tvegas Ah I'm not sure if Phoenix going viral is a good thing, remember what some people said about VO's reactions to El Paso bound peeps last week. The same might happen to Phoenix bound peeps and might also be one of the reasons MIHS is reviewing costs. What I'm saying is I really think we should start exploring other cost effective options o.

Yup, it's more about cash flow than the actual balance.

dinawe: Actually, it's never about the current sum in your account, it is more about the cash flow (frequent inflow and outflow of cash). I can't say exactly how much but make sure the statement shows that you can pay your bills without stress.

I wish you all the best!

Hi @chinwe11, I really don't think you will have any issues renewing via Drop-box, which is what I did.

As long as you settled all your bills fully (which I'm sure you did since you already went to the US again AFTER you gave birth and were not prevented from entering).

If they require any further information from you then I am sure they will contact you, but I doubt it.

I didn't have to submit any documents for the Drop-box renewal and got my passport back after about a week and a half.

Ok we are back to normal

Ah ahn but why are there only 2 posts per page? Almost 2,000 pages

@Phema oooo then you are probably right o, I think the rest of us were referring to the first scenario you painted. I guess that's why we are all here to learn

Phema: I think we are getting these things mixed up. If your final destination is Dubai and the airline you are using transits in even 3 countries, you won't be asked to come get your bags, till you get to Dubai. But if the airline transits in your country of destination, even if it's not your final destination, that place becomes your POE and you have to get your bags and recheck in for the final leg.

For instance; if one is going to Houston with Delta. The passenger's POE becomes Atlanta and you have to get your bags and recheck in for the final Atlanta - Houston leg.

That is my understanding.

@dsyant, Thanks very much. More light being shed on the issue, I'm truly grateful

dsaynt: Depends on your baby and how much you can afford to buy and ship.
An average baby uses like 10-12 diapers when they are newborn (so for that buy newborn sizes).
The older they get the lesser number they would use. But a rule of thumb is 10-12 a day in the first 2 months and 8/day in the next 3 to 5 months.
But it depends on the baby and if the baby is fed breast milk or formula. Breast milk means more diaper changes. Lol

When in doubt go to WhatToExpect.com they have a lot of useful insights. I recommend the site for all new moms

@twizzie, thanks soo much, at least now I have a sense of direction . I will buy more of the diapers as suggested, you know I'm a JJC as this is my 1st

twizzie: For diapers, you can buy as many as you can.. just buy varying sizes depending on your baby's size...From newborn to sizes 1,2,3,4 and 5..More of 3 and 4 tho.. It's quite economical. I had an extra bag full of diaper from the UK tho I didn't birth my child there and it was worth it.. For food, I would advise you not to buy so much.. They can only take formulas for the first 6 months anyways and other cereals after six months which your baby might not just like.(Talking from experience)
There are lots of stores in Nigeria that you can get baby food rather than storing them down in the house.. I really don't have an idea as to shipping but I am hopeful someone will.

From my experience travelling internationally , @dsaynt is right. If you buy your ticket all the way with one airline, the airline will route your luggage all the way to your final destination automatically without you having to do anything i.e. pickup at one point and check-in again.

Phema: Eeerrrmmmm, are you very sure about this? I thought one will have to pick her bags at the POE, not necessarily one's last destination. So, if Atlanta is the POE of that airline, you will have to pick your bags and check in again to get to your final destination. Remember its at the POE your bags are scrutinised for foodstuff and other things before getting stamped in.

Please all new mommas in the house, will you be shipping baby items like food and diapers back to Nigeria?

If so, please what quantities should one be looking at? For example, how does one know how many packs of diapers to get and also what sizes? PLEASE HELP OO!! I'm confused.

@Jaejae Ah, lol - I'm really crap at negotiating too o, but I will still try

You guys with friends and family are quite lucky, accommodation is not cheap o

Jaejae: @GenoMI , I did ask dr Oduro about price reduction et al and he was like bla!bla! That the 2150 usd was his lower margin that ideally he charges 2500usd .....but you should still ask perhaps I no just sabi haggle well ni . And his nurse did mention also that payment should be on or before one is 37weeks gone.
As for accommodation; I can't really help out as I'm staying with a friend also.

@ogonnan Thanks, I have already found a couple of options in terms of accommodation. Yes according to what I'm learning, you can still negotiate down o. I'm just waiting for advice from oyinkay123 on how best to go about negotiating Dr. Soyoola's costs

@mimibe Yes o you need to negotiate with Gwinnett for the hospital bill, my friend only paid $2,100 after negotiating with them.

Ok I have just sent you a response, you should get that in your inbox also and you can just click reply

oyinkay123: i got notification that i have an email from you, cant see any email. i'm new here

I sent you a private e-mail via nairaland, please check your email inbox so we can talk further. Maybe your sis can give advice through you on how to negotiate Dr Soyoola's costs

oyinkay123: i got same email too. my sister that lives in lawrenceville saw Dr Soyoola and he said $1800 how did you reach the doctors?

oyinkay123: i got same email too. my sister that lives in lawrenceville saw Dr Soyoola and he said $1800 how did you reach the doctors?

Ahhh. I got his phone number from my friend who used him and that was how I called. Hmm that means I should request for discount o LOL. I guess you don't have to stress about accommodation since you have a sister there. I am still carrying out my research on that trying to find a cost effective option.

oyinkay123: THANK YOU. PLEASE, WHICH DOCTOR ARE YOU USING? AND HOW MUCH IS SHE/HE CHARGING? DID YOU ALSO GET A DISCOUNT FROM THE HOSPITAL?

I haven't decided on Dr. yet but its between Dr Oduro ($2,150 I believe) and Dr Soyoola ($2,675). I got the following email from Gwinnett:

As a courtesy to our self pay patients, we are offer discounts toward services provided by Gwinnett Hospital System.
Normal Vaginal delivery estimated charges for a two day stay can be from $4,000.00 to $6,000.00.
C-Section estimated charge is $10,000 to $12,000.00. Estimate includes baby’s nursery charges, estimated cost for baby’s nursery charges can be $1,000 - $1,500.

If you are uninsured, You will receive a 40% discount for services if paid before the first 30 days. A 30% discount if paid before 60 days, and a 20% discount if paid before 90 days. If you are unable to take advantage of discounts, you can make payment arrangements in our Patient Accounts Department.

Anesthesiologists will bill you separately and they have flat rates if paid up front, you can call directly to: American Anesthesiology # is 866-507-5244.Referral line for OB-Gyn Doctors is 678-312-5000. Doctors have different care packages for prenatal care.