Are you worried about BA or immigration? BA is very okay, you shouldnt experience any issues. As for immigration, pray for favour, my sister came to Dallas a week ago and had a very smooth entry unlike my rough experience at Chicago.

omofred: HELLO please i intend to travel with BA to dallas by Gods grace early next month i want to know if i would have a problem with BA i am only using them coz when i have given birth i intend to spend a few days in uk b4 i return to naija ,pls help me me because i am due in january but at the embassy i was not asked if i was pregnant please i need ideas as i am worried

hardeymijuh:

Congrats Mrs Bee,
May God bless Nathan and your family....We all shall share our good news IJN

Awwww congrats darling!!!! Thank God for safe delivery!

bolanleife: Hello @Mousepad I see you mentioned birth center now. If you don't mind my asking what's the name of the birth center you are using and what are their charges like?

Is this your first baby?

Hi I'm just seeing this. I'm using Family Birth Services in Grand Prairie Tx. This isnt my first baby..google them every info u need is right on their website.

fabulousmom:

@Mousepad,
My husband printed out the form DS-3053 from www.travel.state.gov and signed it the night he printed it out. The next day, he took it to a notary public in nigeria and the notary public signed it with that date (which happened to be a day after my husband signed). My husband didn't notice this error until after he had sent it.

To answer your second question, yes, it was a notary public (a lawyer) in nigeria that signed it. It wasn't notarized at the american embassy in nigeria.

How I expedited the birth certificate- I visited www.vitalchek.com and supplied details on the birth certificate (my son's names, my name, his father's name, the date of birth, the hospital of birth, etc). After that, I had to fax a copy of my identity card (passport data page) to their fax number, before my order of the birth certificate was completed. I faxed it at the reception of intown suites for free. The birth certificate cost $23 (I think- can't remember well again). Vitalchek charged a service fee of $10, and I paid for courier delivery (Fedex) $10. So I spent a total of $51 on the birth certificate. It was delivered to the reception at intown suites, and the receptionist called me to inform me that I had a parcel. I went down to the reception to get it. That's all.
My son got HepB vaccine at birth, and it was already included in the hospital bills. I didn't have to pay extra for it. He was supposed to get another one when he was one month, two weeks old, but I was already on my way to nigeria at that time, so he got his next vaccine in nigeria. The pediatrician charged $210 for coming to check my child's welfare when I was still in the hospital after giving birth. I took him for another check up with his doctor when he was two weeks old, and the pediatrician charged $69 for that check-up.

@tteam,

You made me laugh so much when you said you had to carry pen and paper to jot down all that I had written. Yes, I traveled from el paso to washington DC just for the passport o, and I had to stay for three days after the appointment before I went back to el paso. It'll be easier to apply for nigerian passport only if you intend leaving el paso for either new york, atlanta, maryland or washington or surrounding cities after you receive your child's birth certificate and social security number. If you do not have this plan or intention, I think it'll just be better to wait till you receive your baby's US passport and then apply for a nigerian visa for your baby.

Is there any other question? Please delight me with all your questions. I'll try to answer them all to the best of my ability.

Thanks! Thanks!! Thanks!!! my birth centre is filing the certificate for me, so I guess I'll tell them to do the needful and pay them extra for it...

starpower71:


The VitalChek information along with other pertinent information regarding delivering a baby in the US as a tourist is all included at doctoresparati.com website. As someone already mentioned, its top quality service at a discount and it is intended for international patients. The city is great and prices are very low compared to other places. If it were only the service at the normal rate (top rated doctor and hospital) close to $11k it would still be worth it, but they offer it for under $5500... Thats a deal with top quality service (what I wanted for my baby and myself, since I dont plan to gamble with my health) ...you cant beat that anywhere (now Im starting to sound like their marketing agent!) in anycase, one need only look for another specialized maternity service exclusively for tourists to confirm this... there arent any.

Hi Starpower! Thanks for the info...I'm in Dallas so not using doctorsesparati.....my questions are actually meant for Fabulousmum but thanks for your kind attempt at answering

fabulousmom:

@all,

Document processing took two weeks for me. It would have been shorter though, if I had known some things before I went to el paso. I went to el paso blind, as there was no one to guide me through at the time I went.

The birth certificate was supposed to arrive 2-3 weeks after the birth of my child, but I expedited it with vitalchek, so I received it after 1 week exactly. I waited for the social security number too for another 1 week, before I started processing the passports. I shouldn't have waited because I realized that I could have applied for my baby's US passport without his social security number. All I should have done was to enter "0000" as the last 4 digits of his social security where it was required. I hope you all can learn from my experience.

Anyway, I picked a date for the US passport application interview at El Paso Passport Agency. My baby's passport application was not processed for 3 weeks based on some mistakes I made. First of all, the passport officer told me that my application couldn't be processed because of the absence of a notarized statement of consent. I asked my husband to print out the form DS-3053 and notarize it in nigeria and send it by courier to the passport agency. It took 3 days to get to the ageny. I assumed the processing would have begun, and I waited for 2 weeks expecting it, but I didnt get the passport. I sent an email to them, and then received a call the next day. The officer who called told me that the processing hadn't even begun because my husband signed the form a day before the notary public. (A mistake my husband regretted making). Jesus Christ! I was enraged, because I had expected they would contact me earlier, but that's a lesson for you all. Don't expect them to contact you for anything. Just keep calling and sending email messages to them to follow up your application. My husband had to send another one (the second time), and it was finally processed, ans I picked it up 2 days after.

To bring your baby back to nigeria, you need either a nigerian visa or a nigerian passport. For a nigerian visa, you need to wait to receive the US passport before you apply, because you will need to send the US passport and other required documents by mail to the nigerian embassy. For a nigerian passport, you can apply online and book an appointment as soon as you receive the birth certificate, as you need to apply in person at a nigerian embassy or consulate, either in Washington DC, new york or atlanta. I applied for a nigerian passport and I had it 3 days after my interview at the nigerian embassy in washington DC.

Please feel free to ask further questions. I'll be delighted to answer them all.

Thanks so much for sharing this!!! very helpful! I have some quick questions:

1. What do you mean your husband signed the consent form a day before the notary public? This isnt too clear to me

2. Did he go to just any notary lawyer or American Embassy in Nigeria?

3. How did you expedite the birth certificate? kindly explain the vitalcheck thingy

4. What shots did your baby get and how much did each cost? is it part of the paediatrician's fee?

Thanks!

omofred: una help me thank GOD oh my GOD is great i have just been given usa visa i went to the embassy with my big tummy and d lady did not ask me for any documents oh she asked me how much i would take on the trip and that was it i am so happy please i need surgestions on affordable hospitals in north carolina or nashvile pls email add amd numbers would help thank alot you guys realy helped me

Thank God for you o!! Did she ask about your pregnancy? Hope you told the truth....if not prepare for POE

doted:


Hello All,

just to reiterate my question.please please please, ild really appreciate suggestions for hospitals in Dallas, Texas.

thank you...

I guess I answered this before, google Dr James Schermerhorn and contact his practice.

bamakoe: Hi all,
Entrance at POE was seamless to the glory of God... POE was JFK.

OFFICER: How long are you staying?
Husband: a few months
OFFICER : Are you all returning together the same time
Husband: No I will be back earlier for work but will come back for the family later
OFFICER : Ok .....let me have your thumbprints etc....

The rest is history

I take it the pregnancy was not noticed and you didnt mention right? lucky you!

mokeju: @ Mousepad.. Whao! Thank God for everything.

House please does this mean one should select the B2 visa category while applying ?

Hey dear, typically you are given B1/B2 visa...they are not usually separated

uchetobi: @mousepad thank God for your victory o! Thats must have been distressing...try and rest....was this your first time to the us?

I think firstimers should endevour to use their visa before they go and d give birth just to clock in sha.

And if you cant, especially if you dint declare you were pregnant try not to mention it at POE. Wear big clothes and do your makeup right before you disembark so you don't look too tired and stressed out.

If you applied with your husband, try and go with him and stand behind him during questioning.


Its well

My sister it was my first time ooo! and you are right cos even my friends kept asking me to travel first before going to give birth but all na money na! Its well! I bless God for victory!

Good day house. Let me just go straight to the point, the devil fought!!!! But God gave victory!

First my flight was to Spain (5hrs) , when we arrived we waited at the airport for 6hours then flew to Chicago for 9hours. On getting to the immigration I told them I was there first for my business after which I hope to stay back and have my baby, the guy thumbprinted me and then took me inside for questioning. They told me point blank that they were sending me back home, that I filled that I was coming for business when I applied but that now I've come to have a baby. I was kept there for 3hours, missed my connecting flight to Dallas, was not allowed to contact anyone including my husband. The first flight they wanted to put me on left, the second one left and then they brought a ticket for the third flight, brought my box inside the room and continued questioning me. I told them I didnt do anything wrong, that my visa allows me to seek medical attention in the US and I can pay for it, they asked to see the money I had,I showed them ($8,300) showed them my doctor's appointment letter but the woman who was questioning me was hell bent on sending me back. She told me I was so unfortunate to have met her and not another immigration officer and that as far as she's concerned, I'm a liar and will go back to Nigeria. Her supervisor (a gentle black woman) came in and asked me why I didnt want to give birth in Nigeria, I told her the maternal mortality rate in Nigeria is too high and that she should feel free to verify online. She asked to see my money which I showed her and she left. To cut a long story short they started a third series of questioning matching against what I filled in my form and with each answer the evil woman kept saying I was lying and that she had made up her mind but will wait to hear what her supervisor (the black woman) will say. At that point I told her that look, not every Nigerian is fraudulent, she looked at me in shock and said I never said that, I said yeah I know but I'm just telling you for the records, she stormed out of the office and when she came back I told her I wanted to see her supervisor, she asked me to leave her office and go wait at the lobby. I did and then went to bathroom, cried and prayed, knelt down and put my hands on the ground, called God to pls intervene. When I came out of the bathroom I saw my passport on the chair beside my bag and looked inside they had stamped me in for entry for B2 (medical visa class) for 6months! I went back to her to say thank you and she said please dont thank me, go thank my supervisor and then you can also report me to her. I'm safely in Dallas now and thankfully the airline re-booked me for a later flight without an extra charge so I thank God! As in I'm still in shock, didnt see me going through all that at all! I even pleaded with the woman that even if wanted to send me back, she should at least let me rest my head for an hour or two, she said my problem is not her problem and that she's not there to grant me any favours.

So if you know you told them something else during interview, pray and pray and pray!

nenih: Hi, This forum has been so helpful. I always check out updates every morning.Thanks to everyone who has contributed useful information.

Please has anyone got an idea of an affordable hospital (within the range of 5k-8k total) in Dallas?

Yes contact Dr. James Schermerhorn (sp), google him and contact his practice they use a really good and affordable hospital. Cant remember the name but normal delivery isnt more than 6k (dr+hosp)

tobiojo2002:
I responded to ths already. Again, I decleared 10k at POE, and was told to go fill out a form. Bla bla, I advise u declear 8k or 9k so u don't have to to through that process so u could just gerrout asap.

Oh ok! Thank you very much!! will do 8k.

Mousepad:

@ Uchetobi I've asked you under several posts how much you declared at POE,but if its an info u dont want to divulge its ok to say so.

Sorry I'm not sure if its Uchetobi or Tobiojo, i'm confused but its sha one of u (the one that recently entered yankee)...

uchetobi:

Personally i would advice you not to go down that route? Hat if it still shows up in your record? And not all parts of medicaid is refundable...at least that has been the experience of several women on this forum who tried refunding medicaid when they couldnt renew their visa...

Do your research well and opt for a hospital which someone on this thread or someone you know personally have reviewed

@ Uchetobi I've asked you under several posts how much you declared at POE,but if its an info u dont want to divulge its ok to say so.

Babababy:

Well ,in my opinion you should try and hide it as much as you can,even though you told them at the embassy that you are pregnant. Embassy and point of entry are two different ball game. The easiest option is going with a six month stamp without being noticed, however if they ask you if you are pregnant ,make sure you tell them the truth,and be prepared to back it up with evidence of ability to pay and contact with hospital. In as much as they tell you to declare your intentions at point of entry,their are still some over zealous CBP officers, who don't think birth tourism should not be allowed. So don't just walk up and say, I am here because I want to have a baby, wait to be asked.

@Babababy: Your comment is very helpful but you know its a bit dicey. You're saying she should not lie but she shouldnt say that she's there to give birth unless they ask. Their question is usually "what are you here for?" At that point she must say what she's there for which is to give birth. You get what I'm saying abi? Meanwhile nobody wants to tell me whether $8k cash is sufficient to carry in addition to my bank cards. Na so I go reach there this weekend bone una oooo! Hahahahahahaha biko nu "crossees" answer aspiring ones like us o!

uchetobi: Mrs Bee, howfar, you suppose don enter, let us know how it went at POE ok? safe!

Please how much did you declare or show at POE? Is $8k sufficient? Thats above the invoice the doctor gave me for CS sef. Biko those that have entered should answer me ooo! Una thank u!

Hi Fam,

I'm considering using a birth centre oo! Got two in Dallas (at Grand Praire and Garland) i'm trvling on Friday by God's grace and I'll be 34wks by then. The prices I got from the two birth centres are $3,900 and $3,200 respectively (cos i'm coming late) which covers both use of birth centre and services of the midwives. But note that they will not accept anyone considered high risk i.e complications in pregnancy. I had to send them my medical records from my first antenatal visit to date and they both accepted me after reviewing my records. I'll keep u guys posted when I get to the states. Please pray for God's favour at POE oo! I'm thinkin of hvin $8k cash + my bank cards, I also have a letter from the birth centre and another letter from a doctor. I'm using the doctor's own to cross over since the fees are more and these guys want pple who will spend in their country but once I enter I'll jejely cancel the doctor's appt and head to my midwives. By the way I had my first baby in the UK and was attended to by midwives at the hospital so I'm very familiar with their practice. Cheers all!

tobiojo2002:

i did not have issuesat POE i was 37 wks i had a really huge tummy , which i disguised by buying a very large size bra and padding this up, this made me look really busty and i wore a free flowing regular top.i looked like i was jusy 24 wks after all the disguise

The immigration officer asked if i was preg , i said yes and that was all, but go with enough cash , cos i guess he dnt make any issue out of the preg cos of the cash i decleared i had.

@Tobi: congrats o your baby! Thank God for safe delivery!! Please how much did you show? I'm thinking of $8,500 cash and then tell them I have my bank cards too, is that sufficient? Please get back to me

@ Babababy: Thank you very much! I totally agree with everything you have said and I will def come back to share the news of my smooth entrance Thanks again for taking time to respond.

@ Mokeju,

Applying with your husband does increase your chances, and I think renewing your passport (in his name or yours)before applying is a good thing. If you are going to tell them you are pregnant and going for childbirth then you should have evidence of financial buoyancy to cover costs. I think its best you tell them though since you will be very advanced then, just my thoughts. Lets hear what others suggest.

Kudos to everyone who has contributed to this topic! Well done. Please o! I applied and was given a 2yrs b1/b2 visa, at the time of application i was a month and few wks pregnant.Now I told the VO i was travelling for business i.e.to buy goods and sell in Nigeria (which isnt a lie), but I intend to give birth in the U.S as well. I didnt mention anything abt pregnancy during my interview cos I wasnt asked any question relating to that. Will this be a problem at POE? I'm a first time traveller to the U.S and I intend to carry like $8,500 cash as well as my bank cards, I hv also gotten an apptment with a doctor and they've sent confirmation of apptment as well as payment details via email. I intend to tell the CBP at point of entry that I'm in the US first for business after which I hope to stay back and have my baby. Pls let me know your thoughts. Thanks!