₦airaland Forum

omogedudu99:
I had the same challenge especially as I'm in Frisco, not main Dallas.

Eventually ordered the sim pack online last thursday choosing free shipping. Still haven't received it. But customer service said it will take 5-7 business days to deliver. I'm still waiting for it.....

just got the sim pack. finally....

oyin3:
@Julzz
Hello house, greetings, and salutations
Someone just asked about pap smear, did you actually do a pap smear while pregnant, and at what week?

My obgyn told me the screening is supposed to be done every 2 to 3 years.

I did it a couple of weeks ago at almost 35 weeks since the test was free under my self pay package and I wasn't sure if I did it last year during my last preg.

[quote author=Amgizzie post=39189849][/quote]Ok. You can send me a mail.

Since i already have a line of communication with an hospital and obgyn practice, let me see what I can do for you when I go for my next appointment on Friday.

If that works, you would then need to search for short let apartments nearby to get booking for accommodation

MiddyO:
Sorry to bother you again but where's Fiesta? I am in Dallas. T mobile wants to force a $40 monthly plan down my throat but I no gree! . Tx. How's your little one doing?

I had the same challenge especially as I'm in Frisco, not main Dallas.

Eventually ordered the sim pack online last thursday choosing free shipping. Still haven't received it. But customer service said it will take 5-7 business days to deliver. I'm still waiting for it.....

Fiesta is one of those Hispanic stores. They are in Houston but don't know if there is any in Dallas

favoredgal:
why not get a readily available doctor's correspondence for the purpose of your interview? i think its been established here that dr's in dallas do not give any correspondence

@Amgizzi,
Indeed, it's hard getting Dr and hospital correspondences from Dallas.

It took my host several visits and phone calls to the offices on my behalf before they sent her emails which she forwarded to me. Do you have anyone in Dallas that can do that for you?

neks31:
Hi Guys! Firsttymum, olokings and other gurus in the house.... Pls I want to ask a qts o! I'm headed to Houston but want to stop over for a week 2 cool off @ our family friends place Maryland before heading to HOUSTON. My problem now is that I'm flying to JFK and will catch a one hr 30mins flight to MD n after a week I will be porting to my birthing town, so what address will I use on my landing card

You can have your family friend's address at maryland on your landling card. At least that's your confirmed destination for now.

But do you have any flight booking for the Maryland - Houston trip? Or any document confirming your Dr's appointment for Houston? Either would be necessary at the POE especially if you have to show Dr's /Hospital corresponce for the birthing purpose. Otherwise, your story may not add up.

my 2 cents..

[quote author=funkebold post=39073958][/quote]@Funkebold. It is well. I can only imagine how you feel right now.

I remember how devastated I was when my US visa application was denied before I got married. With all the travel history i thot i had. I was so upset I swore not to go near the US embassy again.

I only picked up courage in 2013 to apply again when I discovered this forum and got information. Even at that I tried not to be too hopeful in case I was denied again. I personally don't handle rejections very well.

From ur report of the first interview, I think the VO picked on the info that you were no longer working. She could have felt that u may decide not to return after having the baby. She just used the gestational age of ur preg as an excuse and unfortunately that's what you were focused on at the subsequent interviews that made you lie.

I know you are trying to secure a better future for your child but it's only God that determines every person's destiny. There's no guarantee that children born in the US will be more successful than those born in Nigeria. It's not even as if America is so perfect....look at the growing moral decay and racism.

I'd advise you to turn your pain into passion to pray over this ur baby. That God will perfect all that concerns him/her whether born in Nigeria or US.

It shall be well with you and your family.

Apologies for my long post.

Blessings

[quote author=MiddyO post=39048999][/quote]August 2014 is fairly recent. And it's also the same 2 gyneas since I started with them.

Anyhow, we thank God all that is the past now. May you get double blessings for the trouble of the past.

It is well.

E-hugs.

nefertitiram:
See as I de yinmu yinmu for you.
You don't need soap or a product to create dimples on baby cheeks.
You just depress both cheeks after each bath when they are just born and their skin is still malleable.

My baby wasn't born with dimples, so I tried it for a few days,(my pikin must get toro!) dres one tiny impression now when she cries or smiles.
I also did that bum one at d base of the spine. Dunno what it's for, but I think it looks pretty having dimples above d bum bum

Some babies are born with dimples and some are given by their mothers or grandmas. Although the dimples on d cheeks won't be as pronounced as if it were natural or genetic.

My grandma did some of those effizy stuff on my cheeks, nose, feet, head etc when i was born and i think those features look better than my parents'. Lol

I didn't have the benefit of omugwo when I had my son in the US . No palm oil or massage thinz at all.

I gave him his first bath myself after 2 days of discharge from the hospital. But don't try it if you didn't have any experience on it before o.

Not crazy about the black soap option so have been using simple baby wash and shampoo. And he doesn't have body odour. ..lol

Anyhow, for people who are interested , I think there's another thread on nairaland that's dedicated to all these baby care and stuff. You can read up.

Blessings.

MiddyO:
@omogedudu99



Amen o! My dear everyone will speak from their personal experience.

I don't wish this horrific experience on anyone, not even my enemy!

Need I say more?

Pele. It must have been a real terrible experience for you. Thank God for restoration.

But it still sounds strange to me cos my own experience was the exact opposite. The obgyn im currently using in Dalllas was impressed with the reports and procesures they had employed in managing this current pregnancy.

Can I ask which year you had this experience?

Cos I think they signed on some gyneas around 2013 when I started using them for ANC. One of them was even the CMD at island maternity and hes been my primary gynea. Very patient and thorough.

That seemed to have helped their market cos preggies there are plenty now. Although that may begin to affect the quality of their services soon.

But in the final analysis, no human being or institution is perfect. Only God is.

May He continue to preserve and deliver us from all evil.

QueenWest:
Pardon all my typos. Epistle is too long

quote author=QueenWest post=39044449]Got into Houston yesterday via British Airways (I choose them cos I intend to stop over in London on my return trip).

Any idea on how I can't eat my indomie?

Congratulations. Another Houston conqueror

bbaby84:
This is life. Some have it good while some are not so lucky. Please I'm signing up for their pediatrics and I'm hoping I'm making the right choice.
Anyho, will try them out still.
@Middy sorry about then ( I think some of us have to go through the whole miscarriage/ preterm labour thing. Heart wrenching!
Like they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Can't wait for you to hold this bundle in your arms (God has a way of making us forget)

I signed them on for my son but I think a lot will depend on if you are a private patient or under an hmo policy. Some of those hmo actually put caps on the treatments you can get.

For example I don't use them for my son's immunizations as my provider does not cover some of the so called optional vaccines which means I get to pay out of pocket for those. So I use Kizito for my son's immunisations.

All other pediatric care is with GC. My boy doesn't fall sick often but I don't have complaints about the care I have been getting there. They are also close to my house.


You can try other hospital though cos like I said earlier, their market seems to be booming and they have a lot of preggies and babies on their list.

MiddyO:
Yep! Spot on. Very negligent set of ppl, Dr's don't remember patient's history, even with their IPad in front of them. (Grey's Anatomy wanna be).

They could not manage common contractions, adviced me to go home and watch it. Till pains graduated into labour and water broke. End of story.

Please shine ya eye o! I know things happen but this was gross negligence!

Thank God for restoration.

@Middy, Sorry about your previous loss. May you not experience another of such.

I'm not trying to discredit your statement but I used the hospital in question for both my pregnancies and they were quite professional and thorough.

My first preg was risky and I would have had a miscarriage but for the attention I got there.

Not l3ss than 3 of my friends including one that lost an earlier preg at a high brow hospital have used them and no negative report. The only thing is at the first sign of complication, they will want to push for CS instead of VD.

Another thing is their antenatal patients have multiplied greatly between last yr and now. So you spend a long time there for ANC checkups. I yabbed them that they've turned to General Hospital

I'm not trying to advertise for them but want to share my own experience.

For naija levels they were more than okay. But of course you can't compare that with the medical care here in yankee.

kiboe:
Ehn ehn!!!Palm oil massage?thats interesting,my dry cleaner will have a fun time when I am done.heheheheh

Lol...don't worry about dry cleaning.

By the time the grandma's are done, there's usually no trace of the palm oil left on the baby.

I bet you won't be able to stand and watch while whole bath and massage thingy will be done to the baby.

But it's a yoruba custom. You may not need to do that for ur baby if u are of another ethnic group.

[quote author=afrobrown2000 post=39004103]Awesome. ...God dey...smooth free Poe@ Chicago...plenty questions...confident answers..
I was very articulate. ... (as I look my wife belly na so I talk to the twins for my mind. ..NO GOING BACK)...No declaration, no searching of baggage. ..Upon three full bags of foodstuffs...name it..it was there ..
Now in my Accomodation in Mckinney dallas....for dallas ppl interested pm me rooms still available...

Congratulations.

Hope you have settled on the hospital and Dr you are using by now.

Nwunyeebuka:
Good day every one. Got into the US on the 2nd through LAX.POE was smooth but Was a long flight Flew Emirates. I am in Los Angeles

Took my finger prints stamps me in 6months. No secondary inspection no declaration of money.

Congratulations. We thank God

kaakaa:
Hello all.... back to share my poe experience as promised.

.... didnt last up to 5mins.....I was besides myself....very excited and couldn't believe it's over...God answered my prayers for abundant favour....it was too much...lol


So there it is..... houston bound mamas...just prepare and pray very well,....God will bless you all with his divine favour
Signing out with praises on my lips

Congratulations dear. We give God the praise and believe for many more of such testimonies.

There's no need to be afraid of Houston IAH if one is well prepared and story is straight.

nefertitiram:
Yes ma,
But it's 5 cents a min to Naija

I spent less than $15 month on international calls, and texting is free.

The whole calling one number to dial naija using code on calling cards (Raza and Boss) was just tiring for me.

It makes a whole lot of sense. And it will be nice to avoid that code thingy - it was really very inconvenient

I'll be going for the ultramobile sim then.

Thanks for the "expo".

Blessings.

Cc: @modath

nefertitiram:
Too much money! $100 a month. Haven't you heard about ultramobile?

No I haven't. Please tell me more about it

Ok... i just Googled it.

Very affordable compared to the Tmobile option

Can you use it with the international calling carda like boss revolution?

@firsty the Tmobile bundle was about $60 and I'd spend almost $40 for the boss revolution. Like I said, I did a lot of talking n texting during the waiting period. You may not spend up to that if don't need to. There are diff plans on Tmobile u can choose. The boss revolution is pay as u go

[quote author=kaakaa post=38948051]Hello every one..... I have successfully ported and in atlanta right now..... want to share my poe experience

Pls I need to know what sim card to buy o... so I can come and share my experience.... using my hosts Hotspot right now


Last year I did the Tmobile (unlimited Web, US voice and sms) plan with the Boss revolution for naija calls.

It cost me about $100 in total monthly but the calling and texting helped me get thru the boredom of the weeks before the baby came. I'll be doing the same this time around

OZYCY congratulations to you and your family.

God's blessings

For those who have been asking for more info on the Dallas area, I hope the following will be useful:

Self pay Delivery charges from Health central women's care, Frisco, Dallas. (Obgyn)

#Vaginal delivery and routine prenatal care $2500

# c section delivery and routine prenatal care $2750

# Vaginal delivery following previous c section $3500

The 2500 for VD also covers initial lab fees(cbc, 1hr glucose test, Grp B strep test, HIV), 2 sonograms, pap smear, Tdap vaccine, breast exam and post partum visit.

Hospital is Centennial medical centre frisco with charges as follows:

$3300 for mum VD uncomplicated 1-2 days
$618 for baby VD uncomplicated 1-2 days
$1470 for each additional day after the 2nd (this is scary abeg)

Mother's charge for VD is inclusive of epidural. Whether you take it or not. But you pay $900 for the administration of the anesthesia

$4725 for mom c section uncomplicated 1-2 days
$618 for baby c sect uncomplicated 1-2 days
$1470 for each additional day after the 2nd.

PS. The hospital has level 3 NiCu facilities

[quote author=shrekandfiona post=38823073]A friend and her family of 5 were recently turned back at Chicago POE.

My cousin in Houston told me this exact same story yesterday when I was sharing my POE experience with her. She knows the couple...

I think that Chicago POE takes the prize for hostility but knowledge (of what they should have been prepared wirh) would have been powerful in this case.

A very sad case indeed

Hello good people.

I arrived Dallas on Oct 7 via Houston. Requested for wheelchair service for Houston arrival onl and didnt use in lagos.

The wheelchaie service took forever to come as there were many grandmums on the flight and 2 other flights arrived the terminal at about the same time.

Anyhow, I was finally wheeled to the fasttrack lane at immigration and my conversation with the officer wenr thus:
- officer: what are you in the US for.
Me: maternity leave.
Officer: scans my passport and said "you had a baby here last year"
Me: yes.
Officee: Did you pay?
Me: yes. And I have my receipts.
He asked me to place my fingers and thumbs on the scanner and told me to go for sec inspection so they can reconfirm my visa or something like that.

Was wheeled into the waiting room and the lady pushing the wheelchair offloaded me there. I guess to go back to the other people waiting for wheelchair pushers.

I saw the 2 other preggies that I had noticed on the flight in the waiting room. They must have walked but got to immigration well before i did. They were attended to and stamped in without any hassle. Just that they were questioned well. I even saw one them showing receipts of part payment or invoice from oakbend.

I waited about an hour after the other preggies left before I was called up.

Repeated that I was here on maternity leave. And yes, i had a baby there in houston last year. Brought out my receipts and the officer took time to go through them.

He asked me where I was headed this time around. Told him Dallas. Asked if I had discounts from the new Dr and hospital. I just gave him the email correspondences I had.

He read thru and asked how much money I had on me. Told him $8000 in cash and about $3000 on my Visa and Mastercard. That I would also be accessing my salary during this period. He nodded and said, nice!

Asked how I got to know the new hospital. Told him my host used them and she made the initial contact on my behalf and I followed up thereafter.

Asked if the address on my landing card was my host's address. Told him yes.

He asked if my hubby was with me on this trip and I said no. He would be coming later with our son next month and our boy would be having his checkup with the pediatrician.

He then typed for a while and stamped me in till April next year. Although visa expires January.

Last year i only waited for 20mins in sec inspection at Houston before i was let in but the immigration officers were not so friendly.

I had to wait a long while this time around, but i must confess their attitude has improved tremendously. The officer even told me " WELCOME BACK" as he handed my passport back to me.

I had missed my connecting flight and used that information to harass the next line of immigration officers I met. They just directed me to the United airline stand and so I avoided being told to go to agric.

Got on the next available flight and I'm now at my friend's place in Frisco, Dallas. My first appointment with the obgyn is this afternoon. Dr charge is 2500 for vaginal delivery. Hospital is 3918.

Will give further details later after I have concluded my registration.

Congratulations to the new mums and dads, especially my "Dallas seniors" - terese69 and olokings.

Wish the awaiting mums safe deliveries and successful Visa and POE experience to the others.

Blessings.

Hello good people.

I’ve been a silent reader on this thread but just picked up the courage to join the community. I stumbled on the 1st part of this thread in Nov 2013 when it was just about 45 pages. I just returned to the discussion due to my plans for the second missionary journey for Oct- Dec.

I got my VISA in January 2014 and was all set to go to El Paso.

However, due to hubby’s inability to make the initial leg of the trip and it being my own first time in the US, I ended up with my cousins in Houston (one of them a Doctor). I was referred to Oakbend/ Dr. Ezekiel and had my son in April(2014). To the glory of God, the vaginal delivery was quick and without epidural although my naija doctors had been telling me I was gonna end up with CS.

I had a very good experience and would refer Dr Ezekiel without any reservations although at that time she took very few naija patients. Because of our issues, I guess. I’m happy to know she’s relaxed her rule now.

With respect to the recent issues with Dr. F, I would like us to be somewhat merciful. I do not support what he did by not showing up for the delivery or taking on more than he can chew. I would also recommend that he be made to do a refund or compensation.

However, I would want to point out the situation is a consequence of the bombardment from we naija patients. Let’s not forget that he’s been one of the few Drs who respond to emails and give correspondences that a number of people (NOT ME) have used for VISA or POE purpose.
So the caveat is that only people with uncomplicated pregnancies or very limited options should use him.

By the grace of God, I would be in Dallas for my next delivery and would be sure to post details of the doctor and hospital fees soon.

Apologies for the long post.

God bless y'all