Congrats @blaizze 777,baby blaizze is such a miracle baby....i was so worried when I read your msg and I said a prayer for you both.Plenty warm hugs to her
@leaky tribe and @nnystc your testimonies inspire me. Thanks for sharing.

evemama:
Finally, corresponded with dr F and settled for him. Travelled last month 12th, with edd for 19th may at 33 wks ga. 1st 2'antenatal visits with one of dr f other doctors cos he travelled. Was good & uneventful. 3rd visit with dr himself then he's like our scan shows edd for june 10th. Am like not possible o! So he sends me 4 a more detailed scan & monitoring at oakbend.
After results. Makes decision to induce me that baby is already big n good to come out especially with the diabetes.
So am back to hospital on sunday night, inducing starts & progress well but baby is reacting badly to d whole process. Doctor stops and opts for cs.
Next morning cs, baby is out and no crying. Am scared lying there I just started praying. God bless all d medical staffs cos abt 2 or 3 mins looked liked forever untill I heard her cries! Am like abeg make unna pinch her well well make she cryyyyyy.

God is good. Still in d hospital, cos am recoperating and baby needs to be monitored well since I had diabetes.
Don't know what my bills will look like cos I had plenty extras here n there so am waiting.
But I thank God for d doctor, his staffs and d oakbend pple cos I have my 8 ibs 4 ozs beautiful daughter alive with me.
Join me thank God, & pray for plenty money cos I need am! Lol

Congrats @evemama!!!,you almost made me want to cry,am so happy for your miracle baby,dont worry dear God shall supply all your needs dear...warm hugs.

[quote author=ebiv post=45488534]Thanks for your response... I just have plenty questions..
- Was it just d fruit cup and pizza they offered to him for throughout the journey? Or did they give him his own kids meal?if yes plsw what kind of food?
- Also the meal voucher is it for everyone who

I had to ask what meal they had for toddlers and she said fruits and vegetables,i asked for fruits and I got the cup,to my knowledge they didn't have proper kids meal(i might be wrong tho)I think the meal voucher is for everyone traveling long haul.

adycatus:
Baby arrived 7.35am on 7th of May, thank God for a safe VD at Abrazo west valley hospital Arizona.Baby and Mama doing good.

Congratulations!!!Its raining babies

cutelass:
Guess I've rested enough. Here's my story. About 10 days before my travel date, swelling on my legs which had always been minimal increased so much. Even after raising the legs up at night, the moment my feet touches ground in the morning the swelling returns. 3 days before my travel, I used the home bp monitor to check my bp and it was ranging btw 140/80 and 145/85. I immediately drove to hospital. Nurse on duty checked with the manual bp monitor and another young dr checked and it was still high. They had to call my consultant. He ordered they check my urine for protein and nothing came up...he eventually came himself, checked the bp and said it was normal.

3 days later I travelled with Lufthansa on a united ticket at 34 weeks + some days. Requested for wheelchair and they said since I brought fit to fly I can't use wheel chair. I was shocked cos several pple here have used wheelchair. They agreed to book for my mum cos of her arthritis yet we didn't see any wheelchair neither at Frankfurt nor LAX. We flew to Frankfurt and had a 4 hrs layover b4 we flew to LAX. All the while, my mum was so worried about the swelling.

POE was a breeze.
Cbp: what are you here for?
Me: childbirth
Cbp: ok. How long are u here for?
Me: 2 months
Cbp: sorry, what did u say u are here for again?
Me: childbirth, delivery, to have my baby (lol...that's d type of confidence saying the truth at the embassy gives u)
Took our finger prints and stamps us in for 6 months.

We went to agriculture...the officer was busy shouting to the guy scanning the bags...Nigeria, Nigeria, lol...our bags were scanned but we weren't asked to open it.

When we got to my aunty's house...the legs had tripled in size and she insisted I see the dr immediately ( my appt wasn't till another 4 days). We called his office and luckily he was still around...said they close at 5pm. It was already 4pm...so without eating or anything...they drove us to the dr office. My relations went in to greet him (they had known him for a long time) I had no idea, while I filled out the forms. When I saw the dr, my bp had shot up to 159/100. He told me point blank to head straight to the hospital as I had developed pre-eclampsia and baby had to be induced immediately. He said the financial dept would have closed for the day and they don't open weekends...so we had only the next day to pay and sign the contract...cos if I deliver without signing it...I would be left with a bill of over $40k. Got to the hospital and was admitted. Was placed on magnesium IV to prevent seizure...while they ran tests...the same ones I would have done with the doctor's office.

Next day my mum sorted the bills...while they brought the papers for me to fill...despite the induction starting Thursday night...i didn't deliver till almost mid day Saturday...cervix no gree dilate till...was almost heading to OR for c-section b4 LO came forth...I hadn't eaten in almost 48 hrs...day said no food, no water...was just allowed to chew ice...where the strength to push came from...I don't know.

The main testimony is that LO didn't need to go to NICU...was almost peeing in my pant when the thought of it came to my mind...cos of bills...she was just in the nursery...they did hearing test...checked for jaundice...was later discharged. LO is 3 weeks old currently.

Used st Francis medical center and dr. Mb---u. Hospital bill $2700 for vag. Delivery (includes paediatrician, epidural (the thing wore off towards the actual delivery). Stayed an extra day which cost $900 (covers both me and baby). Hospital gives free stroller. I've gotten zero balance.

Dr fees had always been 1500 and 2500 for vag and csection respectively. When I got here...saw it was now 1000 and 1300...was told the dr considered the current economic situation in Nigeria and decided to slash his self-pay fees. Hmmm...Angels still dey dis earth Shaa.

Since baby came early, wanted to shift my date but United wants an arm and a leg just to change date...I'm chilling (mum is here with me, hubby is coming, wonderful host...no need to run home)

Your story is a testimony!!!!so happy for you dear,God bless your lo.

ebiv:
Hi dear, pls I want to ask you abt this emirates pole... Am also using them from abj to Houston with my 21 months toodler... Pls did you buy a seat for your child and what kind of food did tbey serve to him esp on d Dubai- Houston flight cos it's really long... Thanks dear. quote author=prolify post=45352611]Finally!!!!ahn ahn...it's hard to kip up with part 4,Anyhooo....
In the spirit of giving back (I've always wanted to say this)
Travelled via emirates on the 29th with my 14 month old,the journey combined is about 24+ hours(preggies beware!!!)
Fast Forward to houston POE
CBP-What are u here for?
Me-Vacation
CBP-How long would you be here for?
Me-2 months +some
CBP-When was the last time you were in d U.S?and how long did you stay?
Me-Last year and 5months
CBP-What did you come for?
Me-Came to have my baby
CBP Stamps me in and says have a nice day
Me-Thanks and have a great day
No secondary inspection but had to go to agriculture cos of the orishirishi my mum packed for my sister.
In my experience Emirates is a fantastic airline but the downside is the flight is too loonnnggg especially if you are traveling with a toddler,the stress was a bit too much for both of us.the upside is that I was given a meal voucher and I got to choose whatever restaurant I wanted to eat at,lo was given alot of toys however he was a tad bit too restless to play with them,the 4hours transit went by fast.
That's about what happened people.
Thanks to all the selfless people on this thread,God would respond to your prayers swiftly and you would reap a bountiful harvest when you least expect.AMEN!!!

Sorry for the late response,i didn't buy a seat for him,he was on my lap through out and it was a full flight,i was given a fruit cup(banana),and extra slice of pizza but my lo didn't eat it,however he seemed to eat a bit of my mashed potatoes and I took a few snacks aswell.

Finally!!!!ahn ahn...it's hard to kip up with part 4,Anyhooo....
In the spirit of giving back (I've always wanted to say this)
Travelled via emirates on the 29th with my 14 month old,the journey combined is about 24+ hours(preggies beware!!!)
Fast Forward to houston POE
CBP-What are u here for?
Me-Vacation
CBP-How long would you be here for?
Me-2 months +some
CBP-When was the last time you were in d U.S?and how long did you stay?
Me-Last year and 5months
CBP-What did you come for?
Me-Came to have my baby
CBP Stamps me in and says have a nice day
Me-Thanks and have a great day
No secondary inspection but had to go to agriculture cos of the orishirishi my mum packed for my sister.
In my experience Emirates is a fantastic airline but the downside is the flight is too loonnnggg especially if you are traveling with a toddler,the stress was a bit too much for both of us.the upside is that I was given a meal voucher and I got to choose whatever restaurant I wanted to eat at,lo was given alot of toys however he was a tad bit too restless to play with them,the 4hours transit went by fast.
That's about what happened people.
Thanks to all the selfless people on this thread,God would respond to your prayers swiftly and you would reap a bountiful harvest when you least expect.AMEN!!!

Chijiuche:
Hello my people,

I am back and fully recovered. Thanks for all your prayers and words of encouragement. I was baffled on the outpour of love and prayers i got from this group... You guys rockkkkkk!!!

BTW -This time my EDD na Jan 2017 ( because Belly must enter this month) So who is game for that month?...leaving by December. I have chosen doctor, hospital, accommodation, Airline etc.... so tee i don go oyingbo price crayfish, and other food stuffs

It might sound like a joke, but it is real and this time......it MUST BE PERMANENT.

Have a blissful day my pals

AMEN!!!I await your testimony dear.

isysleek:
Hmmnn...this Abuja is not PTA friendly at all.

Unity bank in Wuse2 said they have too many applications so not collecting anymore.

Went to Heritage bank,told me to open account and I will get PTA in three days,all for them to say today that no dollars for now. And I have opened acct and funded o. I just weak.

I'll try Standard Chartered and Ecobank tomorrow.

Please keep me posted if you get PTA anywhere in this town(Abj).

I was to go to unity bank today,decided to call first,thanks for the info I'll try heritage bank as well,i might just be lucky,i have till friday.

damidamsel:
Welcomed my princess at 7.41am weighing 7.2pounds today April 20th 2016 through VD. Hez indeed a good God. Tx to all d info gotten from people on here. It was indeed God n NL all da way.

Pls all those who gave birth with hubby not in the US, when filling d birth cert form, did you fill the information on father's part coz they require d dad to sign? Pls ur response is urgently needed

Congrats @damidamsel.God bless your lo.

Abefeokin:



Lmao! Hahaha but @bigfido why are u like dis?well now I tink I have the strength to type small. I gave birth to my twin girls 3days ago @JPS tru CS but I've been too tired and emotionally down to come give my story and eerm thanks to Apple19 and MiddyO for the info on JPS cos I had paid texas Harris though they refunded my money. BS coming later. Bigfido made my day and hello Lady Guinevere.

Congrats!!!!warm hugs to them...I love twins[

modath:


Awwwhhh, why nah? Unity nko?

Do I have to run it for 6months?i have accounts in almost every Nigerian bank

Pls who has info on pta in abuja....jaiz bank just broke my heart and said I have to run the account for 6months ,i have just 1week.
HELLPPP!!!
cc.modath
cc.every1

[quote author=mrsbw post=44738278]Pls I need some advice about the trip back to naija as I will be going back alone with my baby.

Mamas that have gone back alone with baby, pls how did you arrange yourself to make the trip less stressful. Any tips? For those that express, how was the milk preserved? Also did you carry hand luggage in addition to stroller carseat diaper bag and all. Pls advise me ooo

Thank you[/quote
Congrats!!!
1.Book one of the bulkhead seats so you can get a baby bassinet,so you get to rest and not carry her/him for the duration of the flight.
2.You might want to just pump about 2 bottles,then pump on the plane,when the lights are turned off and the baby is sleeping.
(I didn't bother pumping on the flight as baby was bosom fed)I pumped about 3 bottles tho but I ended up throwing away as the milk was in the cooler bag for about 6hours,i didn't feel good giving him )
3.try to carry just essentials on board(diaper bag/pump)you might want to check in your hand luggage,your car seat would be checked in and ur stroller would be collected @ the door of the plane.
4.Wear something comfortable.(its a long flight and you need all the comfort you can get)

feddy27:
Hurray!!!! My Americana bobo is ONE today!!!! It's being an amazing first year! Grateful to God for taking perfect care of him!

Happy Birthday handsome!!!!

Xenadarl:
Did you actually get a United flight from Abuja? As far as I know they don't fly from Abuja, even tried when I was about traveling last month and was told they only fly from Lagos.
Unless maybe it's a new development?

The carrier from abuja is lufthansa,then united picks up from frankfurt germany.

greatie:


Not just Sapele ooo. They dont do PTA

Was @ FBN ring road,they referred me to lagos(marina)and April and may are booked

ozycy:

Is the $250-$280 inclusive of shipping fee to and fro?
For the person that asked why people use agent for visa is mainly because they don't have enough time for example, I had just one week to process the visa, so I didn't want to take chances so I didn't think twice about using agent.
And again, someone complained of her application being abandoned after submission even after paying for expedited.
And again, the difference in price is not really so much. If it were to be up to $300 difference , I trust mamas here cos they
Must dig out ways to go about it.

Yes everything inclusive,your right the difference is not much @all.

Kemo88:

So you did the visa yourself? How did you manage to follow it up and get it in time? I heard that if you don't use an Agent they just throw it anywhere (even if you pay for expediting) and you don't get it for weeks. Is this true?

You can do the naija visa yourself if you have about 2 weeks to spare,I used the consulate in newyork tho,after I filled the forms and mailed it to them,i kept calling but they never answered and the box was always full so I couldn't leave a message,after about 8 working days I got the passport in the mail.Its risky if you don't have a lot of time to spare,i think overall I spent roughly 250-280(cant remember exact figures)but I heard the agents take about 350,considering all the stress I passed through going back and forth the post office,i should have just given the agent.that's one less thing to worry about.

Petdaughter:
@olokings I'm presently in the US for another 4 weeks. My son is being breastfed and I mentioned that latching was a nightmare for both of us(you wouldn't know cos you are a man). He feeds and sleeps soundly now that he has his tongue tie released. I'm aware it is free in Nigeria but I would have willingly paid $1,000 for both of us to get respite. He wasn't getting enough milk and my boobs were getting very cracked and painful. I'm glad I did it here and wouldn't change that for nothing. My child's comfort is way more important than cutting costs

Well said!!!,i already replied the previous post before reading this.

[quote author=olokings post=44446532]Greetings.
Happy u were able to handle ur child's tongue-tie issue eventually.

However for mommas who may experience this in the future, you may wish to kindly return back to naija and quietly do it at any pediatric or even general Hospital for waaaay less.

I did my 2 year old boy's tongue-tie loosening just a few weeks back because although I was being strong heard that he'd out grow it when the mum observed it few weeks after birth which now made him unable to speak.

A nurse nipped it after consultation with a pead right there at the injection room as simple as trunking a finger nail.

Fast fwd to a few weeks and he's now using the loosed tongue picking speaking phoné swén swén like his big sister.

Bottom line is some things we do with less drama and complications here in naija.

Ciao





The procedure is cheaper in naija,but it gives you peace of mind and the excruciating pain you feel when nursing your lo,when I had my son a lot of people adviced I should save cost and do his circumcision when I get back home,the ijebu girl in me jumped for joy as I started calculating how much more shopping I could do with the extra cash...fast forward to a few days a friend of mine told me of the experience she had doing her lil man's own @ 6weeks....my heart couldn't take it...my next doctors appt I paid for it and am glad i did,(i could sleep easy)lo was perfect in a few days.
@petaughter,May God bless your lo.

blaize777:
Abeg who knows list of shopping mall in Houston way no cost ooo very affordable ones for my baby stuff cloth etc and my self and hubi too .

Burlington,ross,marshalls,dillards,sears,macys

feddy27:


If your child has a naija passport, you can get one way ticket but if it's a visa, it must be a return ticket

I got a 1 way ticket for my lo via united,and we used a visa.

omodadi:
Stanbic isn't selling pta today o, ayam there right now.

you are right,hubby is there aswell ,i opened an account with jaiz online,i hope it works out,any hope of them getting anytime soon?

donugapi:


I don't think it's good to use your story and a few others to generalize. Yeah Chicago is strict. Same Chicago that people travel through smoothly. For every one bad story there's probably another 50 good ones. People get turned back at Houston, Atlanta and someone here even had a bad story about New York. I know people that have gone there to birth and met very friendly officers.

Your belle is story for another day..
Your wife must reduce the pounced yam and ofe nsala you consume and ensure that you jog round the house 18 times everyday before she lets you back in

IMO,It is safer not to find out,if your agent can reroute you,then by all means.Its best not to take that chance.

TheLeakyTribe:


Honestly even 36 weeks is pushing it.

I understand how we need to plan our finances well and plan our maternity leave and all the rest but I also believe one of the primary reasons we undertake this sojourn to another man's land is for healthcare we can't get in our own backyard.

The risk of going to Labour is high because of the stressful nature of the trip. More than half a day straight on a flight ain't no joke. Let's try to fix our trips earlier.

However people have done it here, if your pregnancy has been smooth sailing so far you can try going few days to 36 weeks, but make sure you walk around often while on the flight, wear those socks that promote blood circulation (can't quite remember the name right now) and stay hydrated.

Compression socks

ozycy:

I think most airline do a maximum of 36weeks, so you may wish to travel few days to the 36weeks mark.

36 weeks is cutting it too close,34 weeks plus is fine.

Yay!!!!Started from the first thread now am here... .Happy new month my peoples
@bisoye82 how are baby adorables doing?please blow baby dust to me cos i want twins aswell,i like that name iya ibeji

ify4charm:


After my husband read prolify's story on the anesthesiologist. He has been begging me to use epidural. meself wen dey form Hebrew woman. Northside mama's please information and cost of an anesthesiologist in case I change my mind. This labour sef is sounding a bit scary. God see me through.

It shouldn't scare you dear,most people experience labor differently,it all depends on your threshold,the upside is you have an option,Sadly I wasn't given a medal for trying to prove myself .Would I take an Epi for subsequent births?MOST DEFINITELY(as soon as I walk into the hosp)chill and read a newyork best seller while I await baby's arrival

Petdaughter:
My Baby boy arrived early this morning. My heart is full of joy and thanksgiving to God!

Congrats on your new arrival!!!!

Bisoye82:
Good day everyone
With a heart full of praise and thanks to God.We joyfully announce the birth of our twins at St Francis in LA.
Thanks everyone for being a part of our journey.

Congrats!!!!

merrymum:
To God be all the glory! My DD arrived this morning after 4 hours of labour. Didn't use epi as I wanted to go natural, the pain was insane but right now I can't remember much of it as I look at my cutie.

Will post details of bills shortly.

Congrats on your bundle of joy,you are one tough lady,i remember singing like a canary to whoever cared to listen that I was taking the Hebrew woman route and reading supernatural childbirth to further strengthen my faith,I was almost 7 cm when I screamed NURSE STACEY CALL THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST NOW!!!watching my labor videos I laugh @ myself,who was I kidding
@Guccioluwa,weeping may endure for the night,but joy would surely come in the morning,be strong dear your morning must come with your bundle of joy.e-hugs