Personal experience. How I gave birth in America three times

Фото: Depositphotos

So, becoming a mother in a cube, I can share the experience. I gave life to Americans in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Florida — in 27, in 31, and in 36 years. Uh, I can not believe the most!

A pregnant woman in the United States must decide which gynecologist she needs: a woman or a man. And it sometimes happens that a man and a woman are partners in the same antenatal clinic. You walk around with a female doctor, establish personal contact, feel comfortable with her, and at the time of birth she cannot come to the hospital. And a male deputy is on call. If it is important for you that your birth is attended by a woman and only a woman, look for a clinic where all the doctors are female. That's exactly what I did!

Before my first childbirth, I went to the hospital for lessons for women in labor. We were shown video of childbirth, taught to swaddle dolls and all that jazz In many cities there are yoga and water aerobics for pregnant women.

My first American was born in Texas, in 2001. The child lingered. My doctor decided to provoke the July 17 birth. And her husband's parents came from Pennsylvania to help 2 for the whole week, waiting for her grandson at the beginning of the month. And I prayed: “Doctor, let's move the deadline, and then the help will leave!” / And the Doctor went to meet me.

CONCLUSION NUMBER ONE: IN THE UNITED STATES, THE DOCTOR-OBSTACLE GOES A MEETING TO THE BORNS.

In the morning of July 11 I was put under a dropper, the medicine ran through my veins to start the contractions. Twelve hours it lasted. Epidural vaunted me inserted incorrectly (by the way, if you pay out of my pocket for it, it costs five hundred bucks), I felt all the pain, thought I would die right there.

CONCLUSION NUMBER TWO: NO GUARANTEE THAT ANESTHESIOLOGIST WILL MAKE YOU QUALITATIVE DUCK!

The first birth was fully paid by the insurance company.

My second American decided to be born in Pennsylvania, in 2005 year. Planned to be the February. I did an ultrasound of the fetus in the last stage, but did not immediately see the result.
In the USA, it is not a doctor who makes an ultrasound diagnosis, but a medical technician. The medical technician transmits the information to the doctor, and he already draws conclusions.

I was driving home from the store on January 28, 2005, and then I got a call on my cell phone: “Come to the hospital urgently! We will do a caesarean section! Threat to a child's life!

I quickly recovered after the operation, I even had enough strength in the first 6 months to move 2 times and carry the older 4-year to the swimming lessons. So, in spite of all, they would not think that I would break (joke!).

CONCLUSION THREE NUMBERS: IN THE USA, THE PATHOLOGY AND THE RISK OF LIFE OF THE FRUIT CAN IMMEDIATELY AND DON'T LOOK. THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME PARENTS ON THE CALL.

The second son was born at state expense. Since in January 2005, in the eighth month of pregnancy, I was fired from my job in the warehouse of an online store packing parcels, and my husband, a programmer, had his hours cut to 3 days a week. And we ended up in the “poor” category. I immediately contacted the appropriate government authorities and got us free Medicaid insurance. Which paid for a caesarean section, and even postpartum observation by a doctor and an IUD. At your own expense, without insurance, the spiral will cost about a buck.

All hospitals have the same standards. There is nothing like what I hear from my friends from Russia. What if you pay, you will get high-quality and sincere care, but there is no money, well then - where the curve will lead. Both poor and rich are treated in the same hospitals.

Фото: Depositphotos

My third son was born in May 2010, in the second marriage, not from an American (God rest his soul), but from Russian.

When I went to the doctor for an examination, had my blood tested, I was tested for Rh. For me it is negative (my first husband was also negative). And the second one is positive. There is a danger of Rh conflict. The mother's body begins to produce protective antibodies, reacting to the fetus as if it were an infection or an alien.

The Rh factor is an antigen (protein) that is found on the surface of red blood cells. Scientists managed to discover it 35 years ago. It turns out that 85% of people are Rh positive. Miscarriages can be caused by Rh factor incompatibility. Congenital hydrops fetalis, anemia, death are the causes of such a conflict.

Rh fetus cannot be installed in the womb. In the US, I was given an injection of antirhesal immunoglobulin at 28 week of pregnancy in the clinic of my obstetrician-gynecologist. And they said - with you $ 160. We gave birth without insurance, at our own expense.

When I gave birth to the third son, they took blood from him for analysis - it turned out to be a positive rhesus of the first group, like his father had. I was given an injection at the hospital so that health problems would not start. Suddenly my negative rhesus will begin to fight with the placenta, which has not yet departed? So the doctor explained to me.

In fact, we have a situation that we did not buy insurance before pregnancy, and our income exceeded the level of poverty that can qualify for free Medicaid state insurance. As a result, all of our tests and the services of a doctor cost a tidy sum. It is good that the doctor did not demand to pay her $ 3000 immediately. We brought it in parts for several months. And they went to the laboratory for tests and paid separately.

For example, a blood test for deformities cost $2009 in 180, and a blood test for Rhesus cost $33.
Of course, at the very beginning of pregnancy, they are checked for sexually transmitted diseases, hemoglobin, hepatitis, diabetes, and thyroid function.

TIP: Different laboratories have different prices for their services. Therefore, before receiving a referral from a doctor to a laboratory, find out which laboratory in your city does not fleece patients.

You can call the city laboratories and find out the prices of certain analyzes. Do not be lazy and conduct your investigation, if you are already in a situation - “pay more, throw further”. All tests for the 1 months of my pregnancy have flown into $ 9 one thousand.

Фото: Depositphotos

I was asked - in which hospital of our three I want to give birth? I chose the one that is closer to us. I went there, found out which building and floor I should go to, and in general I checked in.

Each hospital has its own rates for childbirth, and you can agree - to pay in installments for services. The child is not a car, it will not be taken away if you have not paid the medical bill.

At hospitals there are charitable foundations. You can apply to such a fund in advance, fill out the necessary papers about yourself and your income, attach tax returns for the past year, report on your expenses (alimony, debts for cars and credit cards, existing medical bills, housing costs, personal services, insurance cars and life, and so on). So to say, turn inside out so that the hospital stay was fully covered by a charitable foundation or the account was cut down. The hospital, on average, shoots 2 things on the day of the mother, plus an anesthesiologist, plus medications.

When I came to America, my myopia was minus 5, after the birth of my eldest it dropped to minus 7. My mother, a doctor, warned me that at my age giving birth naturally is dangerous for my eyesight. And we decided to go for a cesarean section, although it is more expensive, but it was a planned event, and I have something to compare with - my first experience, and my second. When a person is on free state Medicaid insurance, he cannot dictate anything to the doctor.

CONCLUSION NUMBER FOUR: WHO PAYS, THEN ORDERS MUSIC.

In addition, in the US, parents can plan to preserve their baby’s stem cells in advance - freeze cord blood. After the baby is born, the doctor clamps and cuts the umbilical cord for ten minutes and places the cord blood in a special sterile coagulant container so that the blood does not clot. Then this container is transferred to the courier, who brings it to the store where it is tested. They will not save and freeze it for years in the repository, if there is AIDS in it or something like that!

Stem cells from a newborn can save the life of both him and his loved ones. In the US, many deadly diseases are being cured using these cells. For example, a child in a family gets sick with leukemia or osteoporosis, and his parents make another child, save the umbilical cord blood, and use a couple of ounces of the newborn's umbilical cord blood to save the life of the older sick child. After all, stem cells can be turned into any organ for transplantation, into erythrocytes and leukocytes! Stem cells are much less likely to cause rejection than donated blood from strangers. They are already used to treat diabetes, sclerosis, lupus erythematosus, diseases of the oncological and immune system, rheumatoid arthritis - there is a high probability of curing patients who were considered doomed. So saving umbilical cord stem cells is like saving money for a rainy day. In the USA, this is done by the VIACORD organization.

You can immediately drop off $ 2 thousands for this service - transportation, testing, storage, or on credit, a little bit every month to unfasten. I am writing about this with knowledge, as we ourselves used the services of this service. Of course, insurance companies do not pay for this service.

The hospital takes security measures so that no one steals the child. On his legs put on a mini-sensor, which is removed only at the time of discharge. If someone tries to bring the child simply to the elevator doors, the alarm will go off. And all the doors of the hospital will be automatically locked. Paper bracelets with the mother’s name and various numbers are put on the hand of the childbirth and the baby’s leg as well, so that there is a constant record of whether a certain medicine is given to a person, whether the woman has brought her child from hospital nurseries.

I was not allowed to keep the child with me in the ward all the time. Newborns are kept in a special building, where only verified nurses can enter and enter through a door with a code. In this building - nursery - newborns are swaddled, their temperature and blood pressure are checked, their first vaccinations are given, and their blood is taken for analysis. And mothers are only allowed there when their child is in some kind of incubator. The pediatrician at the hospital also comes there and examines everyone.

The pediatrician came to my room and stunned me: “Hello, congratulations on your boy. If you are getting circumcised, my fee is $250 up front in cash or check. In general, the fashion for circumcision has passed in the USA; many people don’t do it. Here, read the article on this topic – the pros and cons. Goodbye".

It is better to know in advance how you will name the child. They will come to your ward and ask how to fill out the documents for your personal number - SSN and birth certificate. In the future, you will have to fill out a paper for a birth certificate, you can do it by mail, pay at least $ 15 (in Florida, in any case). All instructions - how to do it, you will be issued in a hospital.

Фото: Depositphotos

In an American hospital they will inform you on any topic. They will even offer the services of a photographer. And they will send young mothers a lactation nurse who will teach them how to breastfeed. And they will let you watch a video on how to care for your first child. Upon discharge, you will be given gifts in the form of formula for the baby. They are donated to the hospital by manufacturing companies, because “advertising is the engine of trade.”

Chambers for parturient women are usually on a 1 or 2 person. With TV, toilet. They will come to the hospital, read the menu, ask if it suits you or do you want something else?

In American hospitals, after a cesarean delivery woman, no more than 3 days are kept, in normal births they can be discharged on the second day.

Without a machine-cradle, in which the newborn must be fastened according to the rules, a woman in labor will not be released from the hospital. It is not customary to leave the maternity hospital with a baby in your arms and be photographed with flowers.

Both day and night, smiling nurses will come often, wake you up, measure your temperature, then take your blood pressure, then take blood for analysis, then give you medications - they will torture you, you will dream of being discharged as soon as possible. And check out with the pleasant feeling that everyone around you was jumping on their hind legs!
And the feeling of a miracle - the miracle of being a mother.

About the author: Oksana Leslie is a writer, author of the novel “Is America Mother Calling?”, Author of the popular video blog about life in the USA.

Original article published on Online Oksana Leslie and reprinted with permission of the author.

If you want to become the author of the column, send your materials to [email protected]

See also:

Personal experience. Births in the USA and medicine in the first year of a child's life

How to plan for childbirth in America: step by step instructions

Childbirth in Miami: how Russian-speaking people come to the United States for citizenship

How to cheaply cure your teeth in the USA

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