What is the process and experience of having a baby abroad?

From the early stages of pregnancy to now, I have received help from many experienced mothers and have a successful delivery, so I would like to share my experience. At the same time, some mothers have not yet fully understood the process and experience of having a baby abroad. I hope that through this article, you can have a preliminary understanding of the process and experience of having a baby abroad.

I am an international student studying in Vancouver, Canada. My husband also graduated from SFU in Vancouver and has been working for many years. As soon as I got pregnant, we contacted the hospital to find a doctor for examination. However, you can't just go to any hospital in Canada (you can't go in until the moment of birth). Generally, you should go to the clinic to find a family doctor with an obstetric license. This is the doctor who will take care of you throughout your pregnancy and help you deliver the baby. In Canada, there are three types of doctors you can find, one is an OB (obstetric specialist, the kind of doctor who can perform surgery on the operating table), the second is a family doctor, and the third is a midwife. You can choose one of the three, and all are covered by BCMSP medical insurance. However, I chose a family doctor, who is one of the two doctors in Vancouver who can speak Chinese (after all, it is really difficult for me to communicate with you in depth if you tell me your condition in English [laughing and crying R]). Then your family doctor will give you a blood test order, asking you to go to Lifelab for a blood test to confirm whether you are pregnant, and a B-ultrasound order, asking you to go to another place to make an appointment for a B-ultrasound. The whole appointment plus the time for the examination and results exceeded 10 days, so our first thought was to fly back to China to see a doctor. After all, in China, the results can be known on the same day of the appointment. So I completed all the examinations in the first three months of pregnancy in China.

The process of having a baby abroad

1. The beginning of the journey.

That’s how my pregnancy journey began (happy). The first B-ultrasound in China showed that the baby was already more than 9 weeks pregnant (actually more than 7 weeks). The gestational period is counted from the first day of your last menstrual period. In China, if you have a doctor you are familiar with, you don’t need to make an appointment or queue up. The doctor will take you to a B-ultrasound room, and family members are not allowed to enter. Then, a layer of coupling agent is applied on your belly, and the B-ultrasound instrument is placed on your belly to detect the baby. The first B-ultrasound will generally check how big the baby is, whether the pregnancy is normal, and whether the baby has a heartbeat, to rule out the possibility of ectopic pregnancy.

2. NT examination.

The second ultrasound is scheduled at about 12 weeks, which is the best time to measure the baby's NT value. The NT test must be done. NT refers to the thickness of the subcutaneous tissue at the back of the fetus's neck. If the baby has Down syndrome or poor heart development, chromosomal abnormalities, the nuchal translucency will increase. The normal NT value: less than or equal to 2.5. At that time, I checked it out to be about 2.3, which was close to the critical point, so the doctor immediately arranged a genetic test for me.

3. Genetic testing.

It is also called non-invasive DNA test. It does not require amniocentesis. It only requires the mother to draw blood. This technology can detect whether the baby has Down syndrome with an accuracy rate of up to 99%. Hospitals in several major cities in China send blood samples to Shenzhen BGI for testing. This is a self-funded project, and the cost is about 2,500 RMB. The report came out 2 weeks after I finished the test, showing that the baby was fine. It was really a false alarm, so mothers don’t have to worry too much, just relax.

4. Prepare delivery bag and baby items.

This is a grand topic (smile). If you want to be a perfect mother, there are of course many things you need to prepare for your baby, but due to limited space, I will only write down the things I particularly want to recommend!

(1) Delivery bag: Sanyo delivery bag (made in Japan, about 500 RMB) is recommended

(2) Anti-stretch mark cream: I recommend Mama Mio (made in the UK, also used by Victoria Beckham, slightly more expensive, about 1,000 per set)

Recommended Palmers (Made in the United States, cost-effective, about 100/set)

(3) Bottle: We recommend Betta (made in Japan, the Hermes of baby bottles, a set costs about 1000 RMB/set)

Recommend Dr.brown's (made in the United States, about 70rmb/piece)

Recommended Tommee tippee (Made in the UK, 150-year-old brand, about 280rmb/set)

(4) Baby clothes: Recommended: Yingshi (made in China, good-looking, comfortable texture)

Recommended Habaobei (made in China, good looking)

(5) Blanket: Recommended: Yingshi (Made in China, good-looking, comfortable texture, thick and suitable for winter, about 500 RMB)

Recommended swaddle (made in the United States, good-looking, thin and soft! Suitable for summer, about 300rmb)

(6) Breast pump: Medela is recommended (made in Switzerland, single-head or double-head, electric with massage function, about 2000 RMB)

(7) Car seat: We recommend Nuna (Made in China, sturdy, with sunshade cover, about 420 cad)

Recommend Maxi cosi (Made in Northern Europe, many colors to choose from, the choice of most North American mothers, about 350 cad)

(8) Baby stroller: Recommended: Bugaboo bee5 (Made in Europe, lighter, color can be freely matched, about 1000 cad)

Recommended Stokke Xplory (made in Northern Europe, heavier, same as celebrities, about 1500 cad)

(9) Abdominal belt and pelvic belt: Sanyo (made in Japan, about 330+260 RMB) is recommended

5. Take a flight back to Vancouver.

You can fly after 3 months of pregnancy. It is very safe and the customs clearance is also smooth.

6. After returning to Canada, you should immediately make an appointment with your family doctor and report to her.

At this time, she will give you a list and ask you to go to Lifelab for a routine blood test, and will also give you another list for a third ultrasound. In foreign countries, fathers can accompany their babies for the ultrasound. This time, fathers can clearly see the baby's hands, feet, back, and head on the screen, which is super cute. This time, the ultrasound examiner will look at the baby's limb development, back development, and head development. Of course, he can also see whether it is a boy or a girl. The whole process takes up to 25 minutes, and it is very careful. Then the report will be sent back to your family doctor for the final diagnosis. One month after this routine visit, you can report to your family doctor again.

7. Yoga for prenatal care.

I started practicing prenatal yoga at 4 months, with the goal of opening my pelvis and exercising my lower body muscles, so that I could give birth faster and better. There are many yoga studios in Vancouver, but the teaching quality varies. Fortunately, I found a professional and responsible private instructor. Her goal for me was to have a natural birth, no pain relief, no episiotomy, no tearing, and a short push birth (her pregnant student only took 25 minutes to push birth, which is my goal). I insisted on one-on-one training twice a week, the cost was (120 dollars/time), and my physical fitness really improved significantly after 6 months, especially when I was 7 months pregnant, the doctor told me that the baby's fetal head was facing downwards, the fetal position was very good, and it was suitable for a natural birth. So it is recommended that mothers who want to learn prenatal yoga should find a private instructor.

[What I want to share here is that I felt no pain before I was 3 fingers dilated. It took only an hour and a half to dilate from 5 to 8 fingers, and it took about 20 minutes to dilate from 8 to 10 fingers. The final push took less than 30 minutes. The whole delivery process was very smooth, and it was not as painful as I imagined.]

8. Four-dimensional B-ultrasound.

At 20 weeks, it is suitable to do the first 4D B-ultrasound to observe the baby's whole body, check the gender, and take a full-body photo of the baby. However, the 4D B-ultrasound is not covered by family doctors in Vancouver, nor is it covered by medical insurance. You have to go out to do it at your own expense. I went to UCBABY in Richmond, and the cost was about 198 cad. At about 30 weeks, it is suitable to do the second 4D B-ultrasound. At this time, it is mainly to observe the baby's face, take photos and videos, and the baby's appearance is very close to that at birth. You can buy a package for the two times, which costs about 298 cad.

9. Antenatal classes.

I think this is a very necessary thing. New mothers will inevitably have unknown fears about childbirth. Prenatal classes can help them correctly understand pregnancy diet, hospital policies, the birth process, how to breastfeed, how much to feed, and many other things that mothers want to know. There is a very famous prenatal class in Vancouver. I won’t mention the name. The fee is about 235 cad. It is a 3-day course, and the expectant mother and father can go together.

10. Routine inspection.

Starting from the 35th week, your family doctor will ask you to go for a routine checkup once a week. This includes measuring blood pressure, measuring fetal length, measuring the baby's heartbeat, and feeling the baby's position (whether the head is facing down, where the back is, to guess whether you can have a natural birth or a cesarean section). By the way, you will also need to do an internal examination at the 35th week to check for GBS, that is, whether there is a streptococcal infection.

11. Internal examination massage.

At 38 weeks, it was time for the most terrifying moment in the legend - internal examination. To put it simply, the doctor puts two or more fingers under your vagina and presses up and down, left and right. You can imagine how painful it is. The purpose of internal examination is twofold: one is to induce labor, and the other is to check for dilation. Fortunately, at 38 weeks, I was told that I was one finger dilated. Three days later, when I went for internal examination, the doctor said that I was three fingers dilated.

12. About the hospital.

Finally, the hospital you give birth in is assigned based on where you live. Those who live in Richmond will go to Richmond hospital; those who live in Vancouver will go to BCwoman; those who live in Burnaby will go to Burnaby hospital. In the early stages of your pregnancy, your family doctor will help you reserve a bed based on the due date. If there is a BCMSP, the cost will be covered by medical insurance. If there is no BCMSP, the cost is about $15,000 or more. The hospitals here are very humane. I went to Richmond hospital. The rooms are all single rooms, and I will not be affected by the emotions of other mothers. From admission to delivery, postpartum rest and observation, to discharge, I have been living in this room, without moving. If the father wants to accompany you, he can add an extra bed in the room. Before giving birth, the nurses will take care of you one-on-one. The hospital will provide three meals a day after delivery, as well as the necessities of the baby and the mother, such as diapers, Vaseline, breast pumps, milk, nipple cream, sanitary napkins, small bottles for flushing wounds, etc. The delivery bag you need to prepare to bring to the hospital is as follows

(1) Baby supplies: clothes x2; blankets x2; car seat (you must have these to be discharged from the hospital);

(2) Adult supplies: long-sleeved shirt, pants, socks x 2; slippers; mobile phone charger; toothbrush; blanket; thermos cup;

The above is my small experience from 10 months of pregnancy to a successful birth abroad. Since I became pregnant, I have received guidance and help from many experienced mothers. Pregnant mothers are very confused in the early stage because they have no experience, so I really hope to share my experience here to help more people. It is purely my personal understanding and experience, please forgive me if there is a slight deviation! I hope it can help you! I wish you a smooth birth.