Taking the stress out of birth abroad

By Louise Ho Source:Global Times Published: 2013-5-1 17:28:01

Many expat mothers-to-be in Shanghai choose international hospitals to give birth to their babies. Photo: CFP
Many expat mothers-to-be in Shanghai choose international hospitals to give birth to their babies. Photo: CFP

For most women, giving birth is a stressful occasion. A time when they need support from family and friends and to be somewhere familiar. Giving birth in a strange country far from friends and family should be guaranteed to bring extra stress to that special occasion but the Global Times has talked to women from abroad who have given birth in Shanghai recently - and enjoyed it. Although many were cushioned by the maternity services at international hospitals here.

Parkway Health and United Family hospitals are the popular choices for Westerners here. The expat mothers said these hospitals provided them with good service and a comfortable, English-speaking environment.

Eva Luber, a 32-year-old German, gave birth to her daughter Sonea on March 8 at the Shanghai United Family Hospital on the recommendation of her relocation agency. Luber is a newcomer who arrived in Shanghai at the end of last year when she was 30 weeks' pregnant. Her husband was offered a job with a German auto supplier and they decided to settle in Shanghai.

Before she came to Shanghai she sought the advice of some German women who had given birth here and they assured her that the maternity care was good and reliable. And Luber told the Global Times that she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She had her own room at United Family and her husband stayed overnight with her during her stay at the hospital.

On the day of her delivery she was waiting for her daughter to turn because the baby was not in the right position. But her doctor was very patient the whole time.

"At 6 pm the doctor came and told me when to push. By 6:30 pm the baby was born," she said. She had no problems understanding the medical staff because they could all speak English.

Dhevi Kumar, from the US, also had her first child at Shanghai United Family Hospital after it was recommended by friends.

"I had a wonderful experience," she told the Global Times. "The staff was excellent. Everyone we encountered - doctors, midwives, nurses and support staff - was extremely competent and compassionate."

 

 

Even better

Some of the mothers who spoke to the Global Times felt the maternity services offered at international hospitals in Shanghai could even be better than in their home cities.

Kitty Lam, from Hong Kong, is a 45-year-old mother of two boys who has been living in Shanghai for five years. Two years ago, she gave birth to her second boy at the VIP clinic of the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital of China Welfare Institute on Hengshan Road. The clinic is affiliated to the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

"I chose this hospital because my friends who gave birth there said it was nice. Foreigners and people working in consulates in Shanghai also give birth there," she said.

Comparing giving birth to her elder son seven years ago at the private St Paul's Hospital in Hong Kong, she preferred giving birth in Shanghai. She paid more than 100,000 yuan ($16,220) in medical fees for her first son, but only 20,000 yuan for her second child. Both times there were cesarean deliveries.

"Although I paid more money for an individual room in Hong Kong, the service I received was not what I had expected," she said. Her doctor, on that occasion, just "lingered at the door for a short while" before leaving after she had given birth, she said. Lam's sole complaint in Shanghai concerned the cleaning which she felt was not always as efficient as it should have been.

Luber was happy with the way her obstetrician came every two hours to check on her progress. If she needed anything, she only had to ring a bell for a nurse to appear immediately.

"The nurses were constantly taking care of me while I was in labor and they don't do that in Germany," she said. And another plus for her was that the obstetrician who had looked after her while she was pregnant was on hand to deliver the baby. "This was really great because the experience of labor was more relaxed with someone I already knew."

Mei-ka Chin, a midwife consultant at Shanghai United Family Hospital, told the Global Times: "Foreigners in Shanghai like to give birth at Western hospitals because they provide an English-speaking environment and medical care that matches Western standards."

As well as English, Japanese-language services are also offered at United Family, Chin said. There is a team of five Japanese-speaking staff that offers medical and translation services to Japanese customers, she said.

Overnight rooms

Another reason why international hospitals are popular with expatriates is that they offer private rooms where husbands are allowed to stay overnight with their wives, Chin said. But high-quality maternity services at international hospitals cost a lot more although neither Luber nor Kumar had to pay a great deal because the fees were covered by insurance.

Not all Western mothers-to-be enjoy the luxury and services of Western hospitals. Some opt for the local experience at Chinese hospitals.

Raisa Zamilova, a 25-year-old Russian, gave birth to her baby boy, Tair, six months ago by cesarean section at the Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital on Changle Road. The hospital had been recommended by her Ukrainian friends. Zamilova had been studying contemporary Chinese literature at the Shanghai International Studies University for three years.

She felt that her overall treatment had been good - the staff were friendly, the doctor was very professional and spoke good English. "I really liked the doctor who was very caring, but that may be because I'm a foreigner," she told the Global Times.

She shared a room with two Chinese mothers, which was acceptable for her but she felt there was a problem with the lack of privacy in local maternity hospitals. "I felt uncomfortable that the relatives of the Chinese women stayed in the room," she said. "The relatives would sleep on the chairs at night. During the day, lots of people came in, eating and speaking loudly."

She didn't ask the Chinese families to keep the noise down because she didn't think that would help. She had been warned about the noise levels she might encounter in the Chinese hospital.

There might be a lack of privacy but the hospital bills are a great deal cheaper than those encountered at the international hospitals. She paid 5,000 yuan for a normal delivery package deal which would cost between 60,000 and 65,888 yuan at the Western hospitals. It can cost between 98,000 and 106,888 yuan for a caesarean delivery at the Western hospitals.

Chin from the Shanghai United Family Hospital said some foreigners in Shanghai chose to give birth at city hospitals because they didn't have health insurance or couldn't afford to travel to their home countries. Other women have their babies here because this is where their husband works and if they return home to have the child, the husband will miss the experience.

 

 


Enlightening experience



For some mothers-to-be, Shanghai can be an enlightening experience. After Luber arrived in Shanghai she made use of the time before she gave birth to make friends, go to yoga and Chinese classes and explore the city. "I'm really happy that I have chosen to have my baby in Shanghai," she said.

The international hospitals report that their clientele is changing as Chinese residents grow more affluent. Chin said the number of babies delivered by the hospital rose from 147 in 2005 to 826 in 2012. In the past, 80 percent of the births were expatriate babies, but last year 60 percent of the births were Chinese.

"The number of Westerners who gave birth at our hospital has not dropped - rather the number of Chinese giving birth here has increased," she said.

On Valentine's Day this year, a 33-year-old Chinese mother from Hangzhou gave birth to a baby girl by cesarean section at the Shanghai United Family Hospital. "I'm willing to pay more for good service - it's worth the money," she said.



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