Moving abroad at 6 months pregnant had me all kinds of stressed, and honestly a little crazy (although if you ask James he’d probably say a lot crazy haha). And whilst I was initially worried about the logistics of moving, my thoughts shifted towards giving birth abroad shortly after the move. Our first worry was whether or not we would be covered under insurance, since I was already pregnant, and whether I would have to consider moving at a later date if not. Thankfully, insurance companies are not able to class pregnancy as a pre-existing condition and refuse coverage. So our plans of moving together, and having our baby in the US were all good.

In England I had been advised that I should have a scheduled C-section, but I wasn’t sure what would be recommended in the US, and couldn’t find out much online. I had to wait until I had seen a doctor here to gain more information. As it is, both countries follow similar guidelines on repeat C-sections, so that was the path we followed. 

Fun fact: all three girls have been born via C-section. Emma was an emergency as she was breech, Aubrey was also breech, and it was recommended that London be born via C-section too.

I can’t comment too much on the differences in care received during pregnancy from US to UK, as I only experienced a couple of months over here. However, I will say that you get to see your care provider far more frequently. I had visits every two weeks, until the final four weeks when it changed to weekly. I wasn’t seen that often in the UK with my other two pregnancies. In addition to this, they also recommended more pregnancy screening tests than in the UK. I can’t remember what they were, but I’d done all the recommended screening in England, and these were in addition to those. 

Other than that the care seemed pretty similar; regular blood tests, blood pressure checks, glucose tests etc. I didn’t have regular physical examinations as I was scheduled for a C-section, but they were offered! In England I only had a physical examination whilst in labour.

The biggest difference between my two births in England, and the one here, has got to be cost. Having London cost us circa $7000, and that was with insurance! That figure also doesn’t include all of my prescription costs during the last three months of pregnancy, and after she was born. Other than car park charges my other births didn’t cost me a penny, and my prescriptions were free whilst pregnant with them, and for the year after they were born (thank you NHS!). 

There were however other differences. In England the hospitals are pretty happy to let you home shortly after a C-section; with Aubrey I was home the next day. Over here though, I had to fight really hard to go home after two days, and I was told the recommended stay was five days! I’m aware that a C-section is major surgery, but it was killing me having to say goodbye to my girls and James each time they had to go. I was so desperate to be home with them.

The time immediately after birth was also very different here. I got skin-to-skin relatively quickly (though not as quick as in England). However in England once the girls were put on my chest that’s where they stayed until I was moved rooms, when they were temporarily put in a cot to be moved, and were put back on me ASAP (I requested as much skin-to-skin as possible all three times). Over here I only got a couple of minutes of skin-to-skin before being told I needed to put London down whilst they finished my stitches etc (I’m not entirely sure why I couldn’t have this done whilst holding her –  but hey, I went with it). 

Once my surgery was complete I expected to be taken to recovery where I could hold London and try to feed her, as that is what I’d experienced with my other births. I was wrong. They whisked London off to the nursery, without telling me what was going on or what they were doing. Luckily James ran after the nurse so that he could be with London. 

It was roughly an hour before I saw her again, and I spent that hour constantly requesting that she was brought back to me, and that anything that wasn’t urgent could be done at a later time. James was also asking the nurse if he could take her to me, and the nurse kept saying she’d only be a minute. I’m not sure if this is standard practice over here or not, but I’m in the process of complaining, because I really wasn’t happy with it. The time immediately after birth is so important, especially for establishing breastfeeding, and I spent it fighting to have my daughter brought back to me.

From my experience, the nurses take your baby away (to the nursery) more over here. There are lots of little checks they do on babies after they’re born. In England these were always done in my room, or I went with them (once I was up and walking), whereas over here they took London to the nursery each time. After my initial experience with her going to the nursery, I really hated each time they told me they needed to take her. 

Hospital food was also quite different here; instead of the cuppa and toast I’d had with the girls, I was given a menu and a number to call for room service. I didn’t actually eat the hospital food the first day as James fetched the older girls, and came back with coffee and doughnuts (I knew I married him for a reason). However, the menu had a pretty good selection and the food wasn’t too bad. 

The hospital facilities were also unlike those in England. I don’t know if it’s the same for all hospitals, but the one where I gave birth didn’t have a maternity ward, it was all private rooms. In England you don’t usually get a private room unless you pay, or there’s other circumstances (I was given one when I had Emma, but I believe that was due to my age). 

My room here was well kitted out; it had a sofa that pulled out into a bed for your partner (we didn’t use it as James went home to be with the girls), an armchair, TV, and private bathroom. The room I had in England after giving birth to Emma had a chair and access to a shared bathroom and not much else, from what I can recall. 

I also had nurses come in and check on me far more frequently this time around. From memory the nurses only popped in when I needed medication (or something to that effect), or if I called them England. Whereas here they would come in routinely, check I was doing well, refill my water, ask how often London had fed, and ask about her bowel movements. As well as changing my bedding, administering medication, and any other medical things that needed doing. It was reassuring to have the nurses more present.

Speaking of more present nurses, within the first 24 hours after London’s birth, a nurse came round with a bath, and cleaned her up. Again, not something I’ve experienced in England.

Overall I can’t say the birth experience here was either more positive, or more negative than my births in England, but it was quite different. And if money wasn’t a factor, it would be hard to choose between them. As it is though, I’d rather keep the $ for other experiences with my kids, and give birth in England.

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