Pregnancy and Birth Abroad
Posted by HalloCaSmiles@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 17 comments
Hello! So I have German citizenship through my father and I have visited but never resided there. My Oma does live there in Frankfurt but I cannot stay there with her. I live in Texas and in no way, shape, or form, want to have a child here. It's expensive and there's no support system in place. The maternal risk is also very high here. Also, no one would really be able to take care of me and the baby here while I recover after. My husband has to go to work.
My husband and I are trying to figure out what would be the best place abroad for me to reside while pregnant and to have the child and recover after. I am a high-risk pregnancy. I have a blood disorder and diabetes. This will be my first and only child.
novacgal@reddit
Is moving to a maternity friendly U.S. state not an option? As the prior commenter mentioned it will be difficult and expensive to seek care abroad without insurance and the language barrier- unless you are fluent in German that doesn’t seem like the best option.
Hot_Catch6440@reddit
I question her premise regarding maternal mortality in Texas. Google the statistics.
DaleAguaAlMono@reddit
Wanting to pay TX low taxes, but wanting to get services offered in some high taxes countries without paying for them. So cute...
oils-and-opioids@reddit
I love that sort of entitlement. Texas is peak "you get what you pay for" energy.
oils-and-opioids@reddit
This idea is ridiculous. Just because Texas is an awful place to live, have a baby and raise a family doesn't mean there aren't perfectly safe places in the US to have a child, especially in the northern states. Why on earth is moving to a foreign country you've never been to better for you and your baby than moving to a state where at least your medical records are portable and your doctor might be able to recommend specialists in different states.
So you're going abroad to stay where? Who is going to stay with you and care for you and the baby in a foreign country where you know absolutely no one?
Speaking as someone in Germany, Germany will expect you to care for yourself and deal with your baby. They're not going to pay for someone to care for you both. If you think they or any other foreign country will provide that for free you have a very warped idea of universal healthcare.
Stay in the US, move to a different state. Have your husband start applying for work in a different state now. Look for housing up north now.
Top-Half7224@reddit
What on earth makes you think moving to a different country alone is going to be more stable than near your husband and support network? Relocate to a nearby city if you need to access more resources. Also, you can't just rock up to a country you have never lived in and expect them to support a new mother. What entitlement!
GZHotwater@reddit
So if your husband has to work who is going to travel abroad with you to support you while you’re pregnant?
You mention Texas being expensive. Anywhere you go abroad will be private treatment and none of that will be cheap. Also you’ll face language difficulties in most of “abroad”. If on your own then you’re going to have to pay for any support that you’ll need pre and post natal. Have you also considered how long you’ll need to be abroad? None of it will be cheap.
I’m sorry but it doesn’t sound like you’ve thought this through in any detail.
ak4338@reddit
I mean, even paying private in Germany, I imagine it'll still be cheaper than giving birth in the States, which can cost tends of thousands for an uncomplicated birth, more than a million if a NICU is needed.
GZHotwater@reddit
I would imagine it is a lot cheaper than the US (Germany approx €6,000-€12,000 for maternity care, upper end includes caesarean) and her citizenship gets around any visa concerns. Though how much to pay for support outside the medical care? She’d already says that even having her Oma (Grandmother) there she’d have zero support. What happens if something goes badly wrong and she needs someone to take medical decisions for her?
FlippinHeckles@reddit
What you mean by support system? Family? Friends?
Living is expensive wherever you go in a western country.
Germany has a “free” (high taxes) public health system. It’s medical facilities and care are generally good.
Switching residency just to have a baby seems like a not very stable thing to be doing. Transitioning to a new culture and language takes time and effort. You may not have a friends network quickly. Germans are not quick to establish friendships.
When your baby is born you will be with other mothers not of your culture at crawl groups. Though this is an opportunity to learn language and meet people.
What will your partner do? Does he speak German? German unemployment rates are quite high.
Things to think about.
ak4338@reddit
My understanding is that Germany does have a tax treaty with the US, so I don't think double taxation is an issue, especially if she's not going to be working in Germany.
New_Criticism9389@reddit
If you haven’t worked in Germany/paid taxes, you can still use the public system but you’ll have to pay—it will not be “free.” There could also be some bureaucracy involved and it could take some time for you to be registered and whatnot. That being said, without strong German skills, I would recommend a private hospital that is used to dealing with foreign patients (this shouldn’t be too difficult to find in Frankfurt or any major German city).
Objective_Ad_1991@reddit
German healthcare system is not very friendly to those who do not speak German. Private clinics etc are probably possible but if you are EU citizenship you may also explore opportunities in other countries.
Hot_Catch6440@reddit
If she has to pay for a private clinic, she should stay put. Also, to bring the baby back to the States, she going to have to go through the whole registration of a birth abroad and passport application. I have no idea what the current timeline is for that.
Hot_Catch6440@reddit
Would you even be able to access the public healthcare system without establishing a minimum period of residency and paying the related tax/contribution?
Entebarn@reddit
Look at South Korea. Their post partum centers are top notch.
lazysundae99@reddit
If you're a high risk pregnancy, how are you going to get from Texas to Europe? Also you haven't established insurance/a doctor in Germany, transfering your medical records abroad is not so easy, the language barrier is real (I live in the Netherlands, which has the highest percentage of English as a second language, but the level varies wildly and my bf has to go with me to the doctor to ensure nothing gets lost in translation).
I think your better plan is to seek out a weekend health center as close as you can find to you in Texas, and then figure out long term how to get out of Texas and closer to a support network.