Canada has become a leader among countries with the lowest child mortality. Here they learned to raise even the most premature babies. Giving birth in Canada in 2023 is not a fad, but the choice of the safest option for the child and the expectant mother.
Advantages
In Canada, the health care system is a little different from ours. The content itself in the maternity hospital is much freer:
- It is allowed to be present at childbirth. Not only a husband can be nearby, but also a mother, sister, friend. You can take anyone whose support you consider important. You can order a special ward where a man can stay with the mother and child.
- It is allowed to receive visitors until 9 o’clock in the evening. This is very different from our maternity hospitals, where there is complete isolation from the outside world.
- Quick checkout. If you give birth in the morning, you can go home in the evening. After cesarean section, the discharge takes place on the third day.
- Anesthesia is given at the request of the woman in labor, but mostly natural childbirth. In special cases, the doctor can advise, but the decision is still made by the mother in labor independently.
- Children are always with their mother. After childbirth, skin to skin is applied, then all the necessary procedures are carried out right in the ward. Separation is possible only if the mother or the child needs special help. At the same time, the father has the right to stay with the child.
- Each maternity ward has a bathroom. 2 hours after giving birth, the young mother is allowed to wash. It seems like a small thing, but cleanliness makes you feel completely different.
- Food is brought directly to the ward. There is no need to stand in line for your portion.
There are many advantages, so many people want to come here to give birth in 2023.
Training plan
To give birth in Canada, it will not be possible to come as a simple tourist and go to the maternity hospital. Necessary preliminary preparation:
- Choice of hospital. There are well-known giants, such as North York General, but you can also use the services of lesser-known clinics.
- Hospital websites always have a list of doctors. It is necessary to choose in advance the one who will take delivery. Before deciding anything, be sure to talk to your doctor. Some do not want to host foreigners or simply do not have free time. Obtaining the doctor’s consent is a mandatory condition.
- Obtaining a visa. Do not hide the purpose of the visit. A letter from a doctor and a check for payment of services will greatly simplify the process of obtaining a visa to Canada. All other documents for obtaining a visa to Canada are standard.
- Some airlines refuse to carry pregnant women over 28 weeks. Before buying tickets, check this information, especially if you are planning a connecting flight. Being stuck at the airport will be very unpleasant and not at all useful for the woman in labor.
- A good knowledge of the language will be a plus, but if you don’t have it, arrange an interpreter in advance. He can be with you throughout your stay in the country.
- When checking out, a car seat must be in the car. The nurse must check whether it is correctly installed in the car and how the child is fastened. They will not let you out without a seat, as the child’s safety comes first there.
In general, it is not so difficult to solve all the issues. The main thing is to start preparing in advance. The sooner the decision is made to give birth in Canada, the more time there will be, and everything will go much more smoothly.
Peculiarities of obstetrics
Unlike many other countries, home births are legal here. Midwives who work in hospitals also give birth at home. You can choose both the traditional option and in the water, in a vertical position.
It is not possible to go to the hospital in advance, only if there are medical indications for this. When seizures begin, call your doctor, he will tell you whether to go or wait a little longer. You have to get there yourself.
Upon arrival, they are immediately registered in the maternity ward. Sensors are attached to monitor the condition of the child and the expectant mother. If the pressure jumps, it is corrected with injections. Anesthesia can be done if desired. A husband or other relative can be around all the time. Here, it will seem strange if the woman in labor is alone at the critical moment.
After birth, the child is given to the mother, and the father can cut the umbilical cord himself. 2 hours after giving birth, they will help you get up and go to the bathroom. Documents are drawn up directly at the birth office, parents receive a birth certificate indicating the place and time. After they are transferred to the ward. You can pay for a separate or family room, but even in a shared room, everyone is separated by curtains or a screen. On the same day, they take blood for tests, if everything is in order, they are discharged by the evening or the next day.
Cost
Citizens of the country and residents pay taxes, so they receive free medical care. Medicine is paid for all non-residents. If the determination to give birth in Canada has not faded, the cost will depend on the chosen clinic and the necessary services. At a minimum, everything will cost 13,000 CAD. This amount will include:
- 2,000 CAD for delivery by a doctor. Tariffs increase at night.
- 3,600 CAD per day of hospital stay.
- Anesthesia will cost 750 CAD, but you can not do it.
- From 2,500 CAD for a child’s examination by a pediatrician.
- CAD 150 for each prenatal visit.
- 575 CAD, taking bilirubin tests and checking for diseases;
- 500 CAD surgical team services in case of caesarean section.
Multiple pregnancy increases all costs by approximately 40%. You don’t want to think about the bad, but you need to weigh everything and be ready for big sums. Both mother and child may need additional medical care.
This is only the cost of hospital stay. In addition, it is necessary to hire housing. You need to count on at least 3 months. You will also need your own transport. If you call the emergency services, they will take you to the nearest clinic, and you will not be able to get to your doctor. On average, childbirth in Canada will cost about 50,000 CAD. This amount includes all expenses, including the return flight.
All unforeseen costs will be invoiced. There may be a desire not to pay it, but this will entail consequences. An unpaid bill may result in a Canadian visa being refused. Considering the citizenship of the child, this is an undesirable result.
Children born in Canada can obtain citizenship immediately or claim their rights as an adult. It does not give parents any privileges, except for the highest quality medical care. Many companies offer special tours, freeing pregnant women from extra hassles. Giving birth in Canada is a great choice and wide opportunities for the child.