Giving birth in China

[expatmommy]

Does anyone have any experience on giving birth in China? I'm wondering if it is treated like a very medical experience, or if there is a more natural approach possible?

[MamaRabbit]

High C/S rates and highly medicalized. We have quite a few women fly here (Thailand) to have their babies. If you can say what area you're in China, you may get recommendations for options.

[expatmommy]

Beijing.

I have a friend who knows another expat who apparently had a homebirth. Unfortunately, she has lost touch with this woman, so I have no way to find out more info.

[donutmolly]

I know a woman who has had both babies in China (in Beijing), she could give you a first-hand idea of what it's like. She did the Beijing Int'l hospital route and had 2 c/s ... yes, very medicalized "special" treatment, esp. for foreigners. PM me if you'd like her email address, she's a very AP mama.

There is an American midwife who may or may not still be in Beijing, I can look for her info as well...

I am a former expat who chose to go back to the US for both of my births, because I wanted homebirths with reliable options to transfer. But, going home was an option for me...

There is another mama on mdc who is a Beijing expat mama, I'm sure she'll chime in soon!

Best wishes! I remember so well the difficulties we had in deciding what to do!

[Lizbiz]

Hey - I'm in China and very interested in this post - I hope somebody sees it and responds. I don't have much help to give - I had my first in the States, but we're ttc #2 this Spring and we'll still be here. I'd like to deliver here, but at home (had a homebirth with #1). No idea how this will work. Honestly? Being in a Chinese hospital to deliver scares the be-jeepers out of me. I don't think Chinese hospitals are incompetent (the good hospitals, anyway), I just think culturally it would be really hard. I speak some Chinese and could communicate with a doctor - but the concept of authority is really dif't here. Questioning the doctor's orders would be tough to navigate with the importance of saving face. I have also heard it's pretty medicalised. My (currently rather weak) plan is to find a western midwife (somehow, I have no idea how) and convince her to attend my homebirth. Yeah, I'm gonna need some luck.

If you're interested, I do have a list of 'good' hospitals in Shanghai and Beijing (I just know that foreigners here trust these hospitals, not that they are necessarily pro-natural birth). Many women also go to Hong Kong to deliver, but I'm sure they go to the hospitals there and I'm not so sure they have a natural mindset. As I find out more, I'll post.

[lioralourie]

I live in Beijing the past 3 years. And Shanghai 2.5 years before that. I have a short list of all the "Birth Options" in China...doulas, water birthing hospitals, and pro-natural birth docs (and a midwife proper in Yunnan province) I can send you. Please PM me so we can get in touch!!

And if you're interested in organic and natural living in BJ, join my Beijing Organic yahoo group, too. 375 members or so.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group...anic_consumers

Liora in Beijing

(Unassisted home birther, due with #3 peanut in February!)

[lioralourie]

Originally Posted by expatmommy

Beijing.

I have a friend who knows another expat who apparently had a homebirth. Unfortunately, she has lost touch with this woman, so I have no way to find out more info.

I had a home birth (unassisted). So did one of the Beijing LLL leaders here (unassisted, twice I believe). So did another expat woman, a doctor, with the Yunnan Province midwife in attendance.

And I know a couple in SH, too. So it DOES happen here! hee hee

Liora

[Mei Mei]

I'm 12 weeks along with my first and it looks like I'll be delivering in Shanghai.

While I'm not insistent on a homebirth, I would at least like to feel comfortable, and as though my wishes are respected, which I think will be hard to achieve even in a western-style hospital or clinic. May I have some information about who to contact here in Shanghai? It seems like some of you know of some ways where a natural birth may be possible without me feeling stressed and pressured by a doctor the whole time.

Thanks in advance!

[lioralourie]

PMing you with doula etc. details.

liora in Beijing

[SAmama]

Liora, would you pm me with the detail for the midwife in Yunnan? We live here and I have an expat friend who is expecting. She has had two home births and would love another one, if possible. She is also looking at UC.

[kattyta]

in Guangzhou

Hi,
I am now in GZ pregnant with my 3rd baby. The other 2 were born in Scotland. One of them was a home birth & I loved it!!! I would really like this 3rd one to be born at home too and I hope to find a doctor to come to my house for the birth. Do you happen to know anything about cases of homebirth in GZ????
Kat

Originally Posted by lioralourie

I had a home birth (unassisted). So did one of the Beijing LLL leaders here (unassisted, twice I believe). So did another expat woman, a doctor, with the Yunnan Province midwife in attendance.

And I know a couple in SH, too. So it DOES happen here! hee hee

Liora

[lioralourie]

sorry, I don't know anything about Guangzhou

but in my experience, it is VERY worthwhile to ask a doctor directly. If you can find one, say, head of the department, who really believes in natural birth he just might attend you at home, and bring some emergency equipment etc. You might even get a Chinese birth certificate out of the deal! I have heard that 5000 kwai will buy you such a scenario.

Is there a water birthing hospital or some such thing in GZ?

[proudmomof4]

@MeiMei: There are several LLL group meetings (English and Chinese) in Shanghai, I'd be happy to PM you the meeting information. You should be able to get in touch with other mothers there and gather some information on childbirth options after the "official part" of the meeting.

[lioralourie]

he MeiMei and anyone else interested, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShanghaiMamas is a great group of mamas, mostly expat (English speaking forum)

Searching their archives will get you lots of stories about Peace Maternity, Changning Maternity hospital (water birth avaialble there) SH United Family HOspital, and more.

Search for Shanghai Doulas and you'll find a doula practice with 3 doulas there too.

best,
liora in beijing

[YPB]

Originally Posted by kattyta

Hi,
I am now in GZ pregnant with my 3rd baby. The other 2 were born in Scotland. One of them was a home birth & I loved it!!! I would really like this 3rd one to be born at home too and I hope to find a doctor to come to my house for the birth. Do you happen to know anything about cases of homebirth in GZ????
Kat

Hello kattyta,
my name is yelli and i'm living in foshan...
I am pregnant with our first child... 23 weeks, and we are very happy
I am trying to locate a midwife or doula in our area that can speak Inglish, and that can join me to the hospital when the time come.
I would love to have a Home-birth, but i am not sure i can find a doctor to help me
if you have some informtion, i'll be very happy to hear from you!
thank you
yelli

[SheZook]

Interested...

Hi all,

I stumbled across this thread by chance and it's really got me thinking now...
I'm an Australian woman married to a Chinese man and we are living in Yangshuo, Guangxi province. I'm currently 6 weeks pregnant (our first), due on February 24, 2010.
Up until just now I had resigned myself to having to give birth in a Chinese hospital - we were planning on going to the Military Hospital in Guilin (about 1.5hrs from our home) as the local hospitals here in Yangshuo are appalling.
The idea of a homebirth intrigues me - I had never considered this option as I had simply assumed it wouldn't be possible here (shame on me!). It's definitely something I would prefer. I want both my husband and my mother (who will be coming to stay with us) present at the birth.
I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who has had a homebirth in China (assisted or not) who can point me in the right direction for information or who may be willing to share their own experiences. I'd also be very interested in finding an English-speaking midwife who may be available in my area.
Straying slightly from this thread, I'd also love to hear from anyone who has experience in dealing with a Chinese MIL regarding pregnancies and babies. We haven't told my husband's parents yet as we are both hoping to hold off the onslaught of "motherly advice" for as long as possible.

[proudmomof4]

First of all: congratulations!

For your postnatal support, there is LLL in China (www.llli.org, select "China" under "choose a country") but I'm not all too familiar with the geography here so I don't know the closest group to you.

I've heard that in Chinese medicine a woman postpartum is considered weak and vulnerable which often seems to lead to the conclusion that she is simply too weak, exhausted ... to produce an adaequate supply of milk for her baby. Mind you: I "heard" this and I am not sure how accurate that really is - but it still sounds as if it were a good idea to build up a support system while you are still pregnant.
Again, LLL might be a good place to start - there were "cases" like yours (woman from abroad married to a Chinese man) in the Shanghai group.

[froglegs]

lioralourie;12395786]I live in Beijing the past 3 years. And Shanghai 2.5 years before that. I have a short list of all the "Birth Options" in China...doulas, water birthing hospitals, and pro-natural birth docs (and a midwife proper in Yunnan province) I can send you. Please PM me so we can get in touch!!
[/I]

Hi, i am pregnant with my second baby, and am planning to deliver in Shanghai preferably at home, I would love for you to give me those birth options too!!

I live in pudong, do you have any good maternity hospitals to recommend for the follow up of the pregnancy? My insurance doesn't cover the really expensive western ones.

Thanks!

[proudmomof4]

I know that many Western women opt for the Shanghai United Family Hospital but I don't have any experiences of my own here. As I said, the LLL groups in Shanghai should be a good place to start gathering information. There is an English-speaking meeting at the UFH (see LLLI homepage or I'll PM it to you).

[froglegs]

I just had a feedback from one of the LLL leaders in Shanghai but she was unable to give me any info concerning homebirth possibilities in Shanghai.

My plan is as follows: if the pregnancy is a normal one, I want to find a midewife (filipino, western...) and deliver at home and be followed by a close by hospital ( in case of emergency).

Eventually I'll have to figure out the procedure to register a home born baby at the consulate. But I suppose that if I follow up the pregnancy at a Shanghai hospital it shouldn't be a problem. After all it must happen from time to time that expat moms deliver even by accident in a car on the way to the hospital or at home... ; )