Childbirth in the USA is not a fashion statement, but care for your child's future
1. Citizenship
There is a legal term "jus soli," which literally translates as "right of the soil" – it is the automatic acquisition of citizenship by any person born in the territory of a country. The USA and Canada are currently the only highly developed countries where the principle of birthright citizenship unconditionally applies. Previously, Australia was also among these countries, but at the end of the 20th century, this method of obtaining citizenship was abolished there.
Any person born in the territory of the United States of America becomes a US citizen from the moment of birth. It is also worth noting that a child whose parents are Russian citizens automatically receives Russian citizenship at birth, without any restrictions. American citizenship is a kind of bonus that can be renounced if desired.
Contrary to popular misconception, traveling to the USA for childbirth is completely legal, and the purpose of the trip "childbirth" is not a reason for denial of a US visa.
2. Medicine
Let's be objective – we should not call the level of medicine in the USA the best in the world, as is sometimes seen in advertising. Moreover, the USA is not even in the top 10 countries with the best medicine in the world (recently, Asian countries have been leading the ranking). However, the level of medicine, statistics on postpartum complications, and infant mortality rates in the USA are significantly better than those in Russia.
3. Service and attitude of medical staff
In reviews about childbirth in the USA, women who have experience giving birth both in Russia and in the USA say that the USA in this regard is an entirely different dimension of comfort and attitude of medical staff towards patients.
4. Rest and new horizons
It does not matter which city and state in the USA you choose for childbirth. Whether it is Florida and Miami with a warm ocean and a large Russian-speaking diaspora, California and Los Angeles with trendy parties and pleasant climate, or Utah and Salt Lake City with mountain peaks and clean air – in any case, with proper and timely organization of a trip to the USA for childbirth, it will be a wonderful vacation before and after the important event, as well as an unforgettable new experience. An experience that can literally open new horizons in life.
Undoubtedly, women who travel to America for childbirth are usually those who travel quite often and visit other countries. But it is one thing to visit another country for a week as a tourist, and quite another to live for several months and see local life "from the inside." According to people who have lived in the USA for several months, their attitude towards many things changes, sometimes radically.
5. Prices
Undoubtedly, childbirth in the USA is not cheap. But at the same time, it is not the domain of millionaires, as it might seem.
Firstly, the price of medical services themselves, as well as the cost of living, strongly depends on the chosen city and state. For example, childbirth in Salt Lake City, with the best statistics in the USA for natural births (only 18% of births are by cesarean section) and many other advantages, is cheaper than in many other popular US cities with similar, and in many ways better, quality of services. On average, the cost of childbirth in the USA, if we are talking about the budget of the entire trip, is about 20-25 thousand dollars for a stay of future parents in the USA for three months.
Secondly, if we compare the average budget of a trip for childbirth in the USA with other popular countries for childbirth, it will be no less than a similar budget in Germany or Israel (where our compatriots also often go for childbirth). And also significantly cheaper than childbirth in Switzerland, where the cost of medicine alone will equal the entire price of a trip to America, and that is without considering other overhead costs.
Of course, there are certain disadvantages to a trip for childbirth in the USA, which are more or less significant in each individual case:
1. You need to fly for at least 2 months. Usually it is 2.5-3 months. The fact is that flights after 36 weeks of pregnancy are not recommended (in case of multiple pregnancy – after 32 weeks). At the same time, childbirth can occur at 41 weeks, and after that, time is needed for the mother and baby to recover, at least a month. Also, it is necessary to prepare all documents (American and Russian), which also takes some time.
2. In case of medical complications during or after childbirth, the costs of the trip can increase very significantly. Medicine in the USA is quite expensive, and although uninsured patients receive significant discounts, even after the discount the figures can still be quite substantial.
3. No close people nearby. Often women go to the USA for childbirth completely alone – rarely can a husband afford to stay with his wife for the entire trip. They often take their mother or older children with them. Of course, on site, expectant mothers make new acquaintances, communicate with other women who have come for childbirth. But in any case, not all close ones and friends will be nearby. For some, this is not important, but for others, it is a very serious problem.
4. Aerophobia. Pregnancy without complications is not a factor of increased risk during air travel. But if a woman is very afraid of flying, this can be a serious problem.
5. Abrupt change of climate zone. This problem is not relevant in the case of a trip for childbirth in the USA or returning home in summer (in the USA it is warm everywhere in summer except Alaska) or in the case of, say, a flight in winter from Moscow to Salt Lake City or back (Salt Lake City has the same seasons as Russia). However, a change of climate from -20 to +25 or vice versa is not very beneficial for either the expectant mother or the newborn, although it is usually not critical.
So should you go to America to give birth if you can afford it, or is it better to stay home and give birth where, as they say, 'walls help'? There is no answer to this question; everyone makes their own decision – we have only tried to reveal the pros and cons of such trips.
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