Giving Birth In Argentina

[Kathryn157]

Hello, I was living in Ushuaia with my boyfriend and when I came home to California for Christmas I discovered I am pregnant. So we have been working on his visa so that he can come here (to California) and have the baby. However, it is a long process and we are at the point where it appears he may not get approved in time for the birth in August.

I'm weighing my options, have the baby here in California, where I'm completely covered by my insurance, or go to Argentina at 35 weeks and do it there. Obviously the 2nd option sounds much scarier and harder, but otherwise I'm doing it with out the father...Such a hard decision.

So I have a few questions:

1. Do you recommend any hospitals and costs? I think I'm leaning towards private because I had an experience in Ushuaia with the public and it was not good, and I'm guessing that it has just gotten worse with Macri cutting services (not trying to get political, I've just heard that since I left he has cut a lot of social services and I imagine that includes health care, maybe I'm wrong.) Also, I speak Spanish but not perfectly and this being my first kid. I'd rather have the option to Speak English in the stressful moment.

2. I know that she will be a US citizen and I'm ok with that process, but I'm a little worried about the fact that she's born in Argentina giving me less rights somehow. My specific worry is what if I want to come back to California and my fiance can't come and won't allow me to leave with her. Does he have this control? I'm not actually afraid of him doing this, but just thinking worst-case-scenario and although I love Argentina, when it comes down to it I want to be able to be around my family.

3. I don't think I will be able to get insurance. What would I be looking at in terms of cost?

Thank you!

Kathryn

 

[RichardP]

Why couldn't your boyfriend go as a tourist to the US for the birth? If you have your baby in Argentina, you are looking at paying big to enter any insurance plan while pregnant though it is possible. Of course this is still inexpensive compared to the actual cost of paying for a birth in the US.
If you speak Spanish, you can call some of the private hospitals in BA such as the Aleman, Swiss Medical, etc to find out the prices.

Regarding the custody of your child if born in Argentina, your concern is not unfounded.

https://www.swissmed...as_clinicas.php

 

[citygirl]

Some quick thoughts:

1) Your bf can most probably enter the US as a tourist and be there for the birth, even with the other stuff pending. Does he already have a visa for the US?

2) I doubt any airline (or OB) is going to allow you to fly at 35 weeks. There's not an official cut off but generally after 30 weeks, your docs and the airlines aren't going to want you flying most probably.

3) No idea on private hospitals in Ushuaia. I had mine at Mater Dei in Cap Fed and the care was fantastic.

4) Yes, if your child is born in Argentina, you would need the father's permission to leave Argentina with the baby. Something to consider.

In your case, esp given you have full insurance in CA, I wouldn't recommend coming to Argentina just to give birth.

 

[BaltRochGirl]

Honestly the idea of finding a doctor you like in a foreign country, who will attempt to follow your birth plan, and where you'll have to pay out of pocket seems a lot harder than you probably even think it will be.

If your bf has a tourist visa, I'd just have him travel to you near the birth and be with you in the US. Even if he doesn't have a tourist visa if his Visa is in process I'd ask if he would be allowed a short visit???

Airlines don't want you to fly because it's stressful and they don't have the facilities on a plane to deal with a birth properly if you go into early labor.

 

[mmoon]

I would definitely have the baby in California. Have your partner come on the three month tourist visa to be there for the birth. I would not give birth in Ushuaia by any means, especially since you don't have insurance, don't speak perfect Spanish, and frankly, it's the boonies if anything goes wrong.

You also will be better protected if you have the baby in the US. Obviously I don't know anything about your relationship, but if you want to leave Argentina with the baby, you will need written and notarized permission by the father for you to leave with the baby and without him. Unless you are open to spending the rest of your life in Argentina, have the baby at home with your family and get the automatic US citizenship.

I did fly at 35 weeks from Argentina to the US and although it was allowed (I think it is allowed officially until 36 weeks), I did have a note from my doctor stating my due date, and I had a check up the day before to make sure there were no signs of impending labor. Everything was fine, but I really wouldn't recommend it, unless you are in first class!!

I had private prenatal care in Buenos Aires and a back up birth room reservation at the Swiss Hospital, and all of that care was excellent and reasonably priced. Not sure what the cost would be for the full shebang though.

Good luck!

 

[alliek]

Kathryn, I was 6 months pregnant when I got Hospital Aleman's "Plan Medico" insurance, just last year. So it's possible. But, let me tell you, even though I came here with all my medical records from my OB in the USA, I still had to get a few tests done. This took a couple weeks time of me in the insurance office and the "head ob doc" to approve me. Annoying. I could go on and on about the experience, but what stuck out to me in your original post is concern that your Argentine partner will not let you take your newborn home when you want...I think you should give birth in Cali. Just because of this.

 

[nlaruccia]

I would give birth in the States to ensure that your baby is an automatic US citizen. Argentine citizenship will be granted because the father is Argentine and you want to make sure that your baby won't be limited by immigration and visa laws twenty years from now.

 

[RodalfoWalsh]

If the decision isn't a financial one, do it in the US. No reason to do it without the father, just have him come when you're due.

 

[Kathryn157]

Thank you for all the helpful responses. Yes, I think I will do it in the States no matter what, it just seems to complicated at this stage to change doctors and everything, even if they are great facilities.

I don't know if he can get a tourist visa. I have heard it is very difficult to get unless he can show strong ties to Argentina and he can't. He has already left his job to go to Bs As to complete the requirements for the visa, and the fact that he has a pregnant girlfriend in the US gives them strong reason to believe that he will stay illegally. We will definitely look into it thought in case they can do special circumstances.

I appreciate your advice about traveling with out him as well. It is not something I would want to do, just thinking that if they don't give him the visa maybe he wouldn't want me to travel back without him. And I'm very close with my family so that is such a scary thought. But he is the father, so that is also on my mind. I think at this point I"m just going to plan to stay here and do everything in my power to make sure he can get here on time, whether through tourist or if we can somehow expedite the fiance visa (we have already been trying, but there are so many steps that it is hard to even figure out who to contact.)

 

[mjohnstone]

If I were him, I would not mention girlfriend or pregnant girlfriend or the likes when completing/requesting visa application. That's a guaranteed rejection.