Maternity Advice for Moms to Be Living Abroad
Being pregnant as an expat can be an exciting experience but also a challenge. Here are three factors to consider when learning what to expect as an expat that can help ease the stress of the pregnancy.
Money and Financial Considerations
Of course, one of the most stressful concerns when discovering you are pregnant in another country is how you are going to afford prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care. Maternity care can be expensive without an insurance plan that includes maternity. Purchasing global insurance with maternity coverage is extremely important and, hopefully, something you did before becoming pregnant. Depending on the plan, your insurance can cover the cost of delivery, complications during pregnancy, prenatal care, newborn care, postnatal care, and more. You may have to deal with a costly situation without the proper expatriate insurance. If you are not yet pregnant and are considering having a child in the future- purchase your health insurance as soon as possible to ensure you will be eligible for the plan and breeze past any maternity care waiting periods.
Read: Pregnancy Insurance and Maternity Abroad (Note – You must purchase a global medical plan prior to becoming pregnant in order to qualify.)
Medical Care for Maternity and Delivery
Another huge concern is the care and treatment you will receive as a mother, as well as the treatment your child will receive. As an expat expecting, you want your son or daughter to be healthy but may be unsure of the quality of the healthcare system in the country you are located in. Because of this, proper medical facilities are a must. Expect to visit hospitals very different from those you are used to seeing back home. These hospitals may have different rules, different atmospheres, and different systems. Choose a hospital that best caters to your needs, whether that is based on money, care, waiting times, cleanliness, or flexibility. If you can choose a doctor, try and find someone who speaks the same language as you and someone who can answer your questions as you experience the journey of pregnancy.
Maternity Benefits Abroad
After you have figured out the money and medical care aspect of maternity, you will want to know what to expect when it comes to being a parent and caring for your child. It would help to research what benefits you will be able to take advantage of, especially if you are working in the country. You should also research what’s considered culturally okay and not okay and the legality of being pregnant in another country. Where can you breastfeed? Will you get laid off of work? Are you eligible for a 14-month paid leave from your job? Is your spouse also eligible for this leave? If you don’t research these, you may miss out on many benefits your host country has to offer.
As an expat expecting, you can expect the unexpected. You may not have all of the benefits and comforts you would have received back home, or you may have more. If you take precautions and do some digging, you may find that your experience is not as scary as you thought it would be.
Related: Advice for Travelling While Pregnant
Planning Your International Pregnancy
If you have the goal to both become an expatriate in a new culture and to have children, it doesn’t mean you need to pick one or the other. Sometimes, the combination of these may seem scary, especially if the quality of maternity care or child satisfaction in the new culture is unknown. Don’t let the unknown limit you to only fulfilling one of your dreams; there are plenty of resources available, allowing you to get a good glimpse into the maternity care available in your prospective host country and what it’s like having children abroad.
One great place to begin is the HSBC Expat Explorer survey. You can find information on raising children abroad and even compare country stats there. A few areas that may be of interest include the quality of childcare, healthcare access, quality, the safety of your children, and organizing healthcare.
Once you find a country with the type of statistics you are looking for, you will want to dig deeper into what it’s like to have children abroad from a more personalized perspective. A great way to do this is by checking out expatriate blogs. Many individuals have traveled the world with their children and given birth as expatriates. Find out what those who have experienced this scenario have to say in the process in regard to the country that you are considering relocating to. Often, these personal instances can offer great insight and tips. One source that you may want to check out is Circle of Moms. There, you can find multiple blogs that moms around the world can relate to, including one specific to international moms.
Having children abroad can be an exciting experience if the necessary research is performed and precautions are taken. More than likely, your number one priority will be to ensure that the country you are bringing children into is a safe environment. Don’t forget it is just as important to ensure that you are healthy and able to take care of them as needed.
If you plan on having a child while abroad, make sure you have an international health plan that includes maternity coverage.
Cigna Global Medical Plan
- Flexibility to tailor plans to suit your individual needs
- Access to Cigna Global’s network of trusted doctors
- Convenience and confidence of 24/7/365 customer service
