April Munchkins 2013- enjoying our wonderful babies!

[ReadytoMum]

That's probably a lot to do with completely privatized health care vs. public. We really, really, really pay to know our doctors here (The cost of my very routine OB care and labor and delivery with dd#1 was about $20,000! I even paid about $5k out of my pocket after all was said and done. If I'm honest, I still owe the hospital $600... and the $5k out of pocket was just my deductible and the part of the doctor and hospital bills that insurance deemed was my responsibility. That was after paying $1200 that year for my health insurance... which my employer paid about $6,000 for that year. So, close to $30k total! And again, that was with absolutely ZERO complications during pregnancy, labor, and delivery!).

When I listen to the ordeals some of you ladies have to go through with paying medical care, and having changing midviwes/doctors etc. I'm SOOOO thankful I live in Canada! It doesn't cost me anything to go the DR's for my checkups, and have my ultrasounds and blood work etc. It's all covered under my provincial health care which I don't pay for. (Not directly anyway, we all do sort of through our taxes though)

I'm also very hopeful that my current doctor will be the one delivering my baby. She does work as part of a delivery team at the hospital, so it's possible I'll have one of her teammates instead.... but like some others have said, I'll be crossing my legs until it's her turn if I can help it!

 

[maybesoon]

Yep LittleSpy. My bosses pay $650/month for my health insurance and that doesn't even cover prenatal/maternity because there's only 3 of us on it & I'm the only one that could possibly get pregnant so I couldn't see them spending the extra $1200/month to add prenatal/maternity to our plan.... I am however on my oh's insurance which costs $300/month & that does cover prenatal/maternity. But by the time I am finished paying my co-pays at all my doctors visits & the hospital/delivery fees our kiddo will end up costing me somewhere around $20,000.00 if there are no complications.... So when I say I expect the best care & for my doctor to be there when I call & answer all my questions.... I truly expect it....

 

[ukgirl23]

omg haha I was explaining to OH why I needed a breast pump in addition to breastfeeding (to relieve extra pressure from milk) and he went to work and informed another dad to be all about breast pumps hahah.. my OH is the smartest!

 

[Steph82]

LittleSpy, OMG that is crazy!! I am very lucky with the insurance my work offers! My co-pay for the delivery is $250 and they have been collecting $50 each visit until the $250 is met (that is a no complication delivery) and then my monthly check up is $20 and my UltraSound co-pay is another $20.

They said that covers the hospital for the 3 days as well.

Am I missing something??

 

[maybesoon]

lmao ukgirl.... I got really lucky this weekend & had a friend of a friend sell me a medela electric double breast pump she paid $350.00 for $90.00.... She never even got to use it because her baby was in nicu for 3 months & was on a special formula due to being so little.... I don't understand that situation because when my niece was born & was in nicu for 45 days due to being 3 months early my SIL would pump & take the breast milk to the hospital & that's what they would use in her feeding tube. But what the heck.... I got a great deal.....

 

[doggylover]

Holy shit (excuse my language) I cannot believe you ladies in the states have to pay so much!!!! I think I just had a minor heart attack! I know we technically do pay for it through taxes, but you guys pay tax as well! It's no wonder some people in the US can't afford to pay for medical treatment!

Needless to say, all my healthcare is totally free. We can choose to go private (my dad offered the other day that if I'm not happy he would pay for me to go private. My brother is an NHS doctor and he went NUTS about the whole thing lol!!) but I don't see any reason why I would. And I can guarantee that it wouldn't be anywhere near $20,000!!

 

[TeAmo]

Holy shit (excuse my language) I cannot believe you ladies in the states have to pay so much!!!! I think I just had a minor heart attack! I know we technically do pay for it through taxes, but you guys pay tax as well! It's no wonder some people in the US can't afford to pay for medical treatment!

Needless to say, all my healthcare is totally free. We can choose to go private (my dad offered the other day that if I'm not happy he would pay for me to go private. My brother is an NHS doctor and he went NUTS about the whole thing lol!!) but I don't see any reason why I would. And I can guarantee that it wouldn't be anywhere near $20,000!!

I cant believe this either!!! Its shocking that you have to pay to bring your baby into the world! What would they do if you had no insurance, got pregnant and went into labour? surely they wouldnt leave you on the street??

xx

 

[doggylover]

Just land you with a massive bill afterwards? I can't imagine having to pay even a quarter of that for healthcare- we're very lucky!

 

[maybesoon]

No there are government funded services, but you have to qualify financially and well, I we don't....

 

[maybesoon]

Another reason why I'm 36 & just now having a baby.... I was waiting to be financially stable so I could afford it & thought I was in a stable relationship..... ummm well, at least I got one of those right.....

 

[Steph82]

The US is def not family friendly in that sense. Maybesoon, I'm with you on waiting to be financially stable. My biggest fear was never the actual birth cost, but the cost later. Since we only get between 6-12 week maternity leave (and often unpaid), daycare is a huge expense. Infant daycare in my area is $750/month. After creating our budget, we are expecting around $1000 extra expenses (added to everything we already have). So yes, having a baby in the US has to carefully budgeted. We would love to have number 2 shortly after, but financially it just doesnt make sense right now.
Very frustrating.

I remember growing up in Germany, having all the benefits and social aspects that make life much easier... the downside of course is almost 50% taxes! Not sure how happy that would make me lol

I guess it's never perfect.

 

[maybesoon]

Steph daycare is gonna cost me around 500.00 a month. It's insane.

Ok so I got my Doppler in today & used it 3 times this afternoon & then just now. At the doctors office both times the baby's rate was 159. But I'm only getting between 118-125. Should I be worried or is that normal with the dopplers you purchase compared to the docs office. Also I was sick to my tummy all day & couldn't keep anything food wise down until tonight. I thought getting a Doppler would help ease some fears but bow worried my kiddos rate is too low.... Any thoughts/advice is all welcome.

 

[dan-o]

Maybesoon, the LCD display isn't always accurate. If it actually sounds lower than the one you heard at the docs office, then it's your own heartbeat you are hearing. X

 

[ukgirl23]

My doppler always shows lower than the ultrasound scan and doctors one too.. As long as it is above 120-130 then its not you. you have 3 main arteries which run down that area and if two of those you can get back flow which can sound like baby. I find baby better when I have full bladder so try that. Xx

omg parents evening has left me crying at 5am with little man snuggled up in bed with me! His teacher was complaining about his attention and then said he was normal for his age... :/ Then she said his speech needs work. we already knew that. hes been in speech therapy for 1.5 years and 6 months ago he couldnt use the front of his tongue at all so letters like t.d.l and s were not there.. now he has finished speach therapy and only has to remember his S sounds. so I dont know what his teachers problem is but everytime he messed up on his S she laughed at him. I told her he can do it but he needs to intergrate the sound so he gets the habit of saying the word right but she didnt seem to care...

Now Im left feeling like maybe I should take him to check his developmental skill somewhere because she made him sound like he's some sort of special. :/

 

[nimbec]

Ukgirl that's awful that she laughs at him totally unacceptable!!!!! She should be encouraging & supportive!!!! So sorry he has to go through this. Could you possibly gae him transferred to a different class? I'm so disgusted in their attitude!!!! Sorry I'm ranting!!! (((hugs))) to you both.

Gosh I can't believe how much child birth costs over there WOW!! Now u also understand why some of you have more scans and choose your doctors - id want my first choice too!!! I'm classed as high risk over here so I see my midwife every 2 weeks and have had a few extra scans. I have a specific midwife but she is part of a team so could see them too. No more extra scans now tho unless consultant wants them at 26 week appt - I have the normal 20wk scan.

Well on that front I'm soooo excited to be team blue but my midwife has just had a real go at me saying I'm nuts for paying for a gender scan (£50 uk pounds) wen i could find out at nhs one in another few weeks. I pointed out that my scan is not untill 22wjs and its nice to know!! We are lucky we can afford the extra for scan but she called me posh made me feel really down and silly I don't regret it for a second apart from anything else it's nice to see bubs again!!!

How is everyone? I'm shattered today as had a very long meeting yesterday and a 6hr journey there and back yuk!!

I think I'm having delayed monday blues!

Sorry if I've forgotten anyone I'm on my phone and I've missed loads

 

[ukgirl23]

omg Nimbec your midwife sounds like a judgey bitch!! Its up to you how you spend your money!! If we could afford it we would pay for one of those 3D scans but they are £150 here. I'ld tell her to shut up and mind her own business.

I'm going to see how his teacher treats him in the next few weeks before I ask for an appointment to discuss him. My heart was just breaking for him last night, he's so little and tough and it hurts me that he's struggling a bit. I'm going to hang out with him as much as possible and teach him up on loads of stuff so he gets ahead of his class then they can all kiss his cute little ass! xx

 

[doggylover]

Nimbec I can't believe your midwife called you posh! That is so rude!!! I would have been fuming. Screw her, quite frankly. You have the means to find out the gender of your baby, you wanted to...so where is the problem? And how exactly a) does it affect her or b) is it any of her damn business?!?!

Ukgirl, I'm sorry your son's teacher hasn't been great. I'mnot sticking up for her, but I do know as a teacher myself that it is often hard to understand the extent of everybody's limitations or issues, when you have so many kids to teach. It may be that she doesn't fully understand the issues, and is making light of it because of that.

Afm, having a great day. I feel very petty, but I managed to scare the crap out of my GCSE kids, and that moment of sheer panic in their eyes is one I will treasure forever. They are little sods, and they totally deserved it. Very much brightened my day!

 

[ukgirl23]

doggylover - I understand she has a bunch of kids to teach and it must be difficult but she can't laugh at my son's speech impairment, would you laugh at a disabled kid? I tried to tell her that he can do his letters now but he had made a habit of saying words the wrong way so when he says a word wrong, like his s comes out as a hhh sound so school comes out as hool , and I say oh do you mean school and he says yeah school. HE's integrating his letters now and he will get there but he needs support not to be laughed at, it just upset me that's all I tried to explain to her but she just brushed me off. I am going to wait and see how he goes than make an appointment with his speech therapist. I might do it anyway so we can all be on the same page. I have worked hard and so has he to fix his speech I don't want it all being undone now.

 

[LittleSpy]

LittleSpy, OMG that is crazy!! I am very lucky with the insurance my work offers! My co-pay for the delivery is $250 and they have been collecting $50 each visit until the $250 is met (that is a no complication delivery) and then my monthly check up is $20 and my UltraSound co-pay is another $20.

They said that covers the hospital for the 3 days as well.

Am I missing something??

Do you have like really expensive HMO coverage? Some HMOs just charge copays and you're not responsible for a percentage after that. Some make you pay the percentage as well. I know the HMO where I work charges a $250 deductible for a hospital stay... but then they also hold you responsible for paying 15% of that hospital stay. So you may want to look into that. But it really just depends on your insurance plan. You may just have really awesome maternity coverage.

I had PPO coverage so I had annual deductibles to meet and then my insurance paid just 80% of what they deemed was "covered" after that. So I was responsbile for 20% and anything they decided they didn't want to cover.

 

[maybesoon]

ukgirl.... I'm afraid I would have lost it with her.