Having a baby in Canada vs US

Watergirl21 · September 2012

I have reading this board for a while and often I heard of tests and scans etc. that I have never heard of before. I was curious what the typical health care is for an basic pregnancy in the states. Is it common for people to know beta levels etc? Also does mat leave vary from state to state? Do you have the option of choosing a c section? Things I have been curious about.

stever · September 2012

I don't know about the mat leave, but I spent half of my first pregnancy in Canada and the care was the same. I had to pay for the NT Scan because I was on the young end of over 35, I was 35, but it would have been covered had I been closer to 40. As it was I had a dating u/s and an a/s up there and would have had a fetal echo etc had I not moved.

Allllll that said, it probably depends a lot on the province you're in. In any event, you'd have to pay a lot of cash to deliver in the US. Why do that?

Watergirl21 · September 2012

Thanks sounds about the same in terms of care. How much does it cost to have a baby in the states? Do you pay for each doc appt? Last time I ended up paying a few hundred dollars for my 2 night hospital stay but that was about it.
In terms of may leave we get 52 weeks of employment insurance and some jobs top you up for a portion of that as well.

benoitfan · September 2012

this is my 3rd pg. My first was at age 37/38 and ended with the delivery of a healthy baby boy. I had the NT scan (known as integrated prenatal screeing because it was combined with 1st tri b/w at the time of the scan - 12wish and 2nd tri blood work at 16w), and anatomy scan at 19w. No other special testing.

My 2nd pg was at age 40 and ended with a missed miscarriage at 11w. The baby passed away around 7w.

This is my 3rd and I requested beta draws (3 draw, 3 days apart) and an early u/s at 7w for peace of mind. I then had the Integrated prenatal screening, just like with my first. My a/s was at 19w. I had some bleeding episodes at 14.5 & 15.5 w which resulted in additional u/s. I also had more bleeding at 20w, but no scan at that time.

I had a difficult birth with DS#1 and broke my tailbone getting him out. This time my doc and I have decided that a c/s is the best/safest route. It is being scheduled for about 7-10d before my EDD of Dec 2, so somewhere around Nov 22.

There are tests available in the US that are not yet available here, those being non-invasive diagnostic blood tests for trisomies. Here the NT scan and integrated prenatal screening are screening tests that give you a risk assessment. In the US you can get the MaterniT21, Harmony or Verifi blood tests that will tell you with a 99% or so accuracy if your baby has the condition, rather than if they are at risk of it.

Maternity leave in the US is much different than here in Canada, where in most cases you can get 1 year leave paid through employment insurance at 55% of your last 6w salary. Healthcare coverage is also majorly different with many more out of pocket costs in the US, like paying for u/s and delivery at the hospital. Here all that is usually covered under your provincial and employer health insurance.

My sister lives in the US and had both her children there. The hospital bill alone for the birth of her first was in the $3000 - $5000 range and she had pretty good medical coverage through her hubby's employer. When I had my DS, I was supposed to pay $20 for the telephone in my room, but never got a bill. HUGE DIFFERENCE.

TX-Bride · September 2012

Maternity leave in US is different based on the company policy you work for, at most places regardless of the size of the company, you can take time off that you have earned, for example if your company offers 8 hours sick leave and 8 hours of vacation time a month, you get to use whatever you have accumulated. If the company you work for is larger than certain size, pp suggested 50 employees, then you get to go on a short term disability or FMLA leaveand your job is protected for 12 weeks, but you don't get paid for it, if you are short term disability then you get paid for whatever the disability insurance is. The FMLA is only that your job is protected for the duration of your time off due to your medical situation.

I am saving every hour that I am earning, and if I don't get forced to take any time off before the delivery I get to go on 10 weeks paid FMLA.

technigirl · September 2012

Agree with PP that here in the US, betas are only drawn if you are seeing an RE or if problems are suspected. You do have the option of choosing a C-section if you want to, but that may depend on your OB. Maternity leave is not determined at the state level. It's determined by the policies of the company you work for, and/or the insurance you carry. At the federal level, you are guaranteed up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave with the assurance that you will not lose your job. You can combine vacation, federal unpaid leave, and short-term disability (or any maternity leave allowed by your company), which usually gives you somewhere around 4-5 months off.

For an over-35 person, generally you will receive an ultrasound between 6-10 weeks, and then you can opt for the NT scan + bloodwork, or the amnio in the 2nd tri. Additionally, there are new genetic blood tests available which may or may not be covered by your insurance (since they are really new). Then there is the anatomy scan at 18-21 weeks. High risk patients may receive more scans and bloodwork.

I hope this helps.

Melissa

itsmevkb · September 2012

This is my sixth pregnancy and hopefully fourth live birth and I can say that I have never paid for every doctor visit, ultrasound, lab test, etc. despite having a TON of them. I've had so many beta draws and ultrasounds that I've lost count and they were all covered by my insurance. I pay a $150.00 co-pay when I deliver and that covers my entire care throughout my 9 months of pregnancy and the delivery and covers the care of my baby. My first child spent some time in the NICU and the bill was over $18,000 but my hospital co-pay covered his care as well.

With my last pregnancy I also had some experimental treatments done which my insurance would not cover so those I paid out of pocket for. It was expensive but I was glad to at least have the option to seek treatment outside what is considered the medical standard.

My maternity leave is determined by my employer who follows the federal law which allows me 12 weeks unpaid leave. I can use my saved sick and vacation time either to extend that leave or to have some of my time off paid for at 100% of my pay. I've taken 12 weeks with each of my children and have been paid my entire pay throughout each of them.

The option to choose a c-section would vary by doctor and I believe that decision should be made between a woman and her doctor. There are some things going on here in the US that worry me, like hospitals not allowing for inductions prior to 39 weeks without making a doctor and patient jump through hoops. To me, my doctor and I know what is best for me and my baby, not the hospital and certainly not the government.

Fiorekat · September 2012

Here in California we get paid leave that is offered through the state. I believe it is 8 weeks for vag delivery and 10 for c/s?

I can't remember anymore... I had my 1st stinker (almost) 4 years ago.

My Canadian family LOVES their healthcare though

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Having a baby in Canada vs US

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