TTC in China? I really need advice!

Hi, this is my first post here, hopefully there are lots of knowledgable people out there who can help me in my dilemma. Here goes -

My husband and I are arriving in China in August. We are bringing our 2 year old daughter with us. We'll be working there on one year contracts. I'm turning 38 this year. The upshot is that we'd really like to start trying for another baby. Obviously, time is running out...so I really don't know what to do. Start trying in China and plan to have the baby there? Or come home to Australia if I do manage to conceive. We both feel that we'd like to stay in China beyond the initial year, the only thing that would bring us home is the whole 'pregnancy' deal...

I have several concerns -

I had an amnio with my daughter as I was high-risk for chromosomal abnormalities. I would definitely want another amnio should I get pregnant again. Apparently they are unreliable in Shanghai, what's the situation in Hong Kong? Has anyone had one there, and what was the cost?

Assuming everything was OK, where would I plan to deliver the baby? Once again, fly back to Aus, or stay in China...or maybe Hong Kong? I would want the full suite of 'western' medical options for pain relief etc. We're both going to be teaching at a University, so we won't have the comfort of a nice corporate medical plan or anything like that. We'd be paying for it all ourselves...whereas in Australia, it would all be free.

Also, what about vaccinations? In Australia I had my daughter vaccinated at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months. And then all the travel shots on top of that. What do expats do about vaccinations in PRC? I assume you have to pay for them?

I have so many questions, hopefully there will be some answers out there! I just don't know whether to TTC in China. Part of me thinks that I should, and then deal with issues as they arise. But my pragmatic side demands that I have some kind of plan if I do get lucky and fall pregnant.

Hi

My daughter was born in shanghai (used to live there for almost 2 years). The hospital she was born was fantastic! Very helpful doctors, very knowledgeable, very clean.... I really had a great experience, even though I ended up having a C section. The name of the clinic is American-Sino Ob/Gyn Service , tel. 00862162493246, website www/huashanobgyn.com.cn Hope this helps :)

I would say start trying now. I'm 35 and it took me nearly a year of trying (I had a miscarriage last Aug), I'm now 19wks pregnant. Being over 35, my biggest concerns are the scans, living in Guangzhou doesn't help either.


Anyway I had the Nuchal thickness measured at 12wks and was advised to do the amnio at 16wks and morphology at 18wks. Yes you are right, the amnio are quite unreliable here and my doctor advised that the only reliable place in GZ to do this happens to be a chinese public hosp with thousands of patients and no one speaks Eng. So after a few hopeless attempts here, I gave up and decided to go to BKK for consultation instead. I went to one of the best inter hosp in BKK and was told I didn't need an amnio because the previous doctor had wrongly measured my nuchal thickness. I was advised to do a triple screening test instead. I took the opportunity to do the morphology scan there also as in China an ultrasound can be difficult as it is illegal for the doctor to tell you the sex and wellbeing of the baby because of the one child policy eventhough this policy doesn't apply to you because you're a foreigner??? Both tests cost about AUD $270.


Anyway so with all test out of the way, except for the glucose one, I'll have to wait till I've gather up more patience to deal with these people. I'm with VIP Birthing Centre mainly because they have a somewhat eng translator, western facilities and equipments (it is in consultation with Johns Hopkins International in the US), nice clean private rooms (similar to private hosps in Oz) and best of all they don't have thousands of patients to deal with. I think the charges are a little bit higher than the local hosps (about AUD $3000 for a natural birth inc local anaesthesia and delivery under pain control, yes I want the whole works and AUD $4000 for a c-sec) but I think for comfort and convenience it is great value.


Now my last concern is whether to deliver here in GZ or to go back to Bris and have it there. You'll have to keep in mind also that you won't be able to travel after 36wks. If I remember correctly, the first vac isn't till 2 months right? So all in all, you're looking at 1-3 months away whereas it will only take a couple of days if you were to have it here.


When we go back to Aus, I try to get all the official vacs from Qld Health as well as the recommended travel vacs done there. If you were to get them done here, then yes you will have to pay for them yourself. Vacs can be done here at the expat medical clinics, prices vary but my son's latest was a flu shot for around rmb 220.


So in reply to your question, I don't think it is necessary to return home because of the whole pregnancy deal. I've been in GZ for 3yrs and I have come to deal with issues as they arise, forget about what you would do if you were back home, living here takes on a new meaning. I find concrete planning doesn't work here and it's best to have a couple of options. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the advice, it's been really helpful. I think we will start trying once we get to China. It's reassuring to know that the scans can be done in Hong Kong, with a similar level of support as I had here in Aus. That would be my biggest concern at this point. Assuming I manage to fall pregnant, I think I would plan the birth for Australia. I've lived in China before, and I can appreciate the points regarding concrete planning etc. Still, it's good to have a few 'contingencies' in mind. I think posting here has really helped my clarify my own thoughts. And at the end of the day, at my age, who knows if we'll be lucky enough to conceive again. So I may be worrying about things that will never happen! But at least I can have some peace of mind knowing that I won't feel the need to rush home to Aus to start trying again. I consider myself really blessed to have a wonderful little girl, as things weren't easy the first time. So I'm going to remain philosophical about trying again and be thankful for what I've already got. Cheers!

Hi flutterbye,


Just in case it all goes to plan but you decide NOT to return to Australia......you can register in the HK public system for HKD40,000 (about AUD5700 currently) which covers you for everything, from antenatal care and delivery including emergency caesarian. If you have a HK ID card then it is essentially free - any scans etc. have a very low fee.


HK private clinics offer scans for around HKD1200 (I am not sure about the more invasive tests like amnio etc.).


I am 24 weeks pregnant and my first instinct was to go home to Australia for the birth. However, the fact that would mean a chance my husband might not make it back in time for the birth and would also have to return to HK before us (due to work) made me decide to stick it out here.


Good luck!

And also...I've just had another thought. I have a negative blood group, which means if I had bleeding at any stage, and also at 28 weeks, 34 weeks and at the birth I was given a shot of RH D Immunoglobulin. Also known as Anti D. It's a human blood product, I'm very nervous about getting a shot of this type of thing in China. Has anyone had Anti D shots? Where? In Hong Kong?