Has anyone had a baby in the US and can you help

[baffledbyworksheets]

I am currently using a big dataset at work (I work for a medical school in the U.K. as a researcher) and am going a bit potty trying to figure something out.

We are using some (anonymous) data from something called the ‘mothers worksheet’, which mums in the USA complete in order to get a birth certificate.

I would like to know when mums fill the worksheet in - at their equivalent of booking appointment pre birth? After the birth? Does it vary? Am going bonkers trying to find some sort of reference for it. If anyone can please point me to any information, or even tell me what you did with this form when you had your baby, I would be ever so grateful. Thank you so much.

PS I am a regular user but NC as v outing!

I've honestly never heard of this. I'm American, but did not have my dc in the US (thank god, frankly). There is no 'standard' of ante or postnatal care in the US. So there is no such thing as a booking appointment and no standard appointments after the birth, no HVs, etc.

I've done a quick google search and found lots of these forms online and it appears they are filled out to apply for the birth certificate. In the US, there is no such process of you going to the registrar to register the birth like here. It looks like these forms would be filled out before you leave the hospital, which is when the application would usually be made for the birth certificate. I assume they just hand mum's a clipboard along with all the other papers you must fill out on discharge. I don't know what you would do if you didn't have a hospital birth though (presumbly a birthing center would be similar to hospital), but for women who birth at home or with traditional birth attendant's, I don't know how that would work.

Thank you so much, this is very helpful. I'd looked online too and found similar to you so hearing your real life experience does help a lot.

I’ve had two in the US and didn’t come across this. My booking in appointment consisted of a hospital tour and being ushered into the accounts office to pay the anticipated copay up front. After the birth someone came to the hospital bed and asked for the babys’ name etc for the registration of birth.

DC1 was born in the US and we filled out a form at the hospital before we left to register for the birth certificate. I’ve never heard of it referred to as a mothers worksheet though.

There is no booking in appointment though. The system is not standardized in the way it is in the U.K.

Thank you all very much, that is helpful to know.