Expats carrying future dual citizens!

[PrePG]

I've noticed that there are lots of us on here who are not originally from the UK - I wondered if anyone was interested in starting an expat thread.

For me, it's especially difficult to go through this without my family close by and I thought it might be comforting to 'talk' with others in the same situation.

Anyone else??

Babygros are called onesies.

Dummies are pacifiers or binkies

I'm sure there are more I can't think of at the moment!

Sorry, but to me pacifier sounds like something the UN might send to Darfur! I'd never heard that used for dummy before!

This is a very interesting thread. I am Irish but was living in the USA for 2 and a half years. I have two irish born sons and my third was born in the US, Sept 11 2006. Lucky boy has both European (irish) and US passports. We had to get a visa for him to live in the UK when we first moved here last june because he was still travelling on his US passport.

LongWayFromHome - We booked our flights home for christmas (chicago-dublin) b4 birth but could not put baby on. No problems adding baby to reservation afterwards.

Good luck to all of you having babies away from home. My favourite experience of having a baby in the US was that all my friends set up a rota and brought meals for my family for three weeks!!! Fantastic

Hi there

Great thread. I'm expecting a dual citizen but am British. Can I join? DH is American (from Chicago), so we've been through all the passport malarkey.

Our new baby is due June 22nd (ladyhump, we're in Wandsworth, where are you?). We were thinking of taking a holiday to the States in September but are worried about being able to get a passport in time. (Last time, it took six weeks to get an appointment and then another two weeks for the passport to arrive.) Does anyone know if you're allowed to book an appointment in advance with the EDD rather than the real birthdate?

I know people who have put Baby XXXX for international travel but I would phone the airline.

A note on passports though - when you travel to the USA, your LO needs their USA passport. What I foolishly didn't realise is that when you travel back to the UK, they need their UK passport as well. DS was nearly not allowed in last time. We had to wait in a room for two hours until they found a record of his UK passport on their database!

DH is learning good British English and even his parents (no USA-based grandchildren) now talk about nappies and prams (even when they're in the States!) However, we used to talk about binkies and would 'bink' DS when he was small and needed it!

My MIL's friends threw her a baby shower last time - and she brought all the gifts over when she came.

Good luck to those of you having a baby away from home. Where are you having the babies?
Despite DH's shock, we are using the NHS as can't really afford anything else, but I know lots of ex-pat Americans who hang the cost and go private.

On the other hand, am glad to be having maternity leave here and not in the States. Lots of US moms we know only get about three months off.

upsidedowncake - why does your LO need a USA passport to go for a visit? I bring my DS into Canada on his UK passport all the time. Actually my Canadian passport has expired so last time we both went through as Brits (felt a bit funny though!). Can you just fasttrack a UK passport for your LO?

Americans we know have liked the NHS system up here in Aberdeen and have had no complaints so you'll probably be fine. Sure it's not as luxurious, but the medical care side shouldn't be that different. As a Canadian, I'd never think of going private anyways (am far too cheap )

Hi Aberdeen

The US website says that if you qualify for a US passport, you must have it when you go to the States.

I don't have any problem with the NHS (most of my work is for them fgs!), but a lot of Americans do, and DH was pretty appalled at the state of some of the buildings. Agree that the medical care should be the same!

hmm, that's a pain!

Yep. Another one here that thought expat was pregnant

Hi Upsidedowncake. I'm due right around you (around the 13th June) and live in Oval. Where are you going for the birth? I didn't even think of private as love that the NHS is free and the hospital I'm delivering at (St. Thomas') is supposed to be really good. I like it anyway!

Hmmmm. Good thing to know about passports as would have procrastinated getting the American one I'm sure. I'm not sure if you can make an apointment with edd, but you can always call and ask. Is that how you do it then? You have to make an appointment to go into the American embassy? Not looking forward to that queue.

Expat IS pregnant, Orm. Again. 9 weeks as of last Friday so due like last week of October, I think.

But as I've already had a couple of dual nationals the novelty has worn off.

BUT, I also never change my name AND I use 'mum' !

Yay! Congratulations!

upsidedowncake I was also wondering about making an appointment before the baby was even born. I wish I had an answer for you. But you may want to check out uk-yankee.com - really helpful site for all things US-UK expat related.

ladyhump I'm in Herne Hill, we're super close!

Alex some other US - UK baby word differences:

Nappy - diaper
buggy - stroller
pram - carriage (although stroller is sometimes used in the UK and pram is being used a lot more in the US these days)
dummy - pacifier
cot - crib
crib - cradle/bassinette
nursery - daycare
scan - sonogram
antenatal - prenatal
mum - mom

I came across an adorable onesie that had half a British and half a US flag on it and said Mom says - diaper, butt, crib, etc and then Dad says - nappy, bum, cot...

It was so cute!

and a teat refers to a bottle nipple.

a nipple is taken to mean the one on your boob.

also if you are not co-sleeping, many people here use a Moses basket instead of a basinette or cradle. it looks pretty much the same, except it's, well, a basket, that rests on stand - but you can take it off the stand by its handles and carry the baby into another room if you'd like.

it has a wee mattress that you can get in places like Mothercare and even sheets cut to fit it.

*thanks, Orm! they're on the ball in this trust, got a booking appointment for next week and apparently i get a nuchal scan because i'm auld. old hand that i am, i have already written 'I want an epidural this time' all over my notes .

PrePG, hope you're doing OK. Where would I get one of those onesies from? Our family would LOVE it.

DS (28 months) is very mid-Atlantic. He has been telling DH off for saying 'tomeito' instead of 'tomahto'. Mind you, I got corrected when I said 'rubbish lorry' instead of 'garbage truck' the other day too.

Thanks upsidedowncake I'm doing okay, if only I would O!!!

Check out the onesie's here:

www.cafepress.com/buy/US+UK/-/c_10651/fpt_fXcq__DB__aCXDa_qz0X_VOD_eah__lS/go_1

I also love 'Made in the USA with British parts" etc.

Fantastic. Thank you! And not just onesies but mugs and writing paper as well.

Aberdeen, they've got some CDN / UK ones too.

Prepg- thanks for the website info. Should give me loads of information.

bathrobe- dressing gown in the UK. I always get a kick out of that one because a dressing gown seems so girly, especially when a guy says I got a new dressing gown. hahaha

FenLondon - That's really useful info, thank you! Actually the thought of a family is making us consider whether we want to be UK or NZ based, so maybe the grandchildren will be born in NZ anyway... Not planning to emigrate now, thinking 5 years hence.

Pacifier seems more approriate to me!

Hello Upsidedown! Think you've heard me moaning about a particular NHS hospital on our June thread, so I understand your DH. To be fair, some of the hospitals in the UK are older than the US!

Ladyhump - I'm due the day before you - just down the Northern line a bit (South Wimbledon).

PreggiePenguin- where are you delivering at? I'll be at St. Thomas.

If anyone's been there, we just did the hospital tour, and it was hilarious in the fact that they really segregate the people who want an 'all-natural' birth as opposed to an epidural (which I do!). The ones who opt for an epi are almost punished!!
Woman who don't want an epi get a big private room for the whole time they are in hospital overlooking Big Ben, Parliament. Their partners get to stay the night too. Women who get the epidural stay in rooms on the side of the hospital (no beautiful views) and after birth, get shuttled down to the postnatal ward where they share a room w/ 3 other women and partners can't stay. I think it's hilarious how unfair it is! Too bad I'll get the crappy half though.

Hi Ladyhump - St Georges for me. Whilst you're by the Houses of Parliment (that you won't be able to see...) I'll be living the high life via the glamour of Tooting!

No real grumbles though - it's literally a ten min drive away from where I live (S Wimbledon) - so nice and close for when I start panicking....

Can't believe you are treated like a 2nd class citizen because you want an epi!

I'm pregnant with my first and due on September 20th. I'm American (originally from Maryland and then Texas), my husband is British and our DS will be both.

Currently residing in St.Johns Woodsalthough we used to make fun of itas a place where yuppies went to breed..fate is having a good laugh.

Re Baby showers: my girlfriends from school (I'm finishing up my last masters) are throwing me one...but since most of them will be leaving to go back to the states after they finish..I'm in the market for some pregnant friends.

I booked with the NCT but my classes don't start for a while and I need some sort of pregnancy support system. I can totally relate to not having family close by,missing the states and being married to a British guy with quiet family (Family dinners are often silent).

Yeah every time I talk to anyone who favors the nhs and I reveal that not only do I plan on staying on private care but I want an epidural...I'm black listed... Very quickly, even when I'm not offering to trade my child for hard to find American fast food.

I don't get it - what's wrong with an epidural? Why suffer if you don't have to?

Eandz - you're in the wrong British family! Dinners in my family are NEVER silent, usually it's hard to get a word in edgewise! Perhaps we should swap on occasion, it would be nice to get some peace now and then!

Alexpolismum-
I come from a talkative bunch--and the awkward things that spread themselves over our dinner table at home are no match for the silent tension filled encounters with my inlaws. My inlaws prefer I keep my mouth shut. So when would you like to swap?

perhaps I should offer you my inlaws for dinnertimes - their table is set up with all the chairs facing the TV and they just switch it on at the beginning, no matter who is there, guests, whatever, flick through the channels until they get the news, and then complain about the state of the world for the entire meal. You can speak, but you mustn't disagree with their view that things are getting progressively worse, we're all going to die in a forthcoming nuclear war or something similar, etc etc. The funny thing is, they're so cheerful about these depressing pronouncements!

Eandz- My DH's family isn't quiet either! I never stop laughing. Of course, they are a family of non-professional actors, so that probably helps.

I work in Swiss Cottage which is right near you. there are always loads of yuppy families around with their children. Funny thing is, I always hear American accents.

Alex- I hear you on the epidural. What is wrong with it, and why do I get treated like a bad person? Luckily in my antenatal classes, there's another couple in there who are determined to get an epi too, so we're on the same team.