Waters have broken at 28 weeks - we're in America!

[Southsearocks]

I've come over to the US for a two week holiday to my partner's family. No problems at all in this pregnancy (my first). Then yesterday morning the waters broke! I've been admitted to a local hospital and although me and baby are fine we'll be here for the duration. It's likely to be three months! Baby could come any time between now and full term so we're keeping everything crossed (including my legs of course) it stays in as long as possible. Either way we're not able to fly home for a looong time...

Our baby will be coming back to the UK an American citizen - how about that?

Pray the insurance works out for us!!

How are you doing southsea? I really hope you got to talk to the doctors or nurses and are feeling more relaxed about that. Although it must be very hard to relax with the insurance stress. I think giving the British consulate a go is an excellent idea. They must have advice about the insurance companies because it must happen all the time. The other thing you might try is writing to someone like the money trouble shooter in The Times (Saturday or Sunday times). It is a national name and shame thing and she seems to be able to resolve things if at all possible. I'm not sure insurance claims are her thing but it might be something to do when your iPad arrives!

Sending lots of hugs and wishing your stress away for you. xx

HI, I like alot of people have been followin your thread. I hope you had a chat with your Drs and feeling a little more positive today. Sending you big hugs :)
Keep hassling the insurance company. I had problems with a very famous online travel agency a couple of years ago over a dupliate hire car payment, for months they ignored my emails etc and in the end I wrote to the Chief Exc name I found on the internet and with in 2 days I was rembursed. Can you find a head name for 'Direct Insurance' and publicise your case through them especially if a Journo is interested it could speed things along. Also the Times newspaper has a help section on Saturdays for similar sorts of things I will see if I can find an email for you.
Good Luck x

Hi everyone

I'm feeling better today and more positive again. Thanks for your lovely messages. I've been contacted by the Guardian consumer help pages, which I happen to enjoy reading when I'm home, but DP is reluctant to stir things up at the moment and I have to respect his wishes. I've suggested we see what happens because we might need their help, who knows....

I've also been on a website for British Expats because there is an issue with our electronic visa's which means DP may have to leave before 90 days is up and would then have to apply for a full visa before returning. We can't take any risks with it because he has family here and also comes here for business. So there is that to sort out. I wanted to show you one of the replies I got but it's been snipped. It was from a 'physician' telling me I shouldn't have flown so close to the birth date (3 months?!), that babies born at 28 weeks are likely to be still born, and that it was part of his training to be so blunt. Well, I had to respond of course! Fool.

DP wants his laptop back - I should be getting the iPad later today! x

I wouldn't worry about the 'physician', what a twit! Surely you needed a 'fit to fly' anyway at 28 weeks? Flying wouldn't put you at risk of complications like this anyway, as youc an see, plenty of us had had pPROM without travelling abroad. As for babies being mostly stillborn at 28 weeks, what nonsense! Survival rates at 28 weeks are over 80% and go up very, very quickly after that. Plus, I was told by numerous Obstetricians that most babies born after 18 weeks are born alive if there are no other complications.

Glad you are doing well and hanging on in there! Are they just going to let you stay pregnant as long as you can or do they plan to deliver at a certain point?

Um, the flying so close to your due date thing is the excrement of a male cow. Anyone can fly until 34 (36?) weeks. This "physician" is full of the above brown smelly substance.

Sorry, should have said "anyone having a normal uncomplicated pregnancy". Not anyone high risk, of course.

Holy cow Southsea..just read your post on British Expats..how rude are some of the people on there! And don't get me started on the physician!

Now this bit of advice may be jumping the gun a bit..but when my British parents moved back to the UK permamnently with me and my brothers (all US citizens) they had a bit of difficulty because they hadn't got us British passports first...might be worth thinking about when baby arrives x

What a load of crap that is southsea!
You can bet that 'physician ' has never been pregnant if he thinks 28 weeks is near the due date!

Southsea, checking in again after a couple of days and am at the 'physician'.......what a tw*t....

Hugs to you and your DP and of course baby......am keeping my DH updated (and my three year old who heard me telling DH about your situation a few days ago!).

Wow, so much has happened since I last posted. Southsea, keeping everything crossed for you here. Administrative problems re the visas and whatnot sound like a massive PITA, but I suppose they may at least be a much-needed distraction from worrying about Mini Southsea.

As for the 'physician', he sounds like a tosser with time on his hands. I recommend avoiding all forums (fora?) apart from MN. It's great here, and rotten everywhere else

Thanks guys. I notice they've pulled a whole load of posts from that site now as it started to get into discussions about "anchor" babies and what-not. I was going to respond then thought no, rise above it. The man is clearly an idiot.

So, iPad has arrived!!! It's taken me a couple of hours already to figure it out a little. Whatever happened to instructions? I didn't realise you need iTunes and had a minor panic when DP's work laptop wouldn't let me download it but I've managed to do it and now have Angry Birds installed - love it! Also the BBC News. Let's get our priorities straight. I have missed the good old Beeb I have to say. Any other recommendations for apps? Can I download them straight to the iPad or does it have to go through iTunes first?

No news on the baby front which is of course a good thing. Somebody said today my tum looks bigger and I felt so pleased and proud - isn't that funny? It's like it's a very special job to grow this little person, and if you're doing it well it's a real accomplishment. As far as I can tell they would like to induce me at 34 weeks if I make it that far, because of the risk of infection. But tbh I don't really understand why it's a bigger risk from then and I think today the doctor was hinting that potentially I could go on beyond then. But in truth most people have said it is very unlikely I'll get that far. We shall see! Three more days and I'll have done another week. Let's hope infection stays away.

I've been trying to contact the consulate with no luck but have managed to find an email for UK in the USA, which is a government website, so hopefully they'll get in contact soon.

How are you all by the way? Any exciting news from Blighty? Xxx

Yikes at that "physician"!! And go you for telling him what for Fortunately I can see from the rest of the thread that the regulars came down on him pretty sharpish - I see he is new there, he won't get away with stuff like that for long. They (as in the regulars) can be a bit snarky but not to people who are genuine like yourself, and I'm glad they have some advice for you. (in case you're wondering why on earth I would lurk there regularly, it's because we're hoping to emigrate to the US later on this year with DH's work, but DC3 will be born by then so no anchor baby for us!!)

Yep, get a firm denial from the insurers before bringing in the big guns just in case they do change their minds. At this point it could be just a junior person who doesn't know policy who made the decision, there's no way to know. Still, it's a headache you could do without. I remember having DC1's daycare teacher (she was in a daycare there for the four weeks we stayed as we were both supposed to be working) ring me up despite knowing my precarious situation, and accuse me directly of lying over paying a bill which I had most definitely paid. It did me no good at all and I dwelled on the nerve of it all for days and my contractions shot right up as a result. One of the nurses, bless her, offered to ring her and give her a bollocking!! Such a trivial thing normally, but in this sort of situation it really gets to you.

Hope your iPad arrives today and soon. I love mine!

Must have cross-posted with you - yay for the iPad arriving! Yes, you can download any app straight to the thingy as far as I know, you don't need iTunes.

There's a whole bunch of Solitaire/MahJongg games if you're into that sort of thing. Also a version of Sim City I believe! The Facebook app is worth having if you haven't got it already. Hmmm, will have a think!

I love scrabble and monopoly for iPad, as you can play against computer or someone else. Good wee game called cut the rope, and pacman. The guardian app has amazing pics on.

Oh and tune in radio will allow you listen to radio 1/2 whatever floats your boat. Don't forget iplayer too.,, you could watch British tv!!

34 weeks is whent hey induce in the UK usually too. Not sure why infection risk increases then, maybe to do with the amount of amniotic fluid being produced?

Sounds like you're doing great and the nest weeks should hopefully fly by.

Great news on the ipad Southsea, and yes i would install iplayer, although i have a feeling it is not always possible to use it from abroad, depends on the IP address i think . I am however the least technical person out, so you may wish to just ignore me

Hope you manage to contact the consulate - it may be worth getting a physical address and the name of the head honcho and writing directly to them. Always seems to work better than emails/calls to 'customer services' people who have no clout

Well done on getting more than half way through another week. You are doing an amazing job growing your baby

Great news that you and babe are still hanging on Southsea!!! Hope you aren't getting too bored in there. Fruit Ninja and The Price is Right are both my addictions, in addition to angry birds of course. I am following your thread, I hope you get the insurance thing sorted out! What a pain!

Good afternoon! Insurance is being crap again. There are different sections or departments and they don't communicate so today we've been told that no decision has been made regarding our claim, while another department has told us we're covered. So who flipping knows! Also one dept says the hospital is not cooperating and the other gives us feedback every week on what the hospital has said to them. It's ridiculous.

I've asked to go on the monitor for a bit because I've got quite a bit of back ache and a few pains in my tum. I don't have a clue what contractions feel like so at least this way they can see. It's probably wind!

The line looks pretty flat anyway but the pain is still there at the front. Nothing too bad. I'm not ready anyway! I've settled right into bed rest and another week or two would be great. I think I have become institutionalised .

Still not been able to get through to the Consulate so not much help there. I imagine them all to be drinking a lot of tea and eating cucumber sandwiches and fancy little cakes in front of a big fireplace with a big portrait of the Queen over it. Clearly far to busy to ANSWER THE PHONE!!!

Well not much happening so could be a false alarm on my part. I'll be straight back here if there are any further developments! x

Have been lurking on your thread for a while and just wanted to say dh and I are thinking of you - dh gets updates every evening! Really pleased mini-Southsea is hanging in there!
If you private message me, I (well my techy dh) might be able to point you in the right direction with iplayer stuff. :)

I'm all broody atm, so can't resist baby threads....good luck to you and the baby

Hi southsea glad you got the iPad!
Download the words with friends free app and start a game against me I'm Shearer4 on it.
It's like scrabble and you can also message your opponent so it's a good way to keep in touch and play games too.

Sincerely hoping you're asleep but if not, I'm here for a chat :)

FYI Southsea BBC IPlayer won't work for TV outside the UK unless you have a VPN. Iplayer is only supposed to be for those who pay a licence fee in the UK. We like many other expats get round it with a VPN which will also let you watch all the other TV players. They cost about $60 a year, but you could just do it for 3months as hopefully you'll be back in the UK with bubs by then.

Good luck, keep your knees and everything else crossed!

Southsea hope you're doing okay.

I think if you get a reputable broadsheet - Times, Guardian, etc - involved then the insurance company will be more efficient.

It's really worrying that they are behaving like this because so many pregnant women use them.

I contacted the BBC about being treated badly while pregnant and had an apology off the head of customer service an hour after the story was run!

And I made the point to him that it wasn't a single person at his organization causing us problems. It was the lack of an internal communication system at the company.

Hi Southsea, pleased to hear baby is staying put - long may it stay in! Just to say I'm still thinking of you. Weather very rainy, windy here; Thursday was foggy, one of those misty murky wet days. Keep us updated if you can!