giving birth overseas

[clairebean]

I don't know if anyone can help.......I hope so...
lat year I moved to Hanoi, Vietnam, and am not really ready to 'put it all out there' on the expat forum there, as its such a small community! and I wanted home based advice.

Does anyone have any information about giving birth abroad. I am newly pregnant and have been told categorically that 'I cannot have the baby in Hanoi' due to my blood type Rh Neg - very rare in Asia and the facilities available at the 'best' hospital here. I will have to travel to Singapore or Bangkok. Has anyone else ever done this? (travel in order to give birth) can they explain how/how long they had to be away for any experiences. Am a bit worried about it all. It is my second pregnancy already have a lovely dd, but worried I will have to leave her for a long period of time etc. Really I have all these ideas in my head but no facts!
sorry for rambling....help!

As an expat I decided to give birth where I was to stay with my family. But facilities in private care where good enough (i.e better than NHS).
Friends have chosen to go back to their home countries.
The restrictions are that most plane companies stop taken you on the plane at 28 weeks pregnancy (some a bit later with a medical consent). Then you have to wait for the baby to be old enough (the earliest I heard was 6 weeks but it depends also), and you need to be able to get his papers (passport) 1st (sometimes it takes very long)
Basically if you don't know anybody in singapore it could be a very long wait for you. Can you go back to the UK? at least you will have some family around and take your DD with you?
Contact the embassy in singapore to see the delays they have regarding the passports and the one in vietnam.

Is your DH Rhneg as well? that can solve all your problems, as it is not a problem then.

HTH and that somebody with local experience will answer too.

Post in the overseas section of mumsnet you will have more relevant answer there. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/living_overseas

clairebean congratulations. I found out I was pregnant a week after arriving in Hong Kong and went into panic mode, so I know how you are feeling! I am also RH Neg but luckily I was able to give birth here in Hong Kong in public system. No one ever even mentioned to me it might be a problem having rare blood group

So actually I am not much practical help since I did not have to travel but I have to say it is not uncommon amongst ex-pats to travel back to home country to give birth (often leaving as late as 34 weeks). Has your DH got any flexibility to work from UK or from Singapore/Bangkok for a while?

Hopefully someone will be along shortly who has done this themselves...