Expat wants to have a baby in the UK...

[Anjiyer]

We have just moved to Scotland from the USA and have a 3-year-old daughter. We want to have a second child as soon as we can, but are not sure how the hospital/ NHS/ medical insurance works. If we go private with the delivery etc, how expensive will it get?

MrsSnorty, if you're on a work visa or student or have a valid other residency arrangement in uk as a us citizen, you are entitled to NHS care. I am currently on a work visa, but have been here for several years... from the very first day that I arrived on this visa, I was entitled to NHS care as taxes were coming out of my paycheck.

I was disappointed that my private insurance (it's uk insurance that I get through my job here) did not cover maternity costs... I do know people who had US private insurance that covered maternity costs internationally, though - so it's possible. I am 33 weeks with my first, have had a mixed experience with NHS, but overall I'm happy. I see a private gp whenever I'm really concerned (like when my iron level hb was at 4.8 and my gp told me to take 3 iron tabs 3X per day instead of the 2 tabs 3X a day that I was already on...). I trust my private gp (that my insurance usually pays for - just not for antenatal appts) so was happy to just pay for the appointment to get that sorted. You CAN mix private with NHS, but not a good idea tell your NHS midwife/hospital/gp that you are seeing someone privately as well... unless you are put on a treatment/medication that they would need to know about. My NHS gp was very stroppy about the fact that I had gotten treatment privately as well, but in the end it was fine and I usually see the NHS one - they are generally very good!! Especially the Midwives.

see here and here

It does depend very much on your immigration status.

There is however a little known rule that the NHS may not refuse a woman essential maternity care if they cannot pay their bill (In my work as an immigration lawyer I have used this to get the NHS bills dept off the back of destitute failed asylum seekers - so quite a bit different from you - but it is good to know)

Yes, I got in there before the fees went up.

I actually did blow it off for a couple of years, just couldn't be arsed. But when I first came here, visas for spouses of British nationals were free! Them were the days.

It's all what you're looking for in a birth experience, but if you do need to go to London make sure you use the search option on here to get some information about private maternity services there.