- Care in the US is baby-centric. In Mexico, I was the main focus when it came to care.
- I had direct access to my doctor in Mexico. I could text her directly any time of day.
- If I were to have another baby, I'd deliver only in Mexico City.
I am the spouse of a US diplomat and just gave birth to our third child in Mexico City. Having had our first two kids in the US, I was tempted to go back home to what felt safe and comfortable. But many of our friends reassured me that their birthing experiences abroad were night and day compared to the US - in a good way.
I'm glad I stayed in Mexico.
I had direct, constant access to my doctor in Mexico
In the US, I really liked both of my OBs, but I dealt with fairly typical practices like calling the nurses' line and waiting to get a call back, seeing different doctors at each prenatal appointment, and scheduling deliveries around the doctors' schedules.
In Mexico, I was blown away at the direct access I had to my doctor. If I had questions, I texted her and always got a response within minutes. Throughout my entire pregnancy and hospital stay, I saw only my doctor, and when it came time to schedule my cesarean section, she worked around my preferences, offering to deliver on a weekend at the hospital of my choice.
My pain was actually under control in Mexico
My first child was born via vacuum-assisted vaginal birth, and we stayed in the hospital for the standard two days. There was nothing standard about my birth. My doctor told me that I had a "vaginal explosion" and set a record for the number of sutures needed.
I was chased out of the hospital after 48 hours despite being in horrific shape simply because insurance wouldn't cover a longer stay. It took me a full year to recover physically, and I'm still not recovered mentally.
My second child was born via C-section. Despite having major surgery, this was a much more positive experience compared to my first. But I was still in so much pain. I remember keeling over in my hospital room on day two post-surgery, sobbing to my mom and sister. My doctor said I was ready to go home on the third day, but we were able to stay for five since our insurance covered it.
My third was an elective C-section in Mexico City. For the first time, I felt as though my pain was actually managed. I experienced almost no pain after the surgery. The length of my hospital stay was based on my recovery and determined solely by my doctor and me. Maximum-stay policies influenced by insurance companies don't exist here.
I left the hospital relaxed, with pain under control, and well on the road to recovery.
Babies are the focus of care in the US
The one aspect I did prefer in the US was baby care. Our hospital encouraged skin-to-skin contact, when a baby is laid directly on one of the parents' bare chests, and offered significant breastfeeding support. Modern security protocols included an alarm attached to the baby and printed ID bracelets.
While we never doubted the level of medical care available to our baby in Mexico City, our particular hospital had archaic newborn-care policies. Babies spend the first four hours after birth in the nursery, and we had to sign a legal waiver to keep the baby in our room with us. Our baby's official hospital ID band was a hand-strung beaded necklace spelling out our last name; we were paranoid he'd strangle himself.
Having gone through childbirth before, I wasn't exactly looking forward to navigating pregnancy and birth in a foreign country. Doing so has completely changed my perspective. What I thought was a good experience in the US pales in comparison to the patient-centric, consistent care I received as a mom in Mexico. Neither place was perfect, but if I had to choose, I would deliver again only in Mexico City.