Having a baby in cancun

[Steve]

Ah ok V, I'm with you now.

No, we're not really interested in enrolling with IMSS. It's probably not worth the hassle nor cost of getting enrolled for the sake of a vaccination, I dont think we'd want to use IMSS for anything serious. Jannet and Dani have private insurance, Billy will have it next renewal and no one will insure me.

The Government have been running a TV campaign recently promising free vaccinations for all kids under 3 regardless of being enrolled or not and we thought we'd take advantage of that. Since Billy is Mexican and we pay quite a lot of taxes here didnt see any moral issues with taking a freebie if we could. He has had 3 vaccinations at IMSS already without being enrolled, it's just the expensive pneumococcal one that seems to be denied.

[V]

Did anyone speak of delays in delivery of the pneumococcal vaccine to the FMUs? (I'm reminded of the speed with which the swine flu vaccines were delivered, here, last year). With the cost of this vaccine as high as it is, I'm surprised to hear of it being made widely available, but it would be in keeping with the aims of IMSS to encourage preventive care, and they may be anticipating an outbreak. However, there is frequently a gap between policy and actual delivery of services at IMSS- true anywhere, I know, but true nonetheless.

[Mystic Drumz]

Hey all! My wife and I just had a baby in July. We had our son at Galenia with Dr. Loya and have no complaints.... well other than the price. It is very expensive (especially being canadian and being used to getting it for free!) but we decided it was worth it for the peace of mind. Dr. Loya seems to be pro vaginal birth, but in the end we ended up with a C-section due an inapt pelvis. We also took prenatal classes with Ernestina at Bebe Valley in parque las palapas, we found them to be useful, empowering and they gave us a good idea of what to expect.

Congrats on all the moms to be, and recent moms too!!

Speaking of vaccines, we ended up paying a fortune for a couple of our sons vaccines recently because the IMSS didn't have them!! They say vaccines for all kids under 3, but they don't include the disclaimer of while sulpplies last! Be prepared for that possibility.

[Steve]

Grats on the new baby Mystic!

Well, we ended up getting all the vaccines needed for our son at IMSS. I was all for giving up and going the private route but since my wife is Mexican she had other ideas. She borrowed her Mum's carnet (an old one without photo) and used that as her own.

Can't say I agree with it, but when in Rome.

[V]

This experience, Steve, would make me think their saying they had no vaccine available was just an excuse- so the employees you dealt with there could avoid saying directly that they were not going to provide it to you because you were not enrolled in IMSS, a possible violation of the policy of providing it, free, to all children under 3 YOA. Of course, there is finally no difference but they may have felt more comfortable with saying it that way.
__________________

Too bad we haven't heard from Isa, again: it sometimes happens this way on forums, we don't get to find out how things turned out.

[Mystic Drumz]

Nope, not an excuse, my wife is also Mexican and has a valid carnet (as does my son) they didn't have the rotovirus and another one for over a month. As a result instead of getting it for free at 2 months, we ended up having to pay for it and administering the vaccine at 3 months

[V]

Interesting, but since proof of enrollment was offered in both cases in which vaccines were administered, we still don't know if the employees were observing the stated IMSS policy of offering the vaccine to under 3 YOA children, even in cases in which their families were not enrolled- which would be very generous, indeed, considering the high cost of the vaccine.

IMSS, as a matter of policy, is very big on preventive care- consider their offer to treat anyone suffering symptoms of the flu, for example, last year when swine flu was an issue.

They are also very big on protecting mother-child health, as in their standing offer to treat any woman with symtoms of a crisis in their pregnancy, regardless of whether the patient is enrolled in IMSS.

[Bcope]

Hi,
I'm new to the Forum but my husband and I are planning on moving to Mexico in November. I am pregnant and due late February. Several of you have mentioned Galenia hospital as being a good one but you mention it being a bit expensive. Would anyone mind being more specific? How much does a normal vaginal birth cost there, does anyone know?
Thanks for your help!
Barbara

[Steve]

Around 35,000 pesos for a natural birth, around 42,000 for a caesarian as of a year ago.

The above is comprised of two elements, the hospital's charges and the paedatrician's charges so the second element especially may vary.

[kathy_caribe]

Originally Posted by Steve

Just to join the debate really of natural birth vs C section.

Our first child was born C section. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck and would have added unneeded risk to a natural birth. We saw that on the ultrasound ourselves, so we were happy to take Doctors advice.

to further that debate, baby #2 (I had 4) was born at home (my last 3 were all homebirths) with the cord doubly wrapped around his neck. It was not an emergency and was handled very swiftly and easily upon presentation. The midwives were checking heart tones (for decels) during the entire labor and transition.

Baby #3 was born with a VERY short cord and she was born underwater so the midwives just kept her down low and calmly unlooped her and encouraged me to deliver the placenta so we could bring her up (it was a SHORT CORD )

[TraceyUk]

Lots and lots of babies are born with cord around the neck - but it is used here as a reason for c section . Congrats Kathy on being a homebirther- I love attending home births and my daughter was also born at home !

[KTDLP]

If you read back on this post, I was an advocate for Dr. Medellion and Galenia during my pregnancy. That has since changed, luckily before I gave birth. When I discovered that my nephews were not actually delivered vaginally but all 5 were delivered via c-section, I started to get really scared about the decision I made. I met with TraceyUK and developed a birth plan that worked for me and my husband, and decided to use her services as our doula or birth coach. When I presented the birth plan to our doctor, he responded with laughter, rejected most of our requests, and told me that if I didn't have an episiotomy that it would be like "having a bomb go off in my vagina."

I then decided to take Tracey's advice and switch doctors only a month before my due date. I went to doctor Aguilar at Clinica Victoria, but decided to still birth at Galenia. I couldn't have made a better decision and just in the knick of time. I went into labor a couple of days before my due date and labored at home. The doctor came to my home to do vaginal exams, so I didn't have to show up too early at the hospital. He would have let me birth there as well, since he does perform home births at request, but we felt more comfortable going to the hospital. I finished my last two centimeters laboring in the birthing pool, and then got out and birthed on the table. No drugs, no interventions, nothing. Our little one was also born with his cord wrapped around his neck. The doctor quickly removed it before delivering the rest of his body.

If Galenia is too expensive, you can birth at his clinic or at home. He charges $10,000 pesos for his services and $300 pesos per office visit. If you truly want a vaginal birth, hire Tracey and Dr. Aguilar. They are the perfect birthing team. I know I could not have done it without them. Galenia has OVER A 95% C-SECTION RATE. That is a fact. I am like a local celebrity now, because I had an unmedicated vaginal birth. How sad is that? If you do want an elected c-section though, go to Medellion or Loya. They are some of the most experienced surgeons in Cancun.

[LindaUK]

Hi there, I have just joined the site from a friends recommendation (thanks TraceyUK) and would like to let all pregnant mothers out there know that I have a lot of baby items for sale, all in excellent condition. I have a bambineto, blue prinsel high chair, pine cot bed, fisher price play mat, bright starts bouncey chair, sterilising unit, BUMBO seat, baby carrier harness, baby walker and loads of cheap toys in excellent condition. I also have a SILVER CROSS pram that converts to a flat pram with an insert for newborns, raincover, footmuff, summer umbrella and matching car seat ....Let me know if you are interested in anything

[V]

Galenia has OVER A 95% C-SECTION RATE.

Must be a "class" thing, for the well to do Mexican, to go to private hospitals and have a C-section: the rate in the public hospitals is much lower, less than 30% (still sounds far higher than it could be, but it's 32% in the U.S., too.)

[KTDLP]

It most definitely is a class thing, but the rate at the public hospitals is well over 45% in Cancun. Cancun has the highest c-section rate of any city in Mexico. And regardless of class, 95% of women do not choose c-section. Within the last 2 months, I know 3 local women that planned natural childbirth and ended up with c-sections at Galenia. I do not know one women in my social circle that has had a vaginal birth.

[CarolAnnesp]

I was hoping someone can help me here:

I'm an American going to Cancun in 2 weeks for vacation and will be 32 weeks pregnant. Everything is going well and my OBGYN said she thinks it is fine to go. However I'm 42 so I'm considered "high risk" so there is a remote chance that I could go into labor early. I have insurance that will cover about 80-90% of the fees ( I would pay them out of pocket and with hope they will reimburse the 80-90%). I've been told to research a private facility (from my online research). But I’ve read that many deliveries end up in c-section (I wonder if they do this on purpose so to make more money?). I am surprised to hear a few mention high high the rate is in the USA as I don't recall many of my family and friends having one. I didn't have a c-section with my son so I can't imagine needing one a second time. I don't speak Spanish either (so faced with an emergency and a premie English would be so preferred). Since we will be staying in Cancun (hotel zone area) do you have any recommendations for me? Or where to go to get some?

Thank you so much!

Carol Anne Schmidt