# Help! Having a baby!



## SamWelbeck

Ok I'm not actually having it myself I'm a man, but my wife is. Now we are torn, do we have the baby here in Cairo or in London? It will be a caesarean section as our last one was, so we are concerned about getting the right level of expertise and care and also the cost. 
Does anyone have any experience in having a C-section in Cairo? Where is the best place to have it done? What does it cost? Can you recommend a doctor/clinic for check-ups? What about immunisation of the baby afterward? Will the baby still be British? How do we get the baby's british birth certificate and passport?

Sorry for such a loaded post. Would really appreciate any advice. Would be easier to have baby here as we have 3 other kids under age 10 and they have school and I am working. All of us going to the UK will be a real hassle, but we are prepared to go if it is the only plausible option.

Many thanks in advance.


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## SHendra

I had a baby last year (April 10) and didn't need a c'sect but it of just been a little bit more in costs. I paid alot to ensure I was in a good place to be. I think I spent around 3000LE. I will admit if I was able to I of went back to UK to do so. I would say ensure your wife get a very good doctor who is open to any questions she has and let her play it her way etc. They do seam to feel the need to scan at every appointment!

As for if your child would be British the answer is yes if you' n your wife was born in UK. And you would get his/her certificate at our Embassy. (That's around 1500LE!!!!!)

Passport once you've the documents you need then you've to send them along with the forms etc (that you can either download or get from our Embassy) and send them onto Paris. You and your wife will need your own birth certifcates (long version) for this. You'd need them for his/her birth certificate to. 

Naturally I do not regret having my son at all but I do really wish I had him in the UK. My tip would be however be that as soon as your little one born sort all his/her papers out and send for his/her passport. For the simple reason of if there was an emergency they will not allow him/her to have an emergency passport if the baby has not had a full passport before! This is what happend to me I wanted to travel in January but cause of the Jan25th stuff I knew if I sent his passport the normal way (via Paris) it could be very delayed. So I went and asked for a emergency one. My son was not allowed based on the fact he has not had a full passport before. 

Above all this though congrats!!


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## SamWelbeck

SHendra said:


> I had a baby last year (April 10) and didn't need a c'sect but it of just been a little bit more in costs. I paid alot to ensure I was in a good place to be. I think I spent around 3000LE. I will admit if I was able to I of went back to UK to do so. I would say ensure your wife get a very good doctor who is open to any questions she has and let her play it her way etc. They do seam to feel the need to scan at every appointment!
> 
> As for if your child would be British the answer is yes if you' n your wife was born in UK. And you would get his/her certificate at our Embassy. (That's around 1500LE!!!!!)
> 
> Passport once you've the documents you need then you've to send them along with the forms etc (that you can either download or get from our Embassy) and send them onto Paris. You and your wife will need your own birth certifcates (long version) for this. You'd need them for his/her birth certificate to.
> 
> Naturally I do not regret having my son at all but I do really wish I had him in the UK. My tip would be however be that as soon as your little one born sort all his/her papers out and send for his/her passport. For the simple reason of if there was an emergency they will not allow him/her to have an emergency passport if the baby has not had a full passport before! This is what happend to me I wanted to travel in January but cause of the Jan25th stuff I knew if I sent his passport the normal way (via Paris) it could be very delayed. So I went and asked for a emergency one. My son was not allowed based on the fact he has not had a full passport before.
> 
> Above all this though congrats!!


Thanks so much for that. Which hospital did you use if you don't mind me asking? And is there a doctor that you would recommend? We can go to the UK but it will be a major upheaval and I may miss the birth. Also our other children have to keep going back and forth which is a real problem and a costly one too. But we want to do what is best for my wife and the baby's health. My wife has been told so many horror stories of Drs and Staff not really caring for you properly. Did you find that to be the case?


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## SHendra

SamWelbeck said:


> Thanks so much for that. Which hospital did you use if you don't mind me asking? And is there a doctor that you would recommend? We can go to the UK but it will be a major upheaval and I may miss the birth. Also our other children have to keep going back and forth which is a real problem and a costly one too. But we want to do what is best for my wife and the baby's health. My wife has been told so many horror stories of Drs and Staff not really caring for you properly. Did you find that to be the case?


Well I was in Alexandria and my doctor was a fantasic one. The administration of the hospital was a different story. Right up to the birth everything went to plan but I do not remember the final moments. But what did upset me the most was it took them 10 hours to bring my baby to me to my room! I kept asking over and over and so did my child dad. They kept fobbing us off with lies saying we needed to go buy a thick blanket (it was over 30c outside!! they have a different mindset to us). But anyway off skipped my child dad to buy this blanket for us to be still refused. In the end they admited the reason was due to not having enough baby beds to go in the mothers room. I got dressed, got my child and left the hospital. I was not impressed. The doctor he was 100% but like I say the nurses/administration was not and I was in one of the 'best' apparantly for Alexandria!

I wanted a natural birth all along cause I had no need for a c'sect etc but getting that was a little bit of work and took me a while till I found that doctor who would listen to my wishes. Your find here the doc's prefer the c'sect way as its quicker and they make more money. For your wife however this isn't a question etc as she had them with her previous.

You will really need to find someone who can guide you on this in Cairo and within reach to where you live. Cairo a little more ahead than Alex's anyway. Also you may find a list of doctors our embassy recommend too.


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## marenostrum

SamWelbeck said:


> Ok I'm not actually having it myself I'm a man, but my wife is. Now we are torn, do we have the baby here in Cairo or in London? It will be a caesarean section as our last one was, so we are concerned about getting the right level of expertise and care and also the cost.
> Does anyone have any experience in having a C-section in Cairo? Where is the best place to have it done? What does it cost? Can you recommend a doctor/clinic for check-ups? What about immunisation of the baby afterward? Will the baby still be British? How do we get the baby's british birth certificate and passport?
> 
> Sorry for such a loaded post. Would really appreciate any advice. Would be easier to have baby here as we have 3 other kids under age 10 and they have school and I am working. All of us going to the UK will be a real hassle, but we are prepared to go if it is the only plausible option.
> 
> Many thanks in advance.


Hi,

A word of caution, maternity wards in the UK are not what they used to be especially in London where they are totally oversuscribed.

If you go to the UK choose a small district hospital that is not in a main city ie london birmingham manchester. These are just too busy. 

Also note that many maternity wards are shutting down (even if the UK has one of the highest birth rate go figure why the Govt are closing down maternity wards).
If you can find reliable doctors I would stay here in Cairo, you may actually find a midwife here that speaks english, unlike in somewhere like London.....


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## Beatle

SamWelbeck said:


> Ok I'm not actually having it myself I'm a man, but my wife is. Now we are torn, do we have the baby here in Cairo or in London? It will be a caesarean section as our last one was, so we are concerned about getting the right level of expertise and care and also the cost.
> Does anyone have any experience in having a C-section in Cairo? Where is the best place to have it done? What does it cost? Can you recommend a doctor/clinic for check-ups? What about immunisation of the baby afterward? Will the baby still be British? How do we get the baby's british birth certificate and passport?
> 
> Sorry for such a loaded post. Would really appreciate any advice. Would be easier to have baby here as we have 3 other kids under age 10 and they have school and I am working. All of us going to the UK will be a real hassle, but we are prepared to go if it is the only plausible option.
> 
> Many thanks in advance.


Hi and congratulations

No personal experience on this issue but I remembered there were previous posts on this topic: 

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/eg...ing-egypt/72718-good-gyanecologist-cairo.html

If you do a more extensive search I am sure there have been other threads on this as well.

Good luck


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## rehanshaik

Hi Sam. Congrats and went through same situation as u last July. Wife also c section, kids schools etc. We stayed and worked out well. Ps I concur with the excellent advice above and only wish I had found the forum last year... 

My (male side) experience for our third child, here goes...

1. The very best hospitals and doctors IMHO are on a par if not better than the average uk maternity ward. However u have to pay...and u really need top notch trusted local guidance here in choosing your hospital. This can't be understated.

2. I went to Dar Al Fouad in the west of the city. Excellent facilities, foreign staff, english spoken, outstanding care but very expensive. I paid 20k for my wives c section... Compare that to 3k-10k generally!

3. Gyna has to be chosen by reputation. Again you need to seek out top drawer local advice here. Our gyna was a professor of obs and gyna at Cairo univ (not sure if I'm allowed to share her name here) but her practice is on the corniche near the tv studio. She was excellent. Bi weekly check ups... Lots of care.... and was also the surgeon...

4. You must make sure you and your wifes residence permit is valid at time of op as will affect your ability to pay the hospitals local vs foreigner rate. Foreigners get charged double by the hospital. I got caught out by this...

5. Agree costs for the op with your gyna doctor in advance and written during the first meet. This was my biggest mistake. Ie costs fall into 3 parts...

A.Gyna care... Incurred during the 9 mths on an ongoing basis.. Generally no issue.

B.Hospital care... All the accom and medical fees charged by the hospital. You can determine this in advance to a degree. Doctor doesn't get this but charged by the hospital. Charged on admission.

C.Your doctors surgery fee. I didn't know I had to nail this with the doctor separately and assumed it was included in the hosp fees above. big mistake. Sometimes it is, but you have to explicitly establish this in written form up front with the doctor and hosptial separately. Charged in the final bill before discharge.

Apart from the exorbitant cost i was charged, in the scheme of things in hindsight was very pleased with the level of care. Re uk citizenship no issue if child would have qualified normally as a uk cit in uk. Good posts elsewhere here on how to do this.

Man to man, good luck mate. And if you can figure out how the private messaging works on here happy to get in touch to talk u thru any of this. Take care.

Ps remember to talk to your health insurance people well in advance...


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## rehanshaik

Just discussed my long post above with my wife and one more thing to mention....

They didn't give us the baby for 48 hours after birth keeping him in an incubator for observation....! We kept getting fobbed off with excuses and In hindsight i believe there was nothing wrong with him, except that it was a ruse to bump up the bill (another 3k).At the time very angry... But in hindsight like I say just happy everything worked out ok...

Would we have another baby in Cairo? No. Do we think you can get good quality medical care in Cairo, and have a safe delivery? yes. Definitely.

Hope helps


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## M M

SamWelbeck said:


> Ok I'm not actually having it myself I'm a man, but my wife is. Now we are torn, do we have the baby here in Cairo or in London? It will be a caesarean section as our last one was, so we are concerned about getting the right level of expertise and care and also the cost.
> Does anyone have any experience in having a C-section in Cairo? Where is the best place to have it done? What does it cost? Can you recommend a doctor/clinic for check-ups? What about immunisation of the baby afterward? Will the baby still be British? How do we get the baby's british birth certificate and passport?
> 
> Sorry for such a loaded post. Would really appreciate any advice. Would be easier to have baby here as we have 3 other kids under age 10 and they have school and I am working. All of us going to the UK will be a real hassle, but we are prepared to go if it is the only plausible option.
> 
> Many thanks in advance.


My husband is doing some work for a top rated IVF doctor here in Cairo. The doctor is just opening up a new hospital in Giza and it should be very very nice.
I'd be happy to give you his name if you are looking. Although he does specialize in IVF, he also does all the regular OB/GYN stuff as well.
I don't think I can private message yet as I've not made enough posts, but I don't mind mentioning his name here in a post (if it's allowed) if you are interested.
I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any/all questions that you had.


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## gerhardme1954

*Baby in Cairo*

Sam,

There is obviously always a risk with any operation, and definately a C-section. The International As Salam hospital on the Corniche in Ma'adi will do it as well as in London, but of cause using the right doctors, and I cannot help you there, because I had different needs than you! They have a person, Rosemary who handles all us expatriates when we need services. You can contact her on 0106023095, and she will normally arrange for the right types of doctors you need. I have medical insurance with Alico in Egypt, and also a As Salam hospital card, so I am not too sure about costs, as it is covered by the medical insurance.

Rosemary will personally walk you thorugh everything, and physically excort you, and your wife off cause though all the procedures at the hospital, and that is quite a huge thing here in Cairo.

I hope it helps, or at least give you the option of another choice.


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## kevinthegulf

Also take into account that there is usually a limit on pregnant women flying,apparently it varies by airline, as to the days before expected delivery date, good luck


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## charleen

I had a wonderful doctor and a c-section from a great doctor with his own private clinic and i loved the personal care i got. I had nurses around the clock and only one other room with another mother so we were cared for well. Everything was great and relaxing and cheaper.


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