# Canadian giving birth in Mexico



## cesar&jody (Feb 22, 2011)

Hola, Im just wondering if anyone has any info on this, Im a canadian living in BCS for nearly 2 years with my mexican husband. We are wanting to start a family soon, however, i know things are a little different then what im used to in Canada. Can anyone give me any info on what to expect with the doctors? we arent terribly wealthy and I am covered under basic insurance with my husbands work,

Thanks


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Babies are born everywhere in Mexico. They've been doing it longer than in Canada or the USA. You'll be just fine. It works the same way everywhere. When you're ready, you push, they pull.


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## cesar&jody (Feb 22, 2011)

haha, i know, i know...my concerns are pricing, language barriers and if there are complications with birth, ie C section. Also, with immigration, becasue im canandian, will my child automatically be a canadian citizen? and a mexican citizen? or just one?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

cesar&jody said:


> haha, i know, i know...my concerns are pricing, language barriers and if there are complications with birth, ie C section. Also, with immigration, becasue im canandian, will my child automatically be a canadian citizen? and a mexican citizen? or just one?


I am guessing that you are covered by IMSS since you said it came from your husband's work. With IMSS there are no additional charges for covered services. Maternity is excluded for the first 6 months or a year, I don't remember which. Assuming you have been with them for awhile, you should be covered. And if you are covered, there should be no expenses. Language can be a problem. In two years with IMSS, including a many visits to the admin office due to mistakes that I made, and a few visits to doctors and dentists, I have never met anyone that spoke a word of English. My spanish is almost passable but by no stretch of the imagination good. So I never understand things as well as I would like, nor can I ask as many questions as I would like. 

Regarding the citizenship status of your future child, I don't know. That kind of information should be easy to find, however, either from google or a call to the Canadian consulate/embassy.


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## cesar&jody (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks, from what i hear its just basic birth is covered, however the doctors charge separately then the hospital and the ultra sounds are not covered? also i hear an epidural isnt something that is done here and neither is the discrete incision for a c section, if one is required, can anyone confirm this? also, my spanish is "passable" as well, however when im screaming in agony i really doubt it will come out in spanish! lol 
and as for the immigration questions i had, seems like i cant get a straight answer out them them, HELP?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

cesar&jody said:


> Thanks, from what i hear its just basic birth is covered, however the doctors charge separately then the hospital and the ultra sounds are not covered? also i hear an epidural isnt something that is done here and neither is the discrete incision for a c section, if one is required, can anyone confirm this? also, my spanish is "passable" as well, however when im screaming in agony i really doubt it will come out in spanish! lol
> and as for the immigration questions i had, seems like i cant get a straight answer out them them, HELP?


From Wikipedia:
"Every person born outside Canada after 15 February 1977, who has a Canadian parent at the time of birth, is automatically a Canadian citizen by descent." 

From Wikipedia:
"The constitution declares that Mexicans by birth (natural born Mexicans) are the following:[1]
individuals born in Mexican territory regardless of the nationality of their parents;"

That said, you will undoubtedly have to do some paperwork to obtain the documentation for both of those citizenships.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Regarding the citizenship status of your future child, I don't know. That kind of information should be easy to find, however, either from google or a call to the Canadian consulate/embassy.


A couple I am good friends with here in Mexico City are Canadian. Both of their children were born here and have Mexican citizenship. I believe that once your child has arrived, you will have to go to the Canadian Embassy to register the birth.


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

cesar&jody said:


> Thanks, from what i hear its just basic birth is covered, however the doctors charge separately then the hospital and the ultra sounds are not covered? also i hear an epidural isnt something that is done here and neither is the discrete incision for a c section, if one is required, can anyone confirm this? also, my spanish is "passable" as well, however when im screaming in agony i really doubt it will come out in spanish! lol
> and as for the immigration questions i had, seems like i cant get a straight answer out them them, HELP?


I can't help you on the particulars of having a baby in Mexico, but I *can* help with some of the unspoken ones; I have four kids, and was an RN in L & D for five years.

Start now looking for a good prenatal class. You cannot possibly be the only pregnant English speaking person in your area. Being educated as to the changes in your body during pregnancy, and the process of birth can really help with the fear. And it's fear of the unknown, not the birth process itself, that leads some to "screaming in agony."

If you have an e-book reader, then you have a wealth of information at your fingertips.

Find a forum that's populated by sensible parents, and hang out. You'll find out that your worries are probably universal, and nearly universally unfounded.

LOL, I worked in the newborn ICU when I was pregnant with my first. Talk about going through unfounded fears! All I worked with were severely ill newborns, for the entire nine months.

Your most important job during this time is to learn as much as you can about the process so that when it happens, it will be more like dealing with a crabby relative you've never met, but who you've heard so much about that you know all about him. He's not fun to deal with, but you'll been taught methods to handle him.

It's called "labor" because it's work. Not because it's agony. 

You'll do fine. Your husband and your baby will do fine. 

If you want some suggestions for reading, you can PM me.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

The caesarian rate in Mexico is very high, which is good if you plan or end up having a caesarian, but not so good if you are trying for a vaginal birth.

As for registering the baby as a Canadian, there is official information here and more information here. Although your baby is automatically a Canadian citizen, you must register the birth at a Canadian consulate, otherwise you will not have proof that he/she is a Canadian. For example, you will need the baby’s Certificate of Canadian Citizenship to get his/her Canadian passport.


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2012)

cesar&jody said:


> haha, i know, i know...my concerns are pricing, language barriers and if there are complications with birth, ie C section. Also, with immigration, becasue im canandian, will my child automatically be a canadian citizen? and a mexican citizen? or just one?


At least here in Queretaro, should there be severe complications for the mother or the baby, there is a specialized hospital for Women and Children. The affected patient is immediately transferred there and treated at -0- cost, and they are good. It is called Hospital de Especialidades del Niño y la Mujer. I believe they also give prenatal care, and your doctor just gives you a referral in order to go there. Not sure if there is one of these in BC - ask your doctor for some peace of mind.

C-sections are very common in MX and their style here seems to be vertical (rather than a small horizontal). Ask the doctor who will attend you.


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## cesar&jody (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks for all the info, here in cabo there arent any such mother baby hospitals, nor prenatal classes in english. we havent made up our minds yet, however its probably a lot less time consuming and costly to plan or have our baby here. babies are born all over and i just have to put my fear of hospitals abroad behnd me and start saving more money!


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Register the birth with the local 'Registro Publico' and get the proper paperwork. Your child will be Mexican, by birth, and entitled to a Mexican Passport.

Register the birth with the Canadian Embassy or nearest Canadian Consulate, and get the proper paperwork. Your child will be Canadian by descent, and entitled to a Canadian Passport.

Get both passports. That's dual citizenship. In Mexico, the child is Mexican. In Canada, the child is Canadian. The appropriate passport is used when entering each country.

As the wife of a Mexican and the mother of a Mexican, you will find it very easy to get naturalized, yourself, after a couple of years in Mexico with a visa, and also enjoy dual citizenship's benefits; the main one being freedom to work and freedom from having to deal with INM any more.


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## cesar&jody (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks guys, i have a huge smile on my face now! I <3 this forum!


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## jorocho (Aug 28, 2010)

Hi Jody/Cesar

I know all about this as I went through it a year ago! My wife is Mexican and I am Canadian. So... here is my 2 centavos.

Firstly, having a baby in Mexico with the best doctors and best private hospital in your area is not overly expensive. We did not have insurance of any type so the first thing we did when we arrived in Mexico (with my wife 6 months pregnant) was look for the best Dr. we could find. We found a great one and had regular appointments with him leading up to the birth... normally about $500 pd esos per appointment... we had 4 or 5. 

We asked him about public hospitals, private clinics and private hospitals. He recommended a few different ones and said it "was up to us". After looking at a few clinics where my wife "burst into tears" we decided to look at a private hospital that we assumed was out of our price range. As it turned out the cost was $9000 pesos if it was a natural birth and $12500 if it was a c-section. We looked at the facilities and they were clean and modern. The process felt like we were looking at hotels for a honeymoon as they handed us the brochure with all their pricing etc. This was the hospital where complications from private clinics get transferred to. The Dr and his team cost $12500 pesos so... our total cost was $2500 CDN dollars. 

The hospital and team were second to none. We had a c-section that was hidden and horizontal (cant notice it), I was allowed in the operating room. the Pediatra is still our pediatrician... and on our second night the hotel brought us a antipasto platter and a bottle of wine to celebrate in the birth of our child. On top of it all we had an ocean view from our private room. We could not have found a better team or experience in Canada, the USA or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

Citizenship... you child will be a Mexican citizen automatically... go to your local registrar office and they will make a long form birth certificate including a foot print... the process is easy and takes a few days.

Your child will automatically be Canadian as long as you were born in Canada. If you were born overseas you will have to make a citizenship application. Assuming you were born in Canada your child will be Canadian but you need to jump through a few hoops. If you go to the Canadian Embassy website all the info is there. You will need to apply for a passport and citizenship card. To do so you will need to get a few document officially translated into english or french (birth certificate and your husbands passport and or birth certificate). The translations need to be notarized... a good notary will be aware of the procedure. This process takes about 4-6 weeks so ensure you get the ball rolling soon if you expect to leave the country. 

TO get a passport photo if a newborn is a challenge... but a good studio can help with that. They normally get the child to lie down on a white sheet and shoot from above.

We could not have had a better experience than we did here in Mexico. Feel free to PM me and I will pass you my phone # if you want to speak about our experience.

Jim


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