So what have our experiences been like expecting a baby in a foreign country...Well, thanks to the countless blogs by expectant expat mothers we have found a hospital 12 minutes from our house where they speak English! We also took a trip to our local ward office to register the pregnancy. Tauna got a fancy key chain that she wears on her purse. It says she's pregnant. The idea is that people see it and they give up their seat on the train for you. (Tauna has also found that people will be extra nice and carry things for you.)
One of the traditions in Japan is that pregnant woman go to their hometown to give birth to their babies. Tauna gets asked frequently if she will be having the baby in Japan. This seems like an odd question to her, because "I live here, where else would I have my baby?" To the Japanese it seems perfectly logical to leave your husband for a few months to go give birth.
The hospital system is different here. Instead of making an appointment and it being on time and fairly quick, you make an appointment and then wait around until your turn...and it seems like the doctor spends little time with you. We've learned to make our appointments super early so we have less waiting. We do feel confident about our hospital They have a good reputation and Japan has the one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world (lower than the US). We also have coupons from our local government office for each appointment. It only cost us $50 a visit, and that's before insurance.
The hospital system is different here. Instead of making an appointment and it being on time and fairly quick, you make an appointment and then wait around until your turn...and it seems like the doctor spends little time with you. We've learned to make our appointments super early so we have less waiting. We do feel confident about our hospital They have a good reputation and Japan has the one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world (lower than the US). We also have coupons from our local government office for each appointment. It only cost us $50 a visit, and that's before insurance.
The other issue Tauna faces is her size. Japanese woman are not allowed to gain as much weight as woman in the US, so she expects to be continually reminded of her weight the whole pregnancy. (While researching cultural differences she found that in England they don't track your weight!). Since Tauna is bigger than the average Japanese woman, it's been slightly difficult finding clothes...and maternity clothes here are very expensive. Thankfully Old Navy ships internationally:)
