Expat in Shenzhen, Mainland wife, thinking of birth in HK

M

mrg9192

Registered User
Hi there,
I am an American in Shenzhen with a mainland wife who has a Shenzhen hukou (SZ residency). My wife is now three months pregnant with our second child. The first one was born in a hospital here (SZ Fu'er yiyuan) and holds both a mainland and US passport (although technically even before the age of 18, no Chinese citizen is allowed to hold a passport of another country). Because of the one child policy, if we register the second child as mainland Chinese we would have to pay a fine and I think the second child wouldn't have the same privileges for free schooling etc.--so really not much advantage to having the kid in Shenzhen.

Among other reasons, because of this mess the past month about China getting harsh on multiple entry visas, we thought it might be nice for the second child to have a HK ID to make it easier to stay in China.

--It looks like the public hospital delivery package for non-local women is HK$ 39,000 (normal delivery incl. doctors' fees). Has anyone gone this route? Or do most from outside of HK opt for private?
--Have the number of mainland women giving birth in HK, dropped a lot since the mandatory pre-payment rule of a year or two ago? Just curious.
--If the baby is born to a mainland woman does the baby get a HK ID with full benefits?

If we go public, we are thinking Prince of Wales because it has easy access to SZ, has generally good reviews, and is a comprehensive teaching hospital--QMH also is a consideration, though. If private hospitals are within HK$ 20,000 of the public package we are fine with private but would like the baby to with my wife after birth. My wife is fine with the no-frills of public as SZ was similarly no-frills (probably even more so).

From reading the forums, it would seem that my major complaint about the public hospitals is that 'you get who you get' with regard to antenatal checkups (as is the case in SZ). I wish that you could build up a relationship with the OB during the course of the pregnancy.

Any info is appreciated. Thanks.
 
I can't help you with most of your questions regarding public costs for mainland women and the status of the HKID situation. However, if you want to have the same OB, you can always see one privately but still deliver in a public hospital as an option for continuity of care. I know of women who deliver in the public hospitals but still see a private OB. The private OB may not be able to deliver at POW (I think that depends on the doctor and the hospital) but for the 9 months including scans and such, it is nice to have the same doctor in case you need to call or have questions. It costs more for the visits but you get the convenience and peace of mind of having the same doctor and probably an easier time with scheduling appointments and not waiting so long to be seen- especially if you are coming from SZ.
 
What you can do at PWH is ask their private packages for certain staff. You can follow one of the University staff. However, you have to expect that particular OB may be away for a conference. I think you can get to follow the particular OB of your choice.
 
Thanks Tikkunolam and Flickserve. We will be at PWH tomorrow, so we will ask about the private package. With our first baby we did have one checkup with Dr. Derek Lo so that I could get a non-mainland point of view from a doctor. I thought he was very good and he was patient about answering the many questions that I had accumulated from the quick in and out of the Shenzhen doctors. So the private package looks like an option as does going with Dr. Lo for checkups and then PWH for birth.
 
As a Shenzhen expat I just went through the whole process with a mainland wife giving birth in a private hosp in HK 3 weeks ago. Will give you some advice soonest.
 
Looked at a few hospitals on Friday

Kiwi Dad, Would appreciate any input. Thanks.

Bekyboo, yeah, thought that might be the case, but was still interested in building up a relationship with a doctor during the check-up phase.

We took a look at 4 hospitals on Friday, all fairly close to each other: Prince of Wales, Union, St. Teresa, HK Baptist. PWH said that we need a letter from a private practice doctor before they will admit us for the birth package. First I heard of that. I thought things looked fine but wife didn't like the idea of long waits for check-ups after crossing the border.

Next was Union Hospital, where they really seem to have a sales force that sells their product. A saleslady took us up to the delivery floor and showed us the delivery room. Couldn't see an overnight room because they were full. Union's all inclusive mainland package (4 nights in a standard room, incl doctors and food) was 56k for c-section and 46k for vaginal.

St. Teresa's definitely did not have a sales staff. The nurse on the obstetrics floor was nice, and answered questions but it was hard not to feel like we were interrupting. Never set up an appointment because they said they were full until December. Their room package prices for mainland women were 9k more than for HK people.

Hong Kong Baptist seemed quite a bit more cramped than the rest--small hallways and low ceilings--but we were able to have an appointment the same day with a Dr. Yan Choi Man. He seemed nice enough at least and answered our questions. HK$250 for checkup, 800 for ultrasound. He said for c-section it probably would be 55k total and 45k total for vaginal (assuming cheap room) for mainland. After Dr. Yan we went up to delivery floor and talked to a nurse who was quite helpful about our questions.

Now I know why c-section is so popular for mainlanders. Dr. Yan said they suggest mainlanders come in a month before due date if they want a normal delivery, and two weeks before due date for c-section, which will be scheduled that day.

Still undecided, but looking like Union or HK Baptist. One good thing about Union is that (for $200) a female can rent a cot to sleep next to the mother in the room.
 
We made a HK$ 40K deposit at Union a few weeks ago because my wife seemed to like the facilities of Union best (a bit quieter, 4 max to a room), but no strong feelings either way. We get 30K of the deposit back if we give them two weeks notice or show them the birth certificate (or something like it) to show the baby was born in Shenzhen.

Last Saturday we scheduled she will check in the hospital the night before and then have c-section the next morning and stay 4 nights post-delivery. If you check in after 8pm then the package includes one night pre-delivery.

The fetal abnormality scan was done in Shenzhen, and it looks like we are averaging that half the check-ups are in Shenzhen and half in Hong Kong. Although you can't schedule appointments ahead of time with doctors in the Shenzhen hospitals, my wife goes to the hospital when she knows a certain doctor will have visiting hours.
 
Delivering at Union in September

Hello,
I will be delivering at Union Hospital in September. Not sure when your wife is due but if it is after me I can definately let you know how it went. It seems very nice so far. We are seeing a doctor for our check ups who will also deliver the baby. He is a very nice, patient and reassuring doctor and I can give you his name if you are still interested in seeing doctors in Hong Kong. He has an office in two locations, one of which is at Union hospital. Keep in touch.
 
Megan,
It would be great to hear about your experience afterwards. The female doctor we have been to at Union Hospital seems intelligent, but a bit less patient and more interested in setting up the date for the delivery.
 
Hi, I am also planning to give birth (but not til Jan) and was recommended Union. I visited there last weekend and was given the grand tour. All was ok (despite the high price tags of course) but the one thing I really felt uncomfortable about was the fac that the babies all stay in a nursery and can't come to the room, and the mother has to go to the nursery all the time to visit, and worse, the father can only see the baby for like 30 minutes per day!
Just want to know what you guys think about that, and if you have had any other experiences at other hospitals. I'm also based in Shenzhen, and am actually looking forward to visiting VIP Birthing Centre in Guangzhou.
Thanks and congrats on your upcoming new children~
 
I asked about the Father visiting and they said that you would have to get a private room if you want the baby to stay in the room with you. Also, you have to pay extra for a nurse to monitor the baby in the room. This is what I gathered, not sure if I may have misinterpreted due to the language barrier. I have heard that it is hard for the father to see the baby in the nursery and that he needs to sign up to see the baby as spots are limited. Hope that helps.
 
Delivered Early

Hello,

As promised :) I am writing to let you know about my experience at Union. It was quite good. During the last typhoon, my water unexpectatly broke and we had to go to Union early. When I first arrived, I was worried because I was early. There was some slight difficulty with understanding do to the language barrier but over all, all questions were answered.

Because my baby was breech, I had to have a c section. They scheduled me right away. Because we weren't expecting to deliver, we didn't bring anything with us. The hospital actually provides a service of taking the pictures of the csection for you, if you chose that option. It is only around $200 hong kong. They did a great job of taking pictures of the baby and us with the baby and gave us a copy of the pictures on a cd very fast after delivery. It was nice because we were able to email friends and family immediatly.

The faculty and facilites exceeded expectations. Everybody was very pleasant and took great care of me and my baby. Because my baby was premature, she was put in an incubator for several days. The nursery staff was very accomidating for us visiting the baby. My husband actually got to see her several times before I got to see her. There were no strict visiting hours for us to see her. Once she was off the incubator, my husband did have to follow the schedule. It was never an issue for limited spaces.

Also, if you choose to breastfeed, they have someone help you get started. There is someone in the nursery who will sit with you and guide you with what to do. They also show you a video before you start, but it is only in Cantonese. They ended up giving me a booklet in English that will answer your questions regarding breast feeding.

With the maternity package, there is an option of a meal plan. I would recommend not getting it. I actually chose to get it but didn't understand that it was preset and never ordered the meals. They have a menu in the room which you can choose from many different things to eat including some western meals. They will charge you individually for each meal you order, if you don't choose the meal plan.

They also have several other surprises and gifts that they give you and your baby when you leave. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I will say, it was very nice :)

There didn't seem to be any unexpected charges with the bill once we recieved it. We knew it would be a little more because our baby was premature but it was still afordable. Also, the staff offered that we could send our baby to a public hospital if the bill started to become too much for us to afford.

Overall I highly recommend this hospital. The staff and environment was very pleasant and I almost didn't want to leave! Please PM if you should have any additional questions.
 
....one more thing, I think (starting is Sept.) they will bring the baby to your room to breastfeed. That would also allow the father more time with the baby.
 
Baby born

Well our baby was born about three weeks ago at Union and the hospital was pretty good. we paid the cheapest package rate, but were put into a two bed room, not their largest 4 bed room. 80% of the mothers giving birth were mainlanders. Our obstetrician for c-section and post-op care was better than she was during the office appointments. Still not the most empathetic woman around, but one of the times she was checking on my wife was 9pm on a Sunday night. And right after she left the c-section op room she came up to me in the hallway and gave me a little briefing. My wife was in the op room for a bit more than an hour and I was in there for about 20 minutes.

The pediatrician, Helene Wan, was nice and friendly and UK educated. Nurses were fine and generally spoke decent English. Some of the nurses' aides however were not the best with English.

But for someone who lives up in Shenzhen, having a baby in Hong Kong can be a pain. My wife forgot this thing or that document so I had to go back up to Shenzhen quite a few times. Also, make sure you have the baby's name picked out beforehand, because you will need to register the baby's birth at the local government office about two days after the birth if you want to then get the documents so you all can head back up to Shenzhen. (If you are in no hurry to get back, then you have as much time as you want, but will have to pay extra if the registration date is more than a month or so after the birth). You won't have much time to think about the baby's name in that day or two. Remember for the husband to get to the registration office early, as they limit the number of births they can process each day (especially Saturday). Best to get to re-entry permit office (same Shatin building) early too. If you have one more person besides your husband to help out, that would be good.

Basically everything was indeed included in the package as we only paid HK$600 or so more when we checked out. And 400 of that was the extra bed pulled in for the nanny to sleep on at night.
 
Congratulations on your new born baby mrg9192. Thank you very much for sharing. I learned a lot from this tread.

I am a Mainland expecting mother and my husband is an expat in the Mainland. We live in a city near Shenzhen.

We have decided to deliver our first in Union for the very same reasons you mentioned about giving birth in Hong Kong.

I have an appointment with a female doctor-- Dr. Connie Yuan in about one week. I am wondering if your wife had the same doctor. If yes, I would love to share your experience with her. You could PM me if you preferred.

I have a lot of questions for her because this is my first and previous scans done in Mainland indicated that there might be complications in my pregnancy.

Forgetting things can be a pain. My husband is better at getting things organized. So we would try to make sure bring all it's needed and save some unnecessary trips. We are even further away from Shantin than your family. well, I also have a big family here who is very willing to help-like my mother--can't wait to get a grandchild.
 
Carey,
Our obstetrician was Dr. Lam, so different doctor. Feel free to ask here or PM for any other questions you might have.
Other info:
--After checking out of the hospital we spent a night and a half in a hotel while we were filling out forms and waiting for documents. We were at the Regal Riverside in Shatin. Undergoing renovation, but the rooms were fairly generously sized, which was good because there were three of us and the baby. Location is decent if your husband will be staying there while you are in hospital because it is a mile or so away from Shatin government offices, but 10-15 minute walk to KCR. If you stay at a hotel, big room is better. You'll be spending a lot of time there for a day or two.
--We hired a car (actually nice minivan) to cross the border back to Shenzhen. We aren't too far from the Huanggang border crossing in Futian district and from the hotel to our apartment cost HK$700 (600rmb). More expensive than two taxis, but hassle-free.
 
american expat, mainland wife, but in zhuhai

Hi,

I am also an american expat with mainlaind wife. This is my first baby. I am now planning to give birth in HK. I am registerd with QMH because my colleagues in HK recommended it and I live on HK Island when i am in HK.

1. For me to register for my son's birth in China, they wanted me to certify that I (a foreigner having a foreign child) do not already have a child. did this happen to you? I thought the one-child policy only applied to mainland Chinese people? Just curious since i am not giving birth in China anymore.

2. How did you get dual citizenship for your first child in Shenzhen? The US does allow dual citizenship but China does not (so not allowed to have 2 passports at all no matter what age, unless i am mistaken). This is why i wanted HK in the first place (had to talk wife into it, she didn't want to go to HK). Also just curious.

3. what documents did you use to proove that you had physical presence in the US to establish your kid's US citizenship? I can get my HS and college transcripts. I also have all my adult passports but can't seem to find my childhood passport. Will the transcripts be enough?

4. Also, my fammily in HK says that you cannot get a HK passport unless you give up US citizenship. does anyone know if this is true? because of this, they want me to apply for HK passport first for my son before applying for his US citizenship.

My son is due Feb. 2009 so i have time but i worry about #3 a lot these days. I never realized how hard it was to proove that i grew up in the US before.
 
M Wong>
1. With the birth of our first child, I don't recall having to sign anything saying I had not had a child before. But the neighborhood management office somehow found out my wife was pregnant with our second child, and called her up saying she can't do that. My wife told them that they can't do anything about it, and that the child won't be born in the mainland anyhow. Kinda scary that they even found out and called.

2. We just have not told China that she has an American passport too. Our daughter is actually now in China with her American passport, not as a Chinese citizen. Because 1) the US Consulate recommends it that way, 2) she would need a visa (visa=money) anyhow in order to leave China as a Chinese citizen. Such a hassle. So if she is going to need a new visa/entry permit each time she leaves China as a Chinese, it is just easier for her to be here as an American and have one multiple entry visa. Either way is expensive. Being a HK citizen is less hassle for second baby.

3. College transcript worked for me. But basically the consular officer, once she heard my American accent, barely even looked at the transcript. My guess is they only scrutinize the people who have a heavy accent or can't even speak English.

4. Yes, I saw that if you apply for a HK passport you need to give up the other country passport. However, to go back and forth between HK and mainland you need a HK re-entry permit and a Mainland Entry Permit--not a passport. So, unless you want to go to other countries as a HK citizen, then just use the baby's American passport, no need to get a HK passport. Even if you do get a HK passport, I wouldn't worry too much anyhow.
 
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