Expecting in Shanghai

Margaret Ferte

The anticipation of expecting a baby is always exciting, but what should you do if that time happens while living in China? There are now plenty of choices when it comes to delivering in Shanghai and options to fit every budget and baby, whether you have insurance that will cover costly services at an international hospital or are planning to pay out-of-pocket at a local hospital.

If you’re going to be paying for child birth on your own, it’s important to carefully consider the options that are available and the costs associated. Going to a local hospital and choosing either their normal or special services is the least expensive option, with charges ranging from RMB 7,000 to RMB 15,000.

While the cost is considerably low, appointments for prenatal checkups are often met with long wait times, different doctors each time (unless in the special section) and nurses and doctors who can sometimes be impatient.

Nancy, a native Shanghai resident, was not impressed with her hospital’s normal section services, saying, “I was not treated like a human.” She attributes this to local hospitals seeing many patients every day. Patients are allotted a very short time to ask any questions, and the doctors are usually rushed. After waiting one hour for a consultation number, then two hours to see the doctor, her appointment lasted a mere five minutes.

For those with a bigger budget or maternity insurance, there are many options that offer quality, professional care. Some local hospitals have VIP clinics where the level of care meets a higher standard than the lower-cost sections. Prenatal checkups at these places can range from RMB 6,000 onwards, and delivery starts at RMB 15,000. These facilities are a middle ground between local hospitals and high-cost international hospitals and clinics, and patients typically find the care to be quite good and the doctors and nurses to be very professional.

American mom Ruth delivered her two children at Peace Maternity in its VIP clinic in 2004 and 2006 and had a very pleasant experience both times. She said that the facilities were modern and clean, and the staff were kind and pleasant. “I wouldn’t hesitate to use this hospital again in the future or recommend it to my friends.”

At the upper end of the cost scale, high-cost international hospitals also offer quality care that meets standards found in countries with highly-developed healthcare industries. Prenatal checkups are about RMB 15,000. Delivery costs are much more expensive with natural birth costing about RMB 60,000 and C-sections reaching RMB 100,000.

When 31 year old Sonja was pregnant in 2007, she chose Shanghai United Family Hospital as they were the only international hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Her son was born at just 34 weeks and had to stay 18 days in the NICU. She was impressed and happy with the quality of care that she and her son received, but noted that she got what she paid for.

“Shanghai United is extremely expensive,” Sonja says. “The bill we racked up was astronomical.” Luckily for her, all the expenses were covered by her insurance.

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