Pregnant Wife: Your Experiences?

[qpgwmh]

We're over the moon!

It will be the first child for both of us and I guess we're as keen to get as much info as possible about pregnancy and childbirth in the UK. However, my wife could really do with as much info in Thai as possible. Could anybody recommend some good books and/or websites?

A concern of mine is that a Thai lady may need slightly different treatment to a British lady. Perhaps she has not had the same vaccines as Brits. Perhaps she should have tests for different things. Maybe she is not entitled to the same level of care as a British citizen. Will our child be considered as a British citizen and be entitled to all of the same rights as a child born to British parents? What about when we return to Thailand with our child?

These are just a few of the questions that spring to mind. I'm hoping that people who have had children in the UK will be able to share their experiences with us.

Exciting times.

Thanks

C&F

[GuestHouse]

Congratulations to both of you.

First of all if you have not already both registered with a medical practice then do so righ away. I'm quite certain she'll be imediatly enrolled into the well women's clinic and the pregnancy programs - Which are fist class.

Your wife is entitled to full medical treatment in exactly the same way as any British Citizen, I would be extremely surprized if she were treated in anyway differently - The UK is truly multicultural, even a large percentage of the medical people she will see during her pregnancy will be from a wide range of different countries.

If your wife's english is not so good, go along with her to all of her check-ups to make sure her concerns are adressed. Also ask for advice on getting all her health checks, I think you'll find most are just standard, the exact tests they would do in Thailand (in the UK they will be free).

When your child is born s/he will be automatically both British and Thai. You need only register the birth at the Thai embassy, registration in the UK will be automatic by the hospital.

Again, congratulations to you both, I hope it all goes perfectly for you all.

Oh, and while she is pregnant she is entitled to all her dental treatment free! So get her enrolled with a NHS dentist (if you can find one) and get her teeth checked.... you'll never get a better deal.

Edited October 26, 2006 by GuestHouse

[qpgwmh]

Thanks for the advice and your best wishes

[Maizefarmer]

This question came up awhile back with someone else, so I emailed a nurse in the Uk who went and asked some questions.

Mom will be accorded & receive the same treatment as a UK citizen would receive. Thats all in order - you have nothing to worry about.

You are advised to register with your local NHS GP.

Tim

[Nawtilus]

You should find that with the diseases/bacterias/germs that your wife has been exposed to in Thailand, the amount dependant on where and how she grew up, but she will have an increased resistance to bugs etc.

And therefore so will your child, should relate into a naturally stronger child.

Our doc told us to not worry to much when we missed our childs immunisations by a month, she said that with the environment the mother grew up in, exposed to lots, the child will have a strong immune system anyway.

As for treated different, no different, we had one child in Thailand and one in Oz. I think the Oz treatment was much better, but cannot really fault went on here.

Make sure you do as mentioned, register the child at the embassy and get a Thai passort before departure to Los if that is on the cards anytime in the near future. It is easier to get it from there than here, much easier. Child will have both Thai and English nationality.

As for books, see if you can get a family member to send you some boooks in thai for her to read up on. My wife did and it was a good benefit to her, but she could also read english very well so she read english articles, but some words threw her.

Best of luck.

[Lakdee]

Hi qpgwmh,

My answer would be out of discussed topic.. sorry but I just would liek to share some experiences...

My wife gave birth last year. She is Thai , and it was her first time to have kid. As she lives in Swiss . She couldn't comunicate well in French. She speaks English very well and she does talk to me only cause other one can't speak english pity on her-.....So she hads stress cause she couldn't communicate well with doctor .. Some Doctor , doesn't understand English well, if you can guess...

The reason i told you this because when wife gets pregnant . Her hormone will be changed , and also emotion will be not stable.. That is naturally ..Be ready and be prepared...

My wife kept reading on www.b-a-n-g-k-o-k-health-.com ( remove sign- , cause i am not sure whether I can put website on forum or not). They provide all step for preparing to be new mom..The website is not so professional but pretty good one, and all is written in THAI... Maybe your wife would feel better if she does have question and she could ask to doctor on consuting section ..

Congratulation and Good luck

Lakdee.

[qpgwmh]

Thanks for the weblink, that's really useful

[mark henry]

Our Son is 17 months now, i remember my wife went into hospital about 8am and had given birth by lunch time and she wanted to go home an hour later! They would'nt let her and kept her in until the following morning. My wife is 5ft nothing and 7ish stone our son was 8 pounds at birth! I only mention it because i remember all the other women who were Western (and large!) on her ward seemed to be having problems, on drips and such like. It got me wandering if Thai/asian women are made of hardier stuff than western women? My wife came from a very poor family and frequently missed meals as a child and generally had quite a hard up bringing. This is in contrast to our pampered over indulgant western life style. What do other people think?

ps. watch out for post natel depression, maybe a bit more likely your wife being away from her family/country.

Best of Luck to you and your wife, it's hard work but wonderful as well.

[GuestHouse]

My wife is 5ft nothing and 7ish stone our son was 8 pounds at birth! I only mention it because i remember all the other women who were Western (and large!) on her ward seemed to be having problems, on drips and such like. It got me wandering if Thai/asian women are made of hardier stuff than western women? My wife came from a very poor family and frequently missed meals as a child and generally had quite a hard up bringing.

This is in contrast to our pampered over indulgant western life style. What do other people think?

Since you asked, I think you're talking utter <deleted>.

Like what man has the experience to waffle on about women's experience child birth?!

[opothai]

GH has summed things up pretty well

my wife gave birth 2 months ago, everything good and easy and the nursing staff will take you through all the neccessary steps.

one small gripe was, our hospital was very busy and we kept getting sent home for false alarms, ie 4 times in 2 days and on the second day up to the hospital at 4pm sent home then back again at 8 pm to start labour

when i asked the nurses why did they not keep her in for observation and possibly the start of the birth, it was they did not have enough beds or space to keep her there.

best of luck to you and congratulations

[Ricardo]

Many congratulations to you both. Our sons were born in the UK, where your wife will be treated exactly like any UK-citizen, of course.

I'd recommend that you both go to the pre-natal classes, which the local GP or midwives will be running, also that you are at the birth as well. Your wife will need all the support you can give her, at a very stressful time, it also leaves you in absolutely no doubt, that you are now a father !

You might also find it helpful, to have your mother-in-law over for several weeks during/after the birth. Especially with a first baby. Perhaps discuss this with your wife ?

[mark henry]

My wife is 5ft nothing and 7ish stone our son was 8 pounds at birth! I only mention it because i remember all the other women who were Western (and large!) on her ward seemed to be having problems, on drips and such like. It got me wandering if Thai/asian women are made of hardier stuff than western women? My wife came from a very poor family and frequently missed meals as a child and generally had quite a hard up bringing.

This is in contrast to our pampered over indulgant western life style. What do other people think?

Since you asked, I think you're talking utter <deleted>.

Like what man has the experience to waffle on about women's experience child birth?!

I'v every right to "waffle" about what ever i like guest house. My thoughts were based on observation and what my wife told me, of course i'm generalizing but i did so to generate/stimulate conversation.

[GuestHouse]

Indeed but you did ask.

[Maizefarmer]

Our Son is 17 months now, i remember my wife went into hospital about 8am and had given birth by lunch time and she wanted to go home an hour later! They would'nt let her and kept her in until the following morning. My wife is 5ft nothing and 7ish stone our son was 8 pounds at birth! I only mention it because i remember all the other women who were Western (and large!) on her ward seemed to be having problems, on drips and such like. It got me wandering if Thai/asian women are made of hardier stuff than western women? My wife came from a very poor family and frequently missed meals as a child and generally had quite a hard up bringing. This is in contrast to our pampered over indulgant western life style. What do other people think?

ps. watch out for post natel depression, maybe a bit more likely your wife being away from her family/country.

Best of Luck to you and your wife, it's hard work but wonderful as well.

Hey Mark - thats an interesting take on the subject, but quite true.

Westerners in places like the UK, most parts of Europe and the USA, live and grow up in an increasingly "sterile" enviroment. Everything must be cleaned to a certain standard, food has to be preped to a certain standard ect ect .... and healtyh and sfety regs are quite artificial. Oh, and your kids can't play outside in the rain because they might get a cold, and they always have to where shoes ... and on and on it goes.

At the end of the day I don't think it does them much good quite frankly.

Just have to look at how fat and unfit alot of European citizens are to see that all the articificaily implimented and encouraged health cautions in their modern "advanced" lifestyles have actually resulted in a nation of people who are loosing all their natural resistances and physical abilities.

"Walk to school , now theres a good boy Johnny it's only 2 miles", could result in a flood of tears if there is a bus that can take him all the way.

In Thailand my kids are and did grow up playing in the mud and rain, getting bitten by all sorts of bugs, falling and scraping knees (and a broken arm on more than one occassion), running around the bush barefoot - and they are none the worse for it. Face with Macdonalds or Pizzahut meal and a Thai roadside food stall - they'll chose the later.

I bet it was a shock horro scenario for the NHS nurses when your wife wanted to get up and go home. Of course they wouldn't know any better.

Tim

[mark henry]

Our Son is 17 months now, i remember my wife went into hospital about 8am and had given birth by lunch time and she wanted to go home an hour later! They would'nt let her and kept her in until the following morning. My wife is 5ft nothing and 7ish stone our son was 8 pounds at birth! I only mention it because i remember all the other women who were Western (and large!) on her ward seemed to be having problems, on drips and such like. It got me wandering if Thai/asian women are made of hardier stuff than western women? My wife came from a very poor family and frequently missed meals as a child and generally had quite a hard up bringing. This is in contrast to our pampered over indulgant western life style. What do other people think?

ps. watch out for post natel depression, maybe a bit more likely your wife being away from her family/country.

Best of Luck to you and your wife, it's hard work but wonderful as well.

Hey Mark - thats an interesting take on the subject, but quite true.

Westerners in places like the UK, most parts of Europe and the USA, live and grow up in an increasingly "sterile" enviroment. Everything must be cleaned to a certain standard, food has to be preped to a certain standard ect ect .... and healtyh and sfety regs are quite artificial. Oh, and your kids can't play outside in the rain because they might get a cold, and they always have to where shoes ... and on and on it goes.

At the end of the day I don't think it does them much good quite frankly.

Just have to look at how fat and unfit alot of European citizens are to see that all the articificaily implimented and encouraged health cautions in their modern "advanced" lifestyles have actually resulted in a nation of people who are loosing all their natural resistances and physical abilities.

"Walk to school , now theres a good boy Johnny it's only 2 miles", could result in a flood of tears if there is a bus that can take him all the way.

In Thailand my kids are and did grow up playing in the mud and rain, getting bitten by all sorts of bugs, falling and scraping knees (and a broken arm on more than one occassion), running around the bush barefoot - and they are none the worse for it. Face with Macdonalds or Pizzahut meal and a Thai roadside food stall - they'll chose the later.

I bet it was a shock horro scenario for the NHS nurses when your wife wanted to get up and go home. Of course they wouldn't know any better.

Tim

Thankyou Tim you expressed what i was thinking so much better than i could of. As i said to Guesthouse i was generalizing when i compared Asian women with western women but we generalize all the time cos there's usually an element of truth in it!

Obviousley i'v not given birth but that does'nt mean i can't make a comment/observation about it does it?!

[John K]

Just a thought.

http://hypnobirthing.com/

[vinny]

See also The Pregnancy Book: 2006 edition and Birth to five: 2006 edition

[qpgwmh]

See also The Pregnancy Book: 2006 edition and Birth to five: 2006 edition

Cheers Vinny. You don't know any in Thai do you? I'm a bit peeved at the moment because we set up NTL internet on our set top box (a service that allows you to access the net on your home TV without the need for a computer) but it doesn't display thai fonts so my wife can't get any information herself!