I decided to take up the challenge as I and my hubby are working here and wanted to be together during the delivery. Here are some guidelines of what to expect if you are having your baby here in Japan.
Once my pregnancy was confirmed, the doctor told us that we must register our pregnancy at the city office or nearest health center.The city office gave us a Maternal and Child health handbook (boshi techo), in which we will have to record the course of my pregnancy and the birth, prenatal classes record, as well as our baby's development and immunization records. This is a very important document and will serve as proof wherever baby development and benefits thereof are concerned. Along with the "boshi techo" is a packet containing local information, prenatal classes and immunization schedules. Also included are 10-12 coupons which will give you discount for health check-ups during the course of your pregnancy.
A prenatal visit to the doctor costs between 3,500 and 10,000 yen. Since we had the coupons it came out cheaper. We had ultra sound as a routine and was included in the fee. We also had HIV, blood sugar test, as well as Pap smear test. We had to bear the extra cost for these tests which was between 6,000 – 20,000 yen. Whoops, that seemed like a big expense for us. But for our baby, anything was fine.
The average cost for a normal delivery and a 5-7 day stay in the hospital with food included is between 350,000-850,000 yen, depending on whether you have taken a private or a shared room.
The city office gives around 350,000 to 380,000 yen as assistance for childbirth expenses as of January 2009. You need to apply for this aid at the city office with the boshi-techo and/or child-birth certificate, which may differ based on your locality. You will have to inquire at your city office for the exact procedure. You can decide to get the childbirth expenses amount in your account or directly pay at the hospital.
All the best for your pregnancy!!
more in the next blog...
No comments:
Post a Comment