Giving Birth in Birth Centre (Houston, Pearland: health insurance, living, costs)

[wsbeih]

Hi,

My wife is a US citizen and I will be moving to sugar land next April. She will be 32 week pregnant by that time. I was searching a lot of hospitals in Houston, they seem very expensive. we will be out jobs (looking for) by that time and no health insurance. In my search i found "Sugarland Women's Health Center". it is a birth center. do you recommend it? is it safe? have you been to it or someone whom you know? and is it true that normal delivery costs around 3000 USD? i appreciate your valuable input.

Regards,
wsbeih

[jingram]

I don't believe that is a free standing birth center but rather an OB practice. They deliver at Sugarland Methodist. For a free standing birth center I would look into Nativiti Birth Center, Nativiti Women's Health & Birth Center or Katy Birth Center Katy Birth Center Normal delivery in a hospital or a free standing birth center would cost much more than 3000. I think 8000 would be more accurate for a hospital, barring any complications, and I think 4 to 5 thousand is standard for a birth center. Good luck with your search.

[ethanw]

Depends where you move from. Everything in USA is "SAFE" to give birth comparing with the third world countries or some other places in the world. Even BenTub is safe and mostly free for illegal immigrants... Your wife is a citizen, so for the love of God we can at least take care of our own people honestly looking for a job and trying to make a living... Good luck to you.... and I am really sad when I see our own citizens not being able to afford a safe and affordable birth.

[phaedra_p]

There's also a birth center in Pearland ... the women's center? Or something. Ugh, can't remember the name.

Birth centers are indeed cheaper but your wife will not be able to get an epidural. That was a dealbreaker for me. :/

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by ethanw

Depends where you move from. Everything in USA is "SAFE" to give birth comparing with the third world countries or some other places in the world. Even BenTub is safe and mostly free for illegal immigrants... Your wife is a citizen, so for the love of God we can at least take care of our own people honestly looking for a job and trying to make a living... Good luck to you.... and I am really sad when I see our own citizens not being able to afford a safe and affordable birth.

There are public hospitals where people without medical insurance can get emergency care.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

No hospital will, nor can legally turn down a woman in labor, period.

A friend of mine's sister in law decided she was going to do the mid-wife thing, have a baby in a Wal-mart kiddy pool. Things were not going too well, the baby was stuck, and the woman's husband began to complain, but was told it is allright, it would be okay, they do it all the time.

After about 30 minutes, the woman screaming in pain, and no baby, everyone had to admit what was evident, there was something wrong. The "wives" wanted to wait, but the husband called 911, and they whisked her to the hospital.

The staff at the hospital were in shock and said ten more minutes, the baby would have been strangled to death and been a still born. Not all cases happen like this of course, but why risk it. Despite what people say... keep the noise down, no screaming, stay calm... blah, blah, blah, no one ever remembers birth, and no scientific studies can show that it made a difference, but ancedotal studies abound.

My friend's nephew survived and grew up normal. The first time I met him, it was at my friend's home, a 4th of July party, he was upstairs alone unsupervised at 14 months, and he tumbled down an entire flight of stairs... that is when I learned a little about his beginnings.

Go to a hospital.