Costs of having a baby in Santo Domingo

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Zakii Ramirez

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Hi all,

I've tried to search old threads for information on this but everything I've found is either very very old or they aren't discussing prices.

I am currently 3 months pregnant and living in London. My husband and I thought that we would have his visa sorted out soon to come over and join me, but it hasn't happened that way and now I am pregnant, which is putting a financial strain on the visa application etc.

I have decided that I want to give birth in DR to be with my husband and his family, as here I have nobody and will have zero support later in my pregnancy and while in labour.

I do not have medical insurance, so before committing to this idea I need to know if I have the finances available to cover this sort of thing.

I am planning on a natural birth but obviously would like to find out about c-sections in case of complications.

Can anybody tell me what sort of costs I am looking at in a good hospital in either Santo Domingo or Santiago?

Thank you all in advance for any help and advice you can offer!
 
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jimmythegreek

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Zakii Ramirez said:
Hi all,

I've tried to search old threads for information on this but everything I've found is either very very old or they aren't discussing prices.

I am currently 3 months pregnant and living in London. My husband and I thought that we would have his visa sorted out soon to come over and join me, but it hasn't happened that way and now I am pregnant, which is putting a financial strain on the visa application etc.

I have decided that I want to give birth in DR to be with my husband and his family, as here I have nobody and will have zero support later in my pregnancy and while in labour.

I do not have medical insurance, so before committing to this idea I need to know if I have the finances available to cover this sort of thing.

I am planning on a natural birth but obviously would like to find out about c-sections in case of complications.

Can anybody tell me what sort of costs I am looking at in a good hospital in either Santo Domingo or Santiago?

Thank you all in advance for any help and advice you can offer!
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I would recommend Clinica Gomez Patino in Gazcue off Ave. Maximo Gomez. In terms of cost, it is hard to say what it would be without insurance, but I remember paying not more than $RD20,000 with c-section. This is just an estimation. I would call the clinic in Santo Domingo and investigate further by talking to a doctor there.
 
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dv8

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texan

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In Puerto Plata we paid 55,000 to the doctor for a c-section. We paid 15,000 to the hospital. The mom and the baby were there for one night and we had a private room. The baby was 2 weeks early and was watched the first 24 hours then we were released.
That is all without insurance. They might want more for a credit card over cash.
 
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Criss Colon

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Stay in England for the birth of your baby.
Where is the sense in leaving a first world health care system, for a 3rd. world cesspool"????
Since you are already pregnant, you can't get medical insurance here anyway.
If you or the baby need medical care, you will have to pay for it yourself, sometimes BEFORE the hospital will provide it!!!!!
Have you ever seen a maternity hospital here??????
Having the baby is not the problem, women here do it ALL THE TIME!
Problems are after the birth, when/if the mother,baby, or BOTH need acute care.
Think about the BABY,and YOU, not your husband, and his family.
The baby will still be with you after a few years anyway,"THEY" may not!
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H

HUG

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On another note, at a time when you need to relax and take things easy, do you really want to be around Dominican family mayhem and BS? really?:ermm:
 
bob saunders

bob saunders

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HUG said:
On another note, at a time when you need to relax and take things easy, do you really want to be around Dominican family mayhem and BS? really?:ermm:
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Really HUG, not all Dominicans families are full of mahem and BS. She's pregnant not on pallative care.
 
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Mauricio

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I paid for the complete thing 205,000 pesos three and a half year ago. (about USD5,000, at that moment probably a little bit more in USD)

My wife is pregnant now, due in december, she is visiting another doctor and as it seems it's going to cost a lot more. This time we do have insurance, they will cover USD3,000 but summing up everything I am looking at another 3 to 4000 dollars that I will have to pay myself, so: USD6,000 to USD7,000.

If you want to give birth with the comfort and expertise you find in Europe, you will be looking at at least USD4,000. If you are ok with Dominican standards it's a lot less. Honestly I think giving birth is and should be routine and dominican standards probably are enough, but a consequence of taking a cheap doctor or hospital can be that:

1. they want to hurry up the giving birth and give you medicines to induce the process and make it go fast.
2. they'll recommend cesarean delivery because it's possible to plan around consulting hours, vacations / holiday and night time delivery. Ofcourse the argument they use is that it's necessary because, the position of the child is difficult, the umbilical cord is around his / her neck, blablabla, etc.
3. the nurses are not well trained and take the baby away from you after birth, will feed him or her by bottle and not come back with the baby until the next day because 'you need to rest'. Even though you explain in advance how you want it: Dominicans, especially the uneducated ones, always know better.

Going to the fancy, expensive places / doctors doesn't assure you a good treatment, but the chance to get it is higher.

If I could choose we would go back to Europe and she's give birth there. Same treatment as she's getting now and it will be free.
 
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HUG

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bob saunders said:
Really HUG, not all Dominicans families are full of mahem and BS. She's pregnant not on pallative care.
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I don't fancy her chances.
If you have a serious Dominican query that as a foreigner you aren't sure of, do you.......

A. Ask your wife who is a reliable source of information, you trust her absolutely and any info she does not have can be had as she is in the country and capable of making inquiries.
or
B. Google Dominican forums and ask a bunch of strangers on the first site you come across.
or
C. Both, in which case shows she has little trust in eithers opinion.
 
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Zakii Ramirez

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Actually, I have the sense to ask my husband, his family, AND do my own research. I like to find things out for myself. Also, being extremely impatient and only having asked them to find out today, I wanted to see if I could get a speedier response as my hubby is at work all day and won't be able to research until he gets out. And for all those with negative comments about my husband, please keep them to yourself or feel free NOT to comment on this thread. Obviously in terms of hospitals, England has a better health care system, which is why I'm trying to find out about the good hospitals that foreigners in DR use, rather than going to the local hospital.

It's all good and well saying stay here to have my baby, but first of all, I do not have any family here that can help me in any way. I live completely alone and really do not want to be sitting alone in my apartment when all of a sudden I go into labour. I also do not want to spend my last trimester struggling with simple things like shopping etc when I have a great family in DR.

Since I spent most of my youth growing up in Costa Rica, I am completely familiar with the type of health care and the way of life in DR, as it is very similar to that of CR.

In addition, once I go on maternity leave from my job, statutory maternity pay is only ?500, which works out $845 per month. Impossible to live on in London. Will not even cover my rent. So why on earth stay here and struggle, when my husband is happy to support me and our child over there AND I can have our whole family around to help me with my first child?

All I am asking for is approximate costs on giving birth in a hospital in DR. Not relationship or life advice. Thank you to everyone who has given me helpful answers, I appreciate it very much.
 
DR_Guy

DR_Guy

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This is no cost for a botched delivery and life long suffering of your child. Do the research. Many, many horror stories. Recently, there was one here about an infant that developed seizures do to the doctor's lack of skills.
 
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Zakii Ramirez

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I find it incredible that a country with a thriving population can't seem to do a simple thing like deliver a baby according to many of you :ermm:

Anyway, thanks to all for the advice, and don't worry, I WILL do my research, this was just to get some ideas and maybe a direction of where to start looking. It's a shame there's such negativity in here, especially about a country where you are all either FROM or have CHOSEN to live. Honestly.
 
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HUG

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Zakii Ramirez said:
It's a shame there's such negativity in here, especially about a country where you are all either FROM or have CHOSEN to live. Honestly.
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Yes, it is a shame we are experienced in life in DR and much of it is negative, wish it wasn't, but.......................
 
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Mauricio

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Zakii Ramirez said:
Since I spent most of my youth growing up in Costa Rica, I am completely familiar with the type of health care and the way of life in DR, as it is very similar to that of Costa Rica
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Costa Rica similar to DR in health care? A big NO. Costa Rica is a WAY more developed country than DR and has a health care that is higher ranked than the health care system in the USA.

If you are expecting Costa Rica style health care you'll be unpleasantly surprised.

Besides, the way you are getting emotional and all defensive of the DR without having lived here for even a while tells me you are not really looking for advice, only a confirmation of a decision you already made.
 
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JohnnyBoy

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Stay in London for the delivery. Come to your husband as soon as you are able. There is absolutely no comparison of health care.
good luck to you.
 
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Zakii Ramirez

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Mauricio said:
Costa Rica similar to DR in health care? A big NO. Costa Rica is a WAY more developed country than DR and has a health care that is higher ranked than the health care system in the USA.

If you are expecting Costa Rica style health care you'll be unpleasantly surprised.
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Really? I take it you've never been to a local clinic in a non-touristy area of Costa Rica.

Also, I have spent plenty of time in DR, I just haven't ever had to use a maternity hospital or a gynaecologist since this is my first pregnancy!

As I said, I wasn't looking for advice on life decisions or anything like that. I was simply asking people to share their knowledge on prices. In other words, I was looking for actual facts, not peoples opinions.

Thank you all, I'm sure everybody (almost) has replied to this thread with the best of intentions :classic:
 
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HUG

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Zakii, almost everyone has your best intention in mind, if it wasn't relating to the well being of a newborn then I expect the site would be much less considerate to your situation. Married? is that Dominican married (boyfriend-girlfriend) or legally bound? It seems like more relationship nosing, but I can tell alot about a person who decides to get married and then lives a separate life from them, as you are..

I wish you luck, I hope your hubby has A/C to keep you cool and comfortable throughout the pregnancy, and I hope you find a great hospital and your hubby does support you through this financially and emotionally.

And stop with the defense of this place, you asked for advice and you are getting it. If you know so much more than those advising then why ask, just do it.
 
frank recktenwald

frank recktenwald

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The wife of an American buddy of mine gave birth about 2 months ago. The doctor decided for a C-section. While he cut open the mother he also cut open the baby's belly, baby died 8 hrs later. Just before the operation the doctor called the father who just had gone back to the States to tell him that more money was needed to be send. My buddy was in a meeting so couldn't go to WU. He arrived a couple of days later again in the DR and was told by the doctor that he still owed RD20.000.
Life in a 3rd world country :ermm:
 
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Curacaoleno

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Zakii Ramirez said:
Hi all,

I've tried to search old threads for information on this but everything I've found is either very very old or they aren't discussing prices.

I am currently 3 months pregnant and living in London. My husband and I thought that we would have his visa sorted out soon to come over and join me, but it hasn't happened that way and now I am pregnant, which is putting a financial strain on the visa application etc.
Click to expand...

Why not waited after you have had the whole visa process done?
 
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