Job Discussion Forums

aliaeli · Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 46

I'm in D.F. And am searching for a prenatal care physicians. No idea really where to look. And I would like recommendations or ideas of where to look. I am fluent enough in Spanish to get by with an all Spanish speaking doctor, though I am interested in American doctors as well.
Ideal location of doctor would be somewhere in or around the zocalo, because it is close to where I work.
Though I am only partly considering returning to the U.S. for all this, I would rather stay, but if any one has any particular opinions on the quality of health care here (though I have mainly only heard good things) I am open to hearing them. No absolute horror stories please. General information appreciated. Dr. recommendations can be PM'd to me.

Another question I have is: What is the going rate for a translation with a cello for one birth certificate and one attached apostillo?

Thanks for all the help!

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Here's a general bit of advice that I'll put up for all to see since it's useful, particularly if you plan to stay in DF to give birth.

Not sure if you have coverage or not, but there's a medical group here called VRIM. www.medicavrim.com.mx Signing up at 400 pesos a year gives you a card that provides for good discounts on a wide range of health services and consultations. We'd been looking for prenatal medics as well and struggling to find someone we liked until signing up with VRIM. They gave us a directory of doctors, clinics, and hospitals which also lists the costs/discounts of many procedures. Worth checking out if you are uninsured or unwilling to go with IMSS.

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

Make sure you start saving for the birth! And be careful that the doctor doesn't talk you into having a c-section for false reasons (ie: reasons that sound good but that he creates so he can make more $$).

Finding an affordable and trustworthy doctor has been a pain in the a$$. But we finally found one after signing up with VRIM (which we had three people recommend to us).

So far the lowest cost for a natural birth that I have been quoted is about $40,000 pesos so prepare for that. Consultations can range from $500-1500+ although with VRIM our first visit with the doctor was only $200 (not sure if that continues or is an initial bonus to hook you).

Does your work have a maternity plan? Mine follows the law and gives me the three months I am legally entitled to which breaks down to 45 days before the birth (why the hell a healthy pregnant woman needs to be off that much time in advance, I do not know) and 45 days after (I don't even want to imagine the state I will be in when I return to work that soon after...). I would begin looking into your plan so that you can decide what you are going to do with the baby when you need to return to work. Thankfully for us, daddy has a more flexible job and will be able to be the stay-at-home parent.

All in all, it's been an interesting experience. Going home is not an option for us as I would never be able to have all of the babies documents in time to return for work the following year, although the free health care did make it an enticing factor at first (especially when I consider how much it costs for the birth..I really cannot get over it!)

Good Luck!

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

Just an FYI: my doctor is indeed only $200/consultation (visit). So I would certainly recommend VRIM (unless you all ready have coverage).

aliaeli · Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 46

Thank you so much to you both. You're information is invaluable. I do not have insurance, my fiance and I are not quite yet legally married for me to take advantage of his, although he says his is very good. I'm not sure how long the marriage process to a foreigner will take, but I have already signed up with VRIM to use that asap. With all the holidays it will be awhile to cut through all the red tape.

MELEE · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:54 pm Post subject:

aliaeli,

If your finace has IMSS (or maybe ISSTE, not sure about that) you can get prenatal care from IMSS even without being legally married. And actually if money is a big issue, you can get prenatal care FREE from IMSS if you child's father is Mexican. It's called seguro popular para una nueva generacion. ALL Mexican children now have universal healthcare from conception. Of course the quality may not be what you are expecting. I did get prenatal care from IMSS but it was basic and I did it just to get my maternity leave pay. I saw a private doctor who was EXCELLENT, though as dixie pointed out he would rather do a c-section because that way HE'S in control of the birth. I actually needed a c-section, but do to his care I delieved perfectly healthy identical twins a month pre-mature without them needing any post-birth special care. He had a state of the art ultrasound right in his examining room so I got to see my babies every appointment and we knew they were right on track and not developing any of the hundreds of possible complications twins with a shared placenta could have developed. My appointments with him cost 250 pesos which included the ultrasound. I'd recommend him, but alsa, it's 6 hours to DF. But if we have that here in the boonies, there must be world class doctors in the great big city.

Marriage wise, it may take 6 weeks for IMN to give you permission, or they may do it on the same day. You will need an officially translated birth certificate so you should contact the embassy for the translation, if you have already.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

MO39

MELEE · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 6:13 pm Post subject:

Last I heard, the US Embassy charged 55 US dollars a page for US birth certificate translation, you will need this to get married in Mexico.

MO, I assumed she meant seal, not the stinged instrument.

MO39 · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject:

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

The VRIM system offers discounts at 3 or 4 large chain labs that handle ultrasounds and other tests. Some of those tests are expensive though, even with the discount. The last round ordered seven major blood and urine tests and it came out to 2,300 pesos, after a 50% discount!

I think the high-end docs here have ultrasound equipment in their office, but I've never seen it with medics at the lower end of the rate scale. Last ultrasound we had at a lab was 250 pesos without VRIM, with new equipment, and a very detailed analysis.

Looks like we should start a baby club here... Very Happy

notamiss · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 3:04 am Post subject:

I would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to our mothers-to-be and fathers-to-be and wish you all the best for a happy, healthy pregnancy and for your new life journey as parents.

- - - - -
On another note, I had my degrees and birth certificate translated about 10 years ago and it was several hundred pesos per document�like $300 or $400. I don't know how much it might have risen since.

A Mexican certified translator is called a perito traductor, so that's what you might look for. You can find ones that advertise on the internet and in the yellow pages.
- - - - -
That $40,000 is really high! Here in Xochimilco there is a maternity hospital that advertises $9999 for a natural birth and $14,999 for a caesarian, 20% less if you pay in cash. No idea how they are, though. Too bad it's far out in the boonies for both of you.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Xochimilco isn't that far, especially if we'd save 20k. However, does that 9999 peso ad include the doc and delivery team? One thing we found is that there are two major costs. One price for the doc (and team) delivering the baby, and another for the hospital care. In our case, we were quoted about 38,000 pesos all told, but we're exploring options to save on both ends.

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

Had my first IMSS visit tonight. If anyone wants to know why Mexico is a make work country (lots to do, little achieved) get pregnant and deal with them.

I am so frustrated. I seriously am wishing I could go home and have the baby there.

Not only did I have to waste three hours of my night (and this is only the beginning) but I also have to repeat ALL of the health care I have done up until now - including a dental check-up!

I have a question: If EVERYONE has to visit IMSS to get maternity coverage (paid leave) then why was everyone else there well below my income level? Where were the rich? Even the middle class were not around. I can and am paying for private coverage so why do I have to burden the national system?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

And for a country so consumed with the importance of family, why is it okay for a month and a half year old to be without it's mother all day, every day???

This has been a bad day.