Having a baby in Japan was possibly both the most stressful and the most rewarding experience in my life to date.  My husband and I hadn’t really planned on having a baby here, but getting insurance and employment back home proved to be too difficult.  In the end, I am so glad we had our baby here!

Here are a few things you might want to think about when you are a foreigner expecting a baby in Japan.

The Language Barrier

          Even if your Japanese is pretty good, the language barrier can be daunting at times.  There’s a lot of difficult paperwork to fill out, and lots of specialized vocabulary that the doctors/nurses will use.  An electronic dictionary can be very useful at your doctor’s appointments.  Also, the medical staff is generally very good at describing things clearly and simply so you can understand:  “What’s that?”  “Well it’s what the doctors give you so you don’t feel any pain during the c-section.”  “Oh.  Anesthesia.  Got it.”  You can expect your doctor to understand some English, but everything will probably be in Japanese with the nurses.

          If your Japanese is not so good (and mine most certainly falls into this category), consider asking a Japanese person to come with you for at least the first appointment.  He/she can help you with the initial paperwork.  I brought a Japanese friend for my first one or two appointments (a lifesaver for the initial paperwork!), but I managed pretty well after that.   Another  huge help to me was  an  English-speaking Japanese friend who is also a registered nurse.  She met with us several times and  answered all our questions.  She also  stopped by the hospital nearly every day I was there to make sure I was doing okay and to translate any  complicated information. 

Cultural Differences

          I found the level of medical care to be pretty much

the same as back home in the U.S.  That said, you will find a wealth of cultural differences between Japan and your home country.  If this is your first child, it’ll probably be easier (you’ll have less chance for comparison), but you may still find some things very surprising.  Here are only a few of the differences that surprised me:

--My doctor did an ultrasound at virtually every appointment.  Most American moms get 2 or 3 ultrasounds total.  I had maybe 15.
--The nurses constantly yelled at me for gaining too much weight.  I ended up gaining around 30 pounds, which is pretty normal back home.  The nurses wanted me to gain closer to 15 pounds.
 --My hospital visit for the birth was much longer than it would have been (8 days for a c-section versus 4 or 5 back home).

          --Breastfeeding is encouraged more here in general, but women are not pressured to start breastfeeding right away—the nurses wanted me to rest for a few days before I started breastfeeding.

          --Japanese grandparents usually have a very active role.  Many Japanese women move in with their parents for a few months when they have a baby.  Even if your parents don’t live in Japan, many people will assume that your mother will be coming out for the birth.

          --Sleepers with footies are ridiculously hard to find for little babies!  Long gown-type sleepers are more common.

        Most of the major differences I noticed really didn’t affect my health or the baby’s health at all:  they’re just different.  And my doctors and nurses did accommodate me when I really pushed to do something different.  For example, I really wanted to breastfeed my baby as soon as possible after she was born.  The nurses in the hospital ward realized how important it was to me, and did wheel me down to the nursery to feed her the day after her birth, even though everybody kinda stared and told me I needed to rest.

Money Matters

          Financially, having a baby in Japan is not that bad.  Because pregnancy isn’t considered an illness, your regular prenatal visits are not covered by insurance.  However, medical costs here are not nearly what they are in the United States.  A typical appointment for me cost anywhere from $20-$50, depending on whether they did any blood tests.  The appointments are cheap, but it does add up.  The bill for the delivery is also not covered by insurance.  However, you will get a reimbursement from the government after the baby is born that will pretty much cover the cost of the delivery.

          Also, if anything unusual happens during your pregnancy, it will be covered by insurance.  So, for example, if the doctor is worried about something, and he wants to do some extra tests, those tests ARE covered by the National Health Insurance.  In my case, I had to have a c-section for medical reasons.  The cost of the surgery and recovery was covered by insurance, since it was not a regular delivery. 

          Finally, if you are working, check with your employer about taking time off for your doctor visits.  Since pregnancy isn’t an illness, you may have to take vacation time rather than sick time.

The End Result

       Violet Olivia was born December 22, 2007.  I had a c-section for medical reasons, and the surgery went fine.  We spent a week in the hospital and got home just in time for a moderately relaxing New Year’s vacation.  My husband was able to take lots of time off because of the New Year's holiday, so we got lots of time at home to get to know our new baby.  (The late-night feedings dampened the relaxation somewhat, but it was still great.)  Violet’s a bit of a celebrity in our town—there aren’t a lot of foreign babies out here, so her blue eyes and her little baldy-blond head attract a lot of attention.  While a pregnancy in a foreign country is certainly stressful, I always felt well taken care of, and I am certainly overjoyed to have a beautiful healthy baby!

          I am in the early stages of making a website for people who are thinking about having a baby in Japan.  I’m hoping to have a lot more details about my experiences during my pregnancy, but it’s taking waaay more time than I expected.  When it’s up and running, I will post a link here.  Until then, if you have any questions, feel free to email me at vera dot schwankl at gmail dot com. 

Special thanks to:  Junko Tsuchida, Chika Takahashi, and everyone at Nagahama Christ Church for their prayers, support, and delicious food.