Mexico City - Pregnancy and Childbirth
First of all, RELAX! There are top notch hospitals in Mexico City (Look at Paguro's recommendations in the Hospitals section.) You can find here an ob-gyn practitioner who speaks Spanish and English, and who has excellent medical experience and background. You can choose a private hospital like ABC Hospital or Angeles hospital, which feature a Maternity area, with experienced and caring personnel, and specialty equipment if needed for mother or baby. Under normal circumstances, the father of the baby or other relative(s) will be allowed into the labor and delivery rooms. Private hospitals provide nice private rooms and decent meals.
Pregnancy Test
Whenever you suspect you might be pregnant, you can go to any supermarket or pharmacy and buy a 'pregnancy test' ("prueba de embarazo"). It is very simple and reliable. It is also possible to walk into a laboratory and have a blood sample drawn, in a few hours and for a reasonable price, you will have a more accurate result. After you get a positive result, make an appointment with an ob-gyn physician for an initial prenatal care visit.
First Prenatal Visit
Look into the Doctors section for some recommended ob-gyn doctors. Also, look into our recommended Hospitals section. You may call any of the hospitals, especially those recommended by Paguro and they will gladly refer you to a gynecologist-obstetrician who performs deliveries at that hospital. Of course, you might welcome a good recommendation from someone you know in Mexico City.
When you make your first appointment with the doctor over the phone, you may want to ask what language(s) the doctor(s) speak(s), and ask for directions to get to the doctor's office. Personnel should be nice and provide all of the information you need over the phone. You should also ask how much you need to pay for the first and subsequent visits, and forms of payment they accept (usually personal checks and cash). But leave the discussion about cost of delivery services for your first (or second or third) face-to-face visit to the doctor.
A word about giving birth via the public health system
If you work for a company here in Mexico, you are entitled to paid Maternity Leave, 45 days before and 45 days after to the delivery . Check with the Human Resources department of your company for more detailed information. Note that the money of your paid Maternity Leave is NOT provided by the company you work for, but rather by the IMSS (Mexican Institute of Social Security, the public health system), and for that reason, they will require you to visit a Social Security clinic and have one of their ob-gyn offices follow up on your pregnancy. During those visits, the Social Security gynecologist in turn will perform routine exams and towards the eighth month, will ask whether you will be giving birth at one of the public hospitals belonging to the IMSS. The writer doesn't recommend giving birth at a public hospital. You will be better off in a private hospital and with a private ob-gyn doctor, for a number of reasons:
- Most likely, the Social Security Office you visit will be very crowded and the visits will be very short, with little time for questions and answers.
- Cases are handled by a group of doctors, and chances are you will be seen by a different individual each time.
- It is possible that the public hospital where you would be sent to give birth is kilometres away from the Social Security Office you will be visiting every month. Your file will be sent to that hospital, and a different set of people will handle the delivery.
- You won't have a private room, and for that reason, visitors will be very limited. The father of the child will not be admitted into the delivery room.
- During your recovery, several doctors will check on you and the baby.
- In terms of medical attention and expertise, the standards still vary widely from one public hospital to the other. Some are renowned by their expertise and great doctors, while others, sadly, aren't. And the bad news is, it is not up to the patient to choose the hospital.
In conclusion, Paguro suggests that you use the Mexican public health system to fill the requirements to collect your Maternity Leave money. By all means, attend your monthly visits to the Social Security office, but have your private physician actually care for the pregnancy and delivery.
Prenatal Care
A good obstetrician will perform a monthly follow up of your pregnancy, along with routine exams (blood, urine, etc.), two or three ultrasounds, and genetic exams, which are not required, but are becoming more and more common in private practices.
We have found that Mexican private-practice doctors usually perform the same tests and exams of the United States. For this reason, you might want to get and read a book named "What to Expect When You Are Expecting". You can order it at www.amazon.com . It is a complete, comprehensive guide for pregnancy and delivery and will describe -among many other issues- how each monthly visit to the doctor normally develops.
Childbirth Classes
Ask your doctor for additional recommendations on childbirth classes. Some hospitals provide them.
- Educacion Integral para la Psicoprofilaxis Perinatal (Lamaze)
Mrs. Guadalupe Trueba Tel: + 52 (55) 5573-1804
Mrs. Marcela Weingartshofer Tel: + 52 (55) 5294-6782
Mrs. Maria Elena Etienne Tel.: + 52 (55) 5534-1652
Childbirth classes offered in North and South of Mexico City - Centro de Psicoprofilaxis Tlalpan
Mrs. Yazmin Gonzalez de Cann, IPP
Morelos No. 12
Col. Tlalpan
Tel: + 52 (55) 5645-3882 - Infertility
Dr. Eduardo Ibarrola
Paseo de la Reforma No. 2608, Piso 8
Tel: + 52 (55) 5081-8208/+ 52 (55) 5081-8210/+ 52 (55) 5081-8100
Birth control methods
There are varied birth control methods available in this country, both at pharmacies and the doctor's office. Check with your doctor for recommendations, based on your needs.
Pediatrician
Your ob-gyn doctor will be able to recommend a pediatrician, or you can refer to our Pediatric Doctors section.
