Apologies for the harsh title. Just wanted to share my Canadian birth story.
My wife gave birth 2 days ago. Here's all the services we've gotten for free.
Prior to pregnancy, free family doctor visits (as always) and testing if my wife or I were able to have kids at our advanced age. Luckily got pregnant right before the jizz test, but that would have also been free. About 5 visits, including confirmation ultrasound.
Bi-weekly pregnancy and post-partum meetings, followed by a 1 hour clinic follow-up with ultrasound, sometimes other tests. About 12 meetings total.
Free advanced screening called NIPT. The cost was over $500, but if we applied for financial assistance, 2/3 of these screenings were paid for. We got lucky and it was free for us. Found out the sex, and screened for many possible illnesses or complications much earlier than most (i think it was 14 weeks). But the other slightly less advanced screening is done about 6 weeks later than NIPT, would have also been free.
Our baby was big, so we were encouraged to get induced to labour. This involved 4 days of clinic or hospital visits for free cervical sweeps and inducement drugs.
Hospital stay was in a private room, with large private bathroom and soaker tub, as my wife planned to have a water birth. In labour, my wife accepted the offer of nitrous oxide, and kept the gas going for 12 hours. Pain was still too much and my wife then opted for an epidural. Near the end of delivery we needed one last inducement drug, oxytocin. We hired a doula to assist in the delivery. She helped with encouragement, pro tips, and ended up sending us 160 labour and delivery photos. Paid by donation, said to average $350-$700. She was with us for 12 hours (9 pm to 9 am) and we'll pay $500, money well spent.
Baby delivered at 6:40 am on Wednesday. We were then given time to room-in with baby, get used to breast feeding and nurses could take care of my wife's pain with drugs or ice packs, etc. Room had a pullout futon for me to sleep on. Free cable TV, free wifi, free parking passes for 4 days total, and free unlimited room service. Free diapers, wipes, etc, and more to take home after. Left the room at 10 pm, 52 hours after arriving.
No idea how much Americans without insurance would pay for this care. $20k? $50k? We haven't had to think or talk about insurance, not once. All of the concentration is on emotional and physical support for new parents. It was incredible.
To all the M4A naysayers that talk about compromising quality of care, look at how my wife and I were treated!
Lastly, look at how many American lives would have been saved during Covid with M4A. 338K people! That's 5 times more deaths than Americans lost in the Vietnam War!
Fucking backwards ass country.
We named the baby Juni, if anyone wondered.
My wife gave birth 2 days ago. Here's all the services we've gotten for free.
Prior to pregnancy, free family doctor visits (as always) and testing if my wife or I were able to have kids at our advanced age. Luckily got pregnant right before the jizz test, but that would have also been free. About 5 visits, including confirmation ultrasound.
Bi-weekly pregnancy and post-partum meetings, followed by a 1 hour clinic follow-up with ultrasound, sometimes other tests. About 12 meetings total.
Free advanced screening called NIPT. The cost was over $500, but if we applied for financial assistance, 2/3 of these screenings were paid for. We got lucky and it was free for us. Found out the sex, and screened for many possible illnesses or complications much earlier than most (i think it was 14 weeks). But the other slightly less advanced screening is done about 6 weeks later than NIPT, would have also been free.
Our baby was big, so we were encouraged to get induced to labour. This involved 4 days of clinic or hospital visits for free cervical sweeps and inducement drugs.
Hospital stay was in a private room, with large private bathroom and soaker tub, as my wife planned to have a water birth. In labour, my wife accepted the offer of nitrous oxide, and kept the gas going for 12 hours. Pain was still too much and my wife then opted for an epidural. Near the end of delivery we needed one last inducement drug, oxytocin. We hired a doula to assist in the delivery. She helped with encouragement, pro tips, and ended up sending us 160 labour and delivery photos. Paid by donation, said to average $350-$700. She was with us for 12 hours (9 pm to 9 am) and we'll pay $500, money well spent.
Baby delivered at 6:40 am on Wednesday. We were then given time to room-in with baby, get used to breast feeding and nurses could take care of my wife's pain with drugs or ice packs, etc. Room had a pullout futon for me to sleep on. Free cable TV, free wifi, free parking passes for 4 days total, and free unlimited room service. Free diapers, wipes, etc, and more to take home after. Left the room at 10 pm, 52 hours after arriving.
No idea how much Americans without insurance would pay for this care. $20k? $50k? We haven't had to think or talk about insurance, not once. All of the concentration is on emotional and physical support for new parents. It was incredible.
To all the M4A naysayers that talk about compromising quality of care, look at how my wife and I were treated!
Lastly, look at how many American lives would have been saved during Covid with M4A. 338K people! That's 5 times more deaths than Americans lost in the Vietnam War!
Fucking backwards ass country.
We named the baby Juni, if anyone wondered.
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