Giving birth in Toronto OR Mississauga ??

[Rob_TO]

Yes I'm aware of the OHIP situation. I do have medical insurance which pregnancy is covered for. So I'm not worried about cost. My worry is since I'm new the area and don't know my way around, I was wondering how easy it would be for me to get around? Being in my 35th week does scare me a bit. My husband will be coming slightly later. After the birth of the baby, as well I'll be pretty much by myself till I find a job which will start only after 8 to 9 months. My husband will move permanently only next year or so. Any advice?

Which type of medical insurance plan do you have? Typically they will only cover late pregnancy and delivery related costs if the insurance was purchased several months before you even got pregnant. Also make sure if it's a plan purchased outside of Canada, they will still pay for delivery costs from Canada and are ok with the fact you are moving permanently to Canada and not returning back to home country.
Typically during the waiting period for healthcare, doctors and hospitals will insist on upfront payment and tell you to arrange reimbursement from your insurance afterwards (but this varies by service provider).

You should maybe research areas or communities around the GTA where there are more people from your culture/citizenship. You may find community centres that will offer help to newcomers to Canada and with newborns. Doing day to day tasks on your own with no family support, will be extremely challenging.

Note also that daycare for children just 9 months old, can be extremely expensive. You need to start researching this and going on waiting lists as soon as you arrive in Canada. If applying for daycare subsidies, this can also take a very long time to process so should do as soon as possible (not wait until you actually need the daycare).

 

[Bs65]

Very rare for insurance to cover delivery so you are lucky. Think it might be pretty stressful arriving in a new country and trying to arrange your new life at 35 weeks especially alone. It's doable but stressful . Do you have housing already? Babies sometimes arrive early so personally would want to give myself a bit more time. Also a long haul flight at 35 weeks will be pretty uncomfortable.

Assuming the airline will even allow travel at 35 weeks , for sure will need a fit to fly certificate from a doctor.

 

[canuck78]

Think most let you fly up to 36 weeks which I think is crazy for a long haul flight over an ocean. Yes you will definitely need a note from your doctor telling them how far along in your pregnancy you are and that you are fit to fly

 

[Zombie77]

No I do not have a house yet. My plan is to take an airbnb close to the hospital. My husband will come two weeks after I arrive. 2 to 3 weeks after the baby is delivered, we will look for a place to stay. My husband will be with me for a while and then will have to return. He will only move to Canada next year. So, we are looking for a long term rental like for 8 months till we permanently find a good place to stay in. Do you reckon sharing with a family or living in a studio? Something not too expensive - like $1000 and below types. How's Oakville? I need to be in an area close to shops and transport so I could get to a hospital easily for baby's Check ups. I'm a little freaked out lol

 

[steaky]

No I do not have a house yet. My plan is to take an airbnb close to the hospital. My husband will come two weeks after I arrive. 2 to 3 weeks after the baby is delivered, we will look for a place to stay. My husband will be with me for a while and then will have to return. He will only move to Canada next year. So, we are looking for a long term rental like for 8 months till we permanently find a good place to stay in. Do you reckon sharing with a family or living in a studio? Something not too expensive - like $1000 and below types. How's Oakville? I need to be in an area close to shops and transport so I could get to a hospital easily for baby's Check ups. I'm a little freaked out lol

Long term rentals are for 12 months. I thought baby checkups are done at your family doctor's clinic instead of hospital. Since you don't have a house yet, why not consider Alberta?

 

[Rob_TO]

No I do not have a house yet. My plan is to take an airbnb close to the hospital. My husband will come two weeks after I arrive. 2 to 3 weeks after the baby is delivered, we will look for a place to stay. My husband will be with me for a while and then will have to return. He will only move to Canada next year. So, we are looking for a long term rental like for 8 months till we permanently find a good place to stay in. Do you reckon sharing with a family or living in a studio? Something not too expensive - like $1000 and below types. How's Oakville? I need to be in an area close to shops and transport so I could get to a hospital easily for baby's Check ups. I'm a little freaked out lol

I am still curious as to what insurance you have that you think will cover all delivery costs in Canada. I hope you've explained your situation to your insurer and made certain of everything. Many seem good upfront but will try to deny claims once you start making them, which will be difficult to handle if they are not located in Canada.

What type of place to rent is entirely up to you. I'm not sure if sharing with a family will be a good idea with a newborn on the way.

You will only use a hospital for the delivery and any immediate after-delivery care. Regular check-ups are then done by a pediatrician or family doctor at their own offices ,which you will need to find in your area.

 

[canuck78]

Are you going to get an OB? Normally you see your OB weekly at that stage of the pregnancy. The OB will only have privileges at a certain hospital. You should also go to that hospital before delivery to arrange insurance/payment without OHIP. Other then delivery you will have to find a GP to do well baby checks and continued care. GP can be your doctor as well. You will have to mention that you won't have ohip initially. Paediatricians are usually for children with chronic or more complex diseases. As previously mentioned be prepared to sign a 1 year lease which is pretty standard in Canada. It goes month to month after that but you need to give 2 months notice to leave a rental apartment. I would focus on being near public transportation and perhaps walking distance to at least small grocery store. You can always order things like diapers online. Was it not possible to have the baby then amend your pr visa? When do your medicals expire? Then you could all arrive at the same time. Having a newborn by yourself in a new country will be very tough and isolating. Every mother needs a break once in a while/

 

[steaky]

Are you going to get an OB? Normally you see your OB weekly at that stage of the pregnancy. The OB will only have privileges at a certain hospital. You should also go to that hospital before delivery to arrange insurance/payment without OHIP. Other then delivery you will have to find a GP to do well baby checks and continued care. GP can be your doctor as well. You will have to mention that you won't have ohip initially. Paediatricians are usually for children with chronic or more complex diseases. As previously mentioned be prepared to sign a 1 year lease which is pretty standard in Canada. It goes month to month after that but you need to give 2 months notice to leave a rental apartment. I would focus on being near public transportation and perhaps walking distance to at least small grocery store. You can always order things like diapers online. Was it not possible to have the baby then amend your pr visa? When do your medicals expire? Then you could all arrive at the same time. Having a newborn by yourself in a new country will be very tough and isolating. Every mother needs a break once in a while/

But there are service providers in Canada that provide one stop services for accommodation, arrange medical care and transportation for visiting doctor and grocery. A friend of mine, even stayed at a provider in Richmond, BC many years ago. I don't think she signed a year lease, though. There were other mothers in the facility, which she didn't feel isolated.

 

[canuck78]

This woman is a PR she is not in Canada paying a company a large fee to help her do birth tourism like your friend did.

 

[steaky]

This woman is a PR she is not in Canada paying a company a large fee to help her do birth tourism like your friend did.

No, you are wrong.

Haha...my friend was also PR at the time and then became Canadian citizen.