LadyGuinivere:

Yes. She had a B1/B2 visa prior to getting pregnant. And we all know it also covers receiving health care and birthing however it is something the mommas on this thread have been doing to avoid POE wahala.
It is good you have used your visa once before. The popular opinion here is to write the consulate and inform them despite that you have used the visa before. They usually respond with same cut and paste answers but those replies have helped a lotta people avert disasters at poe.
I don't know if I answered your question completely as I didn't understand it well. Please feel free to ask if I haven't answered you.

Thanks a lot. U have actually. I have also been torn between this tot of seeking clarification with the embassy b4 making the next trip. Hmmmm looks like I have to also do the same cos I don't want issues. But what was the typical response like if u v sent them this mail b4?
Would like to know how the correspondence went. Cheers!

IyawoToBe: Hello all! It so unfortunate that we lost so many pages to the attack

Pls my hubby is filling our ds-160 form. But there is a part on his own form where he is been asked if he ten-printted during his last visa interview. But he sincerely can't remember if he did. He got his last Us visa in 2007. So he can't really remember.

My question is, when did the Us start the 10-printing policy in Nigeria. We already used google but we got varied responses. It will be good to get answers from Nigerians.

And also we plan scheduling our interview for August. But he had already paid for his visa since last year. He paid last year because he intended to have his vacation in the Us last year, but one thing led to another and he couldn't make the interview so he cancelled it and went to the Uk instead. Now we are applying together and his visa fee will expire July this year. There are no dates for July again so we are left with August. Will the visa fee still be valid for an interview scheduled for August since we will be doing the scheduling within the 1year validity period. Or should we just pay another fee altogether.

Pls advice! We are confused.

hi. Someone should pls help with this. This trip is just for vacation. But we still need help with the ds -160

@ Dinah how are you ? When your due date? I am fine and praying to be fit to fly by the end of July.

@ladyguinivere, thanks so much. I have sent it to abuja, hoping for a favourable response soon.

mamacajah: @ladyguinivere, thanks so much. I have sent it to abuja, hoping for a favourable response soon.

My pleasure. Please when you receive both responses post it for the benefit of the house especially @Amazingmom.
@Amazing mom I have not sent yet. But I have a draft and its similar to what mamacajah posted earlier. Only difference is that mine has edd included to make the mathematics easy for any winch poe officer

@ all our mamas who have ported and returned, please how long after delivery should one wait before coming home becos of baby's documents and other check-ups? I am trying to plan my ticket and want to ensure I don't over stay in the cold (plan to be back late Jan 2015) as it would be winter then..lol. Also I am sure I would really be anxious to get to my home after a long time away. So please your counsel is it 4wks, 6wks or 8wks? Thanks!

@ those planning to go for their interviews, someone wrote that it is wise to have a budget plan on a spreadsheet to show comparison and planning ability to the VO as one additional documents. Some used it successfully, some carried it but didn't need to show it while others say it didn't help. So for those who need the plan, here's an extract I copied from this thread earlier
" BUDGETED SPENDING FOR MY 3 or 4 MONTH TRIP
hospital bill =amount
Physician bill = AMOUNT
pediatrician = amount
sonogram = amount
baby nursery= amount
Accomodation per **** x 3 MONTHS equal = ...amount
RETURN TICKET Flight ticket WITH BABY TICKET (10% OF PARENT TICKET)....amount
Feeding COST .......amount
transport with THE city .....aMOUNT
Baby shopping......amount
Miscellenous....amount"

For me, I have used it and adjusted it to suit my analysis and it really helped me see the bigger picture.
I have outlined my anaylsis as follows:
hospital bill - normal delivery /CS
Physician bill
pediatrician
Hosp. miscellanous (for those hopsitals that are not all inclusive)
internal travel ticket - travel ticket for me and one companion if we plan to arrive in one city and travel to either arizona or texas for thedelivery and back.
Accomodation - double bed
return tickets - for me and companion (from Nigeria to US and back)
Return Ticket - With Baby Ticket (10% of PARENT TICKET)
Feeding Cost
Transport within the city
Baby shopping (this is compulsory oh! I can't travel all the way and come back to buy things in the market..lol)
Baby Passport
Circumsion (if applicable)
Nigerian Visa - expedited
Nigerian Visa - regular
Baby Birthcert
Miscellenous (any other unforeseen expenses)
Total

Hope this was helpful. Sorry for the long write-up!

@mamacajah, I will be in the US same timeframe, was thinking of using El Paso but the cost of VBAC is above my budget, I heard MIHS will do it for less so may just use them. Please send me a mail so that we can form a bb group or better still talk better.

Hi all, thanks for the well wishes. We are very grateful. We are all doing great. Labour and delivery was smooth and short, an answer to our prayers from God. The sleepless nights have been a bit rough. We thank God for his mercies and grace, and for seeing us through the first month. Our son was 1month yesterday.

Anyway, we used Gwinnett Medical Centre. Mother's bill was about $4500 (It was initially ~$5000 due to a mistake in the billing, so word of advice, if you are not using a package deal, go through your bill line by line. If in doubt, call the billing department. It is your money, do not be shy! lol). Baby's bill was $900. There was a 40% discount applied to both mother and baby's bills. Cant remember what the total came to, probably about $3300 for mother and baby. Ob/Gyn was North Metro Womens Centre and cost $1950.

Regarding our son's documents, we are in Atlanta, so we simply went to the Probate Court in Gwinnett and got the BC three days after birth (gave birth on Thursday, discharged on Friday, went to court on Monday). Then, we went to Rockdale County Courthouse for the US passport. No queues, took no more than 30 minutes. Paid for expedited service. Then, we went to the Nigerian embassy and applied for his Nigerian passport. It cost no more than $100 in total for the Nigerian passport. I apologise, my husband handled all this so I do not know the cost of both his US and Nigerian passports. We got his US passport 8 working days after we applied though we were told at the time of application that it would take 2-3 weeks. The Nigerian passport was to be ready on the 25th of June (we applied on the 12th of June), but we only went today to pick it up.

Pediatrician cost us $50 per visit. We have made 3 visits so far. We had two blood tests done because our LO was jaundiced. They have charged us $200 for this but I am waiting for the bill to come in the mail before settling this. We used the hospital pediatrician at birth and were charged $180, which we bargained down to $126 before paying.

We still haven't gotten his SSN. We tried to go to the SS office but were told at the office that the hospital was already in the process of applying for it for us as we had ticked same in the forms provided at the hospital.

Lessons learnt/advice:
1. Go through each bill diligently. Even oyinbos make mistakes.
2. May opt for a package deal at a hospital that offers same. That way, we will be able to control our costs as they will be fixed from day 1.
3. Do not be shy to bargain and haggle. It is your hard earned Naira. Use it wisely! lol
4. Check every detail on the temporary BC issued by the hospital before applying for the original BC. My maiden name was mistakenly written same as my married name by the hospital. Because we were in a hurry to apply for the BC, we did not wait to receive the temporary one which the hospital mailed to us. Even at the probate court when we realised the mistake, we just accepted it and went on to pay for 3 original BCs. Now, after further thought, we have decided to correct it once and for all as BC is a vital record. This means another ~$55 for 3 new BCs and a trip to Gwinnett county.
5. Pray to God and ask for whatever you want. Even the most random and seemingly unimportant things. I was specific even to the point of asking for a particular birth weight , labour period etc! and my God obliged.
6. Be prepared for the after birth phase. I found that to be harder than labour and delivery and pregnancy (heartburn, morning sickness and all) all joined together. Nothing, I mean nothing, could have prepared me for the sleepless nights, incessant worrying and lack of time for myself.
7. Lastly, remember that you are a good mother/parent. You birthed this perfect being and went through 9 months of pregnancy. I am often times hard on myself to be a perfect mum. I am always tired and sometimes moody (the sleepless nights will do that to you!) I sometimes get down on myself and feel like I am not doing a good job. I worry that I am not making the best decisions for my son, that I am carrying him too much or too little. But I am learning everyday, and now I remind myself that it is okay to make mistakes. It is okay to not know how to do everything from day 1. That babies cry, and that is okay too. That this race is not mine to run alone. Parenthood is all about God's grace.

May God bless us all and grant us the grace to be the best parents we can be to our LOs!!

Cheers,

Imp

Hello House, just to update you all, I had my son yesterday evening.God be praised.

TheLeakyTribe: Hello House, just to update you all, I had my son yesterday evening.God be praised.

Congrats dear. May the Almighty God bless and keep you both.

TheLeakyTribe: Hello House, just to update you all, I had my son yesterday evening.God be praised.

Congrats dear.... tnk God or his mercies
@all any news fom anyone in mihs.. ill be traveling this week.good morning.

@impish: Congrats, that was a good piece, God's continual grace upon you, no one is born a perfect father/mother, we all have to learn on the job.
Congrats @Leakytribe.

@thelekytribe Congrats Dear.

@Lekiks: I'm aware a good number of mamas on this thread are in MIHS at the moment, and some should follow this week or there about, i'm sure you'll be just fine.you can send a private NL msg.

congrats to impish and leaky tribe.. wow! I can't wait to share the same news and I am still months away..lol.

@amazingmum and ladyguinivere, see the response I got from the Abuja Consulate.. I am not sure of what it means
" Thank you for your inquiry. Before you travel to the United States to have a child you should make the appropriate preparations, including an appointment with a healthcare provider, detailed information about where you will receive your medical services, and an estimate of the financial costs. Immigration officials may ask for this information upon your arrival. Healthcare in the United States is expensive, including costs associated with child birth, and can escalate quickly if there are complications. You are expected to pay all costs associated with the medical services received. Retain an itemized statement of account from your healthcare provider that outlines all of the charges from your care and receipt of your payment.

We hope this information is helpful to you. Congratulations to you and your family.

Best Regards,

Consular Section"

2ndbaby71: Please someone, i know this question was asked before but the information was lost. Who will be in El Paso (doctoresparati.com) July-September. I know of 3 people that are also going and want to coordinate to meet.

Hello,
I should be in El Paso with wifey by the 21st of July till September.

mamacajah: congrats to impish and leaky tribe.. wow! I can't wait to share the same news and I am still months away..lol.

@amazingmum and ladyguinivere, see the response I got from the Abuja Consulate.. I am not sure of what it means

Consular Section"

It basically means, have ALL your documentation including this mail handy at POE. Letter from hospital, funds at hand and any other supporting document to show you do not intend to use medicaid.
@amazingmom you have seen the reply ba?

Thanks ladyguinivere. My mind is at rest now.
It's just different from previous responses, so I was a bit worried that they are geting more diplomatic in their replies.

mamacajah: Thanks ladyguinivere. My mind is at rest now.
It's just different from previous responses, so I was a bit worried that they are geting more diplomatic in their replies.

Actually you're right.The response is getting diplomatic. Be like say we don de write them plenty and they don de open eye. Lol. Any which way, you have informed them !

Impish you are correct especially no 6. For me the labor was the easiest part maybe because of epidural! The pregnancy was ok too but motherhood esp as a first time mum! Hmm! Nothing really can prepare one for it o!


Definitely not easy. It was particularly harder for me over there without my husband or my mother.

Hang in there it does get a little easier day by day. Congrats!

Congrats to you too@theleakytribe

Good day all. My interview is some few days. I have some questions.
I would be using elpaso as my hospital and I already have my letter of responsibility sent via email.is that all I would be getting from them.
Also would like to know if there planes flying directly from naija to elapso.
I would be going by October ending by His grace,so if there are people who would be going around that time please lemme know.

Good morning all;
Pls does anyone have information about hospitals/doctors in philadelphia? pls it's urgent. thanks all.

LadyGuinivere:

It basically means, have ALL your documentation including this mail handy at POE. Letter from hospital, funds at hand and any other supporting document to show you do not intend to use medicaid.
@amazingmom you have seen the reply ba?

Yes, I do have my answers now. Thanks a billion. Will let u know when I have constructed mine so u can proof it further. Thanks a lot. Congrats @mamacajah congrats....,wish u a smooth sail as u progress. I think the response is a good to go one. Do u guys know any thing about d cost, hospital and doc info and all in Rhode Island? Been trying to get info online but nothing helpful yet.

Pls anyone kindly answer this question.
Spoke with a lady who had her baby last year in Philly and she spent bout 3500-4000 for both hospital and physician.
DCMH (Delaware County Memorial Hospital) to be precise, though it seems they may have doubled the price cos someone called for inquiries and they gave a bill of 7500.
Anyways, anybody with any info should plssssssssssss update.
Thank you!

jyde2014: Good morning all;
Pls does anyone have information about hospitals/doctors in philadelphia? pls it's urgent. thanks all.

@twizze, I saw this on page 58
"There is another hospital called Lankenau Medical Centre also in philly area. i know the hospital fees for uncomplicated womanly delivery is 1000$ and CS is 1300$."

Thanks @mamacajah.. Will check it out but any other info will still be appreciated. I got family in Philly and NJ so the overall cost might be better than going to El paso where I will still have to pay for accomodation.

mamacajah: @twizze, I saw this on page 58
"There is another hospital called Lankenau Medical Centre also in philly area. i know the hospital fees for uncomplicated womanly delivery is 1000$ and CS is 1300$."

@twizze, it depends. Don't forget that while you may not pay for accommodation, you would still spend on other things. from my personal budget, I saw that even with paying accommodation for 2 months, adding extra flight tickets, feeding, transport was still less by about 3k-5k if I stayed in NJ/NY. the only place in NY that gave inclusive package was wyckoff at $6.5k. all the others gave high estimates of $15k minimum (that means it can go higher). And for wyckoff, it doesn't cover post-delivery pediatrician visit, in fact they have increased their other non-inclusive fees, so that means one has to have about $7.5 to $8k max to use Wyckoff.

So it really boils down to ur pocket vs comfortability. unless you are planning to go home births, that too would be more expensive in NY/NJ than elsewhere. Just my two cents .

congrats to leaky tribe.
@mamacajah....d response u av is different from d one they sent to me...I gat d normal response they used to send and dt was just 2 -3 weeks ago . So am sure they are responding on one on one basis now . well d most important thing Is dt they replied you.

thanks tumeze. i am still undecided on where to go. I prefer MHIS becos of the cost but my hubby and mum wants me to be with family (NY/NJ). it is well.

@ Lekiks, I and a number of people are at MIHS, where do you plan to stay? That is what will determine who you need to meet. You can send me a private message. Safe trip.

TheLeakyTribe: Hello House, just to update you all, I had my son yesterday evening.God be praised.

Congrats @ TheleakyTribe

mamacajah: @ladyguinivere, thanks so much. I have sent it to abuja, hoping for a favourable response soon.

Good morning house, pls can u share the address you sent the mail to in Abuja. Thanks