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Travel / Re: Give Birth In USA: Cost And Procedures Part 4 by Antoinette1: 12:53am On Aug 08, 2016
oluphilip2008
Good day my wonderful e-family.
I ought to have done this at least 3 weeks ago. But for one reason or the other I couldn't write my POE experience on time. But like the common saying goes "better late than never"

I got my visa in December, 2014 for vacation, that's for myself and kids. Hubby already got visa twice then.
However, we were not able to embark on the trip due to sudden changes in hubby's work schedule.

Fast forward to 2015 December, I discovered I was pregnant. So we started making plans for our vacation and to have the baby in the US. (Bro-in-law's wedding was in July too in New York).
To cut the story short, we flew Lufthansa from Abuja to JFK on the 10th and arrived on the 11th of July. I was exactly 34 weeks. I had my fit to fly letter, but I wasn't asked for it at any point of the journey. I also sent the change of intent notification to the embassy like 3 days before my travel date and I got the usual response. The flight was good and so on time. The plane for the Abj-Frankfurt leg was empty, I had about three seats to myself at the back, so I was able to lie down and sleep all thru the journey. The Frankfurt-Newyork leg was filled to d brim. Even though it was a bigger plane. In flight entertainment was very good. The kids had something to keep them busy at every point in time.

We got to JFK around 1:30 pm. The airport was like a crusade ground. Too many planes came in at the same time. We got called by the CPB after queuing for about 2:30 mins, our time with him was short and uneventful. It went thus:

CPB: Hello, can I have your passports?
DH: Good day officer (handed him the passports)
CPB: why are you in the US
DH: For vacation
Me: And childbirth too (I quickly chipped in)
CPB was busy with his computer and the passports so I thought he probably did hear what I said. So I had to ask him again if he heard me say childbirth, he then nodded and answered yes. The next thing was he was already taking DH's finger prints and then mine. Before we knew it, I saw that he was stamping the passports. There's this self automated machine at JFK where you input your details before getting called by CBP. There we declared that we had food and that we wanted to declare our currency, as we were carrying about 26k dollars ( our own personal money was about 10k only, the rest was for some one else?

The CPB handed our passports back to us and directed us to where we would get the currency declaration form. While waiting at baggage claims, a random female officer walked up to me and asked why we were in the US and how long we were staying. I told her childbirth and vacation, she asked how far along I was, I told her. In my mind I thought maybe she would be the one to send me to secondary inspection, but I was wrong. She only wished us the best and told us to enjoy our stay. After getting our luggages and filling the form, the next thing I saw was exit.

Even though I declared that I had food(fish, ogbono, egusi, knorr cubes, crayfish, garri, plantain flour and all), I wasnt sent for secondary inspection, nothing was checked, not even a single document was asked for. JFK is the best POE.

We stayed for the wedding which was on the 23rd of July. The hospital I'm using is in Flint, Michigan. So I arrived here on Monday 1st of August. My first appointment was on Wednesday 3rd. It was awesome.

So this is the first part of the testimony. I'm earnestly awaiting the second part (d arrival of my LO in less that 3 weeks).

Sorry for the long post and once again sorry for posting late.[/quote]


please can you share a copy of a notification of change of intent email you sent to the embassy.

i don't have an idea of how i can go about it.

i would appreciate your response.

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Travel / Re: Give Birth In USA: Cost And Procedures Part 4 by Antoinette1: 12:48am On Aug 08, 2016
please can you share a copy of a notification of change of intent email you sent to the embassy.

i don't have an idea of how i can go about it.

i would appreciate your response.
Travel / Re: Give Birth In USA: Cost And Procedures Part 4 by Antoinette1: 6:43pm On Aug 04, 2016
Please kindly assist to forward Dr amajoh s contact details I also intend to use him

Apologies for not sharing the full story earlier....I have been trying to acclimatize.....so back to the story
Myself and DH got to the airport around 8pm, we had to wait for some mins to allow the KLM passengers check-in...passed through the NDLEA peeps to search the boxes...I had a box with foodstuff and another with clothes etc...
Finally we were set to leave at around past 11pm....the economy seats were not really spacious .....well fast forward to Paris..
We had about 2 hours stop over..flight was delayed for about 30mins...finally left at 8.50am ...while waiting to board I was having some pains and praying nothing should go wrong while still in Paris or on board to US...
Landed at JFK at about 11 am. ...fortunately one of the officials passed me to the front line ...in less than 10 mins I was with the CBP officer..
CBP officer: why are you here?
Me: to give birth
CBP: Why the US?
Me: need better medical care for my baby...
CBP: How much do you have with you?
Me: 4k dollars Cash with about 7k in cards
CBP: you declare you have food items; what are they?
Me: yam flour, cassava flour etc
CBP: Any specialist doc you are seeing
Me: yea, have an appointment with a doc on Tuesday. .showed him the appointment letter
CBP: excuse me, I will be back in few mins
Me and hubby were waiting on the counter and hoping there will be no secondary inspection cos we had 2 hours to catch the next flight...
After 3 mains, CBP officer returned...
CBP: your fingers pls...face up.....stamped us in till Dec 31st
Na so we Waka enter the US oooo. At agriculture, the guy looked at my big Belle. ..seems you are ready to pop...all d best...collect our card ...bye bye
Nothing was checked. ..na so my iru, ogbono, fish, yam flour, cassava flour, Maggi etc pass enter US ooo
Tok the air train to terminal 5 and checked in Jet blue flight to Houston...
It was a very tiring trip but I thank God everything went well...
Yesterday I was having some pains...DH quickly called the hospital and I was told to come see the ER doc.got there in abt 10 mins. ..the nurse checked me and said everything was okay and I should go home...
Chilling Independence day at home and waiting for my appointment tomorrow with Dr Amajoh...
Sorry for the epistle....lol
[/quote]

5 Likes

Travel / Re: Give Birth In USA: Cost And Procedures Part 4 by Antoinette1: 1:46pm On Aug 04, 2016
yes im due in december my email is missytosine@yahoo.com pls mail me
OMary83:
Hello mamas. Please, is there anyone due in November and headed to Chicago in October through December? A friend is looking for a flatmate as she has a very good 2 bedroom flat for a very reasonable price.Do PM me if you are interested.

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