Having a Baby in Peru

Expatriates in Peru who are expecting a baby are confident about the country's maternity services. Competent English speaking hospital staff, including doctors, and well-equipped maternity wings in private hospitals are more than enough to keep expectant mothers and their babies healthy from prenatal to postnatal.

Unlike in the United States, almost all deliveries in Peru are attended by ‘obsetras’, a local health profession which has some similarities with the midwives in western countries. Ob/Gyn physicians rarely attend to deliveries and are only required in case there is a complication or if the baby is not progressing through the birth canal. Midwives are also on call but most of the time only attends to ‘low-risk’ pregnancies.

Method of Delivery

There is no special system for having a baby in Peru. A woman simply has to choose an obstetrician-gynecologist or obsetras based on personal referrals, which are still the best way to find any health provider.

However, expectant mothers have to decide whether they want a traditional or natural birthing method. In Montesur, for example, childbirths are usually done in hospitals where C-sections are very common, and the approach is clinical. In Cada Mujer, one may explore natural methods such as water birthing.

Benefits of Pregnant Women

One of the enjoyable things about being pregnant in Peru is the country’s implementation of the ‘preferential’ and ‘priority’ lines. Under the Peruvian law, all public places, establishments, as well us public transportation should have a priority line dedicated to the elderly, children, disabled and yes, pregnant women. Expatriates will soon find out the comfort of this local law since almost everything Peru requires standing in a long queue with at least 30 minutes wait time for each person.

Health Insurance

While most childbirth happens in hospitals, hiring a nurse aid to help a recovering mother in her home while taking care of the baby for a few days is not that expensive in Peru. The cost of giving birth in the country is also affordable, especially for those who have private health insurance in Peru. While there is a public health insurance scheme available to all residents, including expatriates, private medical services are often preferred because of their high quality as compared to those offered by public hospitals and clinics.

When necessary, accessing some maternity cover from providers, such as the ones chosen by Expatfinder can be valuable for expat women having their babies in this country where all babies, regardless of their parent's nationalities, are automatically Peruvian citizens. They can also ask their employer/spouse’s employer to understand the true coverage of their insurance since medical coverage from the company can help greatly.