I've had 2 babies in France. As an American, the biggest shock was never getting a hospital bill.
An American expatriate living in France shares her positive experience with the French healthcare system during two pregnancies. She contrasts the affordable, midwife-led care in France with the high costs and medicalized birth culture she feared in the United States.
Why it matters
The personal account provides a comparative look at healthcare systems and the impact of socialized medicine on maternal health experiences.
Kristen Seitz had two babies in France, where she lives now. Courtesy of Kristen Seitz Kristen Seitz entered pregnancy worried about medical costs and losing control during birth. Seitz says her French care team respected her preferences throughout labor. Her experience made her reconsider many of the fears she'd brought with her from the US. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kristen Seitz . It has been edited for length and clarity. At 25, I was working in Texas at an oil and gas company, feeling like this wasn't the life I wanted. I decided I'd quit my job and teach English in Europe for a few years, planning to return once I'd had my fill. My first Christmas in Europe , I was teaching at a school in Poland and was invited to spend the holiday with a colleague's family.
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