Experiencing motherhood in Japan
As I am writing this I am 35 weeks and one day pregnant and I thought it was a good time to write this post as I don't have much time left! 37 weeks is considered full term for a twin pregnancy, and over 50% of twins are born at 36 weeks or before so [...]
As a pregnant woman, how much time are you spending preparing for birth? Are you taking breathing classes? Touring your hospital? Packing a hospital bag? Reading books? What about for breastfeeding? If you're anything like me, you barely prepared at all! Before giving birth I knew I wanted to breastfeed, but I really had no [...]
Congratulations! You're pregnant! But you're...in Japan. Now what? Bringing life into the world is intense enough, let alone doing it outside your home country. If you're anything like me, you turned to Google to help you find a caregiver and you probably got the same result as I did...Aiiku Clinic and Dr. Sakamoto! Although this [...]
Caregivers in Japan can be quite conservative compared to other countries. When choosing a caregiver, it is important to do your research early in your pregnancy so you know their policies and what options are available to you (particularly surrounding pain relief) before it's too late to make a change. For more info about how [...]
When I first found out I was pregnant in Japan and going to be giving birth in Tokyo, it didn't take long for Aiiku Hospital to come up on my radar. For Tokyo moms wishing to give birth with an English speaking OB and at a hospital that guarantees access to an epidural, Aiiku is [...]
So...you peed on the stick and it says you're pregnant...now what? I think for most women, their search starts with finding an obstetrician or midwife to look after them during pregnancy. In Japan, you have several options but definitely fewer than the US when it comes to caregivers. This is simply because of the language [...]
