Y&M in Korea: If you are pregnant, and you stay at Korea... (1)

I am now in my 37th week pregnancy, and anytime we will meet our baby.

Before that, I always want to write down the benefits pregnant ladies can get here.

To make it easy, let's start with the benefits we can get from the public health center 보건소:

if you know you're pregnant through the tester,
you can choose to go to the nearest private Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic to have the ultra-sound checking;
but you have to pay for it.

(1)

If you can wait until 9th week of your pregnancy,

you can get the free checking and also the first blood and urine test at the public health center.

Check the phone number and location of the public health center of your living area,
call them up and ask for more details.
They also provide booklet ( 생애주기별 보건 복지지원 서비스 Health and Support Service Booklet) to provide the information of different services they offered in their center. (Get good use of it)

(2)

If you are confirmed of your pregnancy,
at about 9th week,
your obs & gyn doctor will give you a form that confirms your pregnancy and
you can apply for the go-un-mum card 고운맘카드
- the subsidy provided by the government
for all pregnant ladies
since 1st Apr 2010,

the amount is 300,000 won.

- this support can be used for all check up in the clinic, pregnancy and labor fee.
- but only can use 40,000 won per day.

- it can be used from the day you get the card, until 60-day after labor

- for more information, call 국민건강보험공단 1577-1000

- to make the card, (for foreigners)

pls go to the KB bank with the form, passport and ID, if possibleask your husband to accompany with you.

The staff of the bank is very friendly, anyway.

(3)

Though we could not get free folic acid from the public health center,

we can get the free iron pills 철분제 at the 16th week.

The iron pills are only provided to you until the end of your pregnancy

(I get about 5 times, and the last time I get it is in my 36th week pregnancy)

(4)

You also can get free triple test and blood test

which is required to do at the 16th week (to 20th week) of pregnancy.
If you can do it in the public health center,
then you do not need to do it at the obs & gyn clinic and save an amount of money.

Just get the result from the public health center about 1-2 week later,

then bring it to your obs & gyn clinic.

To get this test, you have to book it in advance,

so call them first.

Then you have to fast the night before,

drink the glucose 50g tolerance drink which they will give you when you arrive.

After that, wait for 1 hour.

Then test will be taken out.

(5)

Labor prepration class 출산준비교실

In our area, the public health center offer this class

for 26th to 32th week pregnant ladies.

(Gwangjin-gu area 광진구)

Every Wednesday 1.30-3.30pm

Every 2nd and 4th Saturday 10am-12pm for working ladies

I attend it in my 36th week, quite late to know about it. Anyway, it is an useful class.

If your hospital also offer this class, you can choose just to go either one of them.

(6)
If your name are recorded in the public health center,
if they have some class offered for pregnant ladies,
they will call you up and invite you to join.
Even if they do not call you up,
you can check up in the website and register on-site.

For my case,
I got to join one time of prenatal training class
on 6th Oct 2010.
D-line ladies -

Lecture and video for introducing prenatal training,

booklet provided,
drawing session - a paper of 2 circles is given, and all mums are free to create anything on it.
Some drew food, some drew snowman, and I drew park with kids as the photo below... all mums are really creative and lovely!
I'm giving the dream of future that my kid and other kids can still enjoy the green nature as before and now.
After the class,
they also gave presents:
- key chain writing: Pregnant ladies first! (hoho - it is very useful in public transportation)
- a pair of mini spoon and knife