Giving Birth in El Salvador and Mexico
By: Sara Tyler
Tags: El Salvador, Mexico, Life Abroad, Expat Life, Expat

Expat Life Abroad

Giving Birth in El Salvador and Mexico

After having my daughter, Sofia, in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Expats, digital nomads, and travelers are constantly asking this in online groups. As a matter of fact, I asked this myself both times I was pregnant. But, there is hardly any information available that is recent and includes costs.

Therefore, I am writing this article to share my personal experiences. What was it like giving birth abroad? How much did it cost?

Much less than giving birth in the U.S., that’s for sure.

For comparison sake, I have given birth in the U.S., although it was 16 years ago. Even though I had great insurance, and it was vaginal labor without complications, a $1,500 U.S.D. co-pay arrived in the mail a few weeks later.

The total cost was around $15,000 U.S.D. in 2005.

How Much to Give Birth in El Salvador?

I lived in El Salvador from 2014 to 2017, and had my first daughter there in 2016. After trying to get pregnant with my then-husband, we ended up with a pregnancy that never actually developed.

Having suffered through three weeks of going to ultrasound appointments and not having any good news, the doctor recommended that I go to a local hospital to have a D&C procedure.

Unbeknownst to me at the time were two pretty big things.

We had to go back week after week because the doctor was creating a record for a pregnancy that he knew was not viable. El Salvador is a country where abortion is illegal, and women have been imprisoned if they are suspected of having an abortion. This prolonged the situation unnecessarily. The hospital that he recommended was a public one that didn’t provide food (with the exception of 1/2 cup of beans and 1 tortilla, twice a day), clean drinking water, soap, towels, not even sanitary pads. I was told to bleed on the bed. It would also be my first time borrowing toilet paper and drinking water from my three (yes, three!) roommates.

Should I Pay for Private Doctors and Hospitals?

Needless to say, the experience was enough for me to opt for private, out-of-pocket labor and delivery. I wanted the best of everything. I wanted the best doctors and hospitals. I was ready to pull out all of the stops for my daughter.

I should mention that in El Salvador, as well as in Mexico, where my second daughter was born, that public hospitals are free.

In El Salvador, anyone can use them, and in Mexico, you need to show proof of residency.

This means that I could have easily gone to a public hospital to have both of my daughters. They would have been well taken care of, and I wouldn’t have had to spend one penny.

But, as this often happens, I started to think…

How many children do you actually have? Don’t you want the father to witness this once or twice in a lifetime miracle?

I had learned during my stay in the public hospital that opposite sex partners are not allowed in the delivery room. This was true for both El Salvador and Mexico (Ironically, neither private, out-of-pocket birth had the father in the room… just have bad luck in that sense…).

What Was Labor Like in Central America?

In El Salvador, I found an amazing doctor. I couldn’t believe it when he was only $25 U.S.D. per visit. This included an ultrasound each month because he had a machine right there in the office. The doctor that I had was one of the top in the country, and besides his medical talent, he was absolutely amazing as a person.

Because I was a paying customer and generally a very grumpy pregnant woman, he let me pick out the date on the calendar when I would be induced. I picked the soonest one he let me which was about two weeks early.

I have to think back and remember over five years ago, what the experience was like. I remember that when I entered the hospital, it was just empty. It wasn’t like a public hospital where there were tons of people everywhere, overworked nurses, and long wait times.

My doctor showed up shortly after the fact. And it was just him and me and one nurse who came in every once in a while to check on me.

But, for the most part, I had my doctor to myself the entire labor and delivery.

Because it was an induction, it was on the longer end… over 16 hours. After a few uneventful hours, we both took out our iPads and just played Candy Crush side by side.

At this time, I didn’t know I was paying $100 U.S.D. an hour for my doctor and the anesthesiologist to pay Candy Crush next to me. Had I known, I don’t know what I would have done. But certainly not play Candy Crush. Plants vs. Zombies or something a little more complicated at least.

When it was finally active labor time, it was quick. Less than 10 minutes of pushing.

The anesthesiologist turned off my epidural, which I felt was unfair because I was pretty direct about my desire for any and all drugs during labor… But, he said that women push harder without it.

He was right. Less. Than. 10. minutes.

It was also at this point that everyone decided to try and speak English for the first time in front of me, which was an effective distraction from the pain.

Lastly, I remember walking out of the hospital and being asked for $2,000 in cash before I could leave.

Wait, what? I had pre-paid!

Honorarios medicos. If you are expecting a child in a Spanish-speaking country, remember those words. That is the Spanish phrase for hourly doctor fees.

My obstetrician and the anesthesiologist both cost $50, or $100 U.S.D. total for over 16 hours.

I was quite surprised that they expected me to have this in cash at the time. The hospital wouldn’t take a debit or credit card for some reason. Luckily, there was an ATM within the hospital and I was able to go and take out the money to pay.

Even luckier was that I had the money in my bank account because it was an expense that I was not expecting.

Labor and Delivery in El Salvador Estimate

Doctors appointments: $25 U.S.D with ultrasound (x10)

Lab tests: $75 for new pregnancy panel

Hospital pre-pay: $800 at Hospital de la Mujer

Honorarios medicos: $1,700

Extras: $250 for the pediatrician visit for newborn in the hospital

Other: prescription medication, additional lab tests for myself and the baby while in the hospital

Total cost to give birth vaginally in El Salvador in 2016: $3,025 U.S.D.

How Much to Give Birth in Mexico?

My experience having my second daughter in Mexico in 2020 was quite different than the experience that I had in El Salvador.

Towards the end of the pregnancy, I had high blood pressure because of a condition called preeclampsia. This meant that I was seeing high-risk doctors, and was expected to have a c-section.

FYI: Mexican doctors LOVEEEEE c-sections. It got the point that I just gave up after monthly visits that always ended up with a c-section.

For example, the baby was breach one month, the cord was wrapped around her next the next, then my blood sugar seemed on the higher end, there was always a reason for them to justify surgery, which I wasn’t happy about.

Now, since I had learned my super expensive lesson with the honorarios medicos in El Salvador, this time I made sure to find a hospital with a birth package that included the doctors hourly rates. And I did. I was able to find a mid-range, private hospital was recommended by my specialist in Orizaba, Veracruz called Hospital Covadonga.

By luck, I went to pay for the birth ahead of time, around 7 P.M. one evening, and ending up in the emergency room at 3 A.M., being prepped for an emergency c-section.

Since I had already pre-paid the birth, everything was taken care of from the financial end. And being an emergency, I didn’t have to find someone to give blood for me, which is standard when having surgery in Mexico.

Not thinking I would go into labor so soon, I only ate Mexican churros for dinner. However, this turned into a few, quite expensive blood tests for diabetes while in the hospital, despite my protests.

Labor and Delivery in Mexico Estimate

Doctors appointments: $40 U.S.D with ultrasound (x10)

Lab tests: $50 for new pregnancy panel

Hospital pre-pay: $600 for a c-section at Hospital Covadonga

Honorarios medicos: Included

Extras: Pediatrician visit for newborn in the hospital was included

Other: $400 for prescription medication, diabetes tests, additional lab tests for myself and the baby while in the hospital, supplies used in surgery

Total cost to give birth surgically in Mexico in 2020: $1,450 U.S.D.

El Salvador or Mexico: Which Has Better Labor and Delivery Options?

So, which experience was better, in my opinion? El Salvador, without a doubt. This is 100% biased and takes into account a vaginal vs. surgical birth however.

The advice I want to leave you with, if you are reading this and expecting a baby, is that for a relatively small amount of money (when compared to healthcare costs in the United States), you receive a great standard of care from both countries.

Have You Given Birth Abroad?

If you have given birth in a foreign country, especially El Salvador and/or Mexico, I would love to hear your breakdown of costs and what your personal experience was like.

Please use the comments below to add your thoughts.