With only weeks until our new addition arrives, we thought it was time to start sharing our experience of having a baby in Costa Rica. Moving here, we knew that having a baby was part of the plan. We both wanted kids, but with our old jobs in the United States, we didn’t think we’d be around as much as we’d like when the baby was born and during those early years. Moving to Costa Rica and working from home through our website has allowed us the flexibility we were looking for. Now, after traveling around the country for the first two years, we have finally settled down in one place and have a baby on the way in November! This post will share our experience so far with prenatal care and how the system works in Costa Rica. Keep an eye out for part two on delivery, which we’ll post sometime after the baby is born.
IMPORTANT NOTE (May 2020): This post is from when we had our first baby several years ago. We have since had a second baby and used a different doctor. We also delivered at a different hospital (a private hospital in San Jose instead of the small private hospital in San Isidro). We have a new article called Having a Baby at Hospital CIMA about our recent experience. We recommend reading it, since our perspectives have changed some.
This post shares our personal experience and what we’ve learned from others. We are far from experts on this topic so opinions may differ. Hopefully, though, this is a good starting place if you’re thinking of having a baby in Costa Rica.
Background
In Costa Rica, children are held in high regard and protected to the fullest extent of the law. The law goes so far as to guarantee free health care for any child from conception to one year old. This means that all pregnant women, regardless of whether they’re Costa Rican or a foreigner, can have a baby and receive prenatal care through the public healthcare system at no cost. Public healthcare, called the Caja, usually is available only to residents and citizens who pay into the system, but pregnant women are an exception.
Public vs. Private Healthcare
We considered having our baby through the public healthcare system. After talking to other moms, both Tico and gringo, and scouring the Costa Rica expat groups on Facebook, we learned that the quality of care really varies across the country. Some of the public hospitals near San Jose are supposed to be the best and we heard that one of the hospitals in a city near us was very good too. Others, though, especially in more rural areas, don’t have a great reputation.
For us, since this is our first child and we have no idea what we’re doing, we really wanted medical staff who spoke English. We’ve heard that the way it works in the public system is you get assigned a doctor and nurse for your prenatal care and they stay with you for the entire pregnancy. You also get priority in the system and get to make appointments so that you don’t have to wait in long lines to be seen.
The drawback, though, at least if you don’t speak Spanish, is that your doctor and nurse may or may not speak English (most likely they won’t). Mainly because of this, we opted for private healthcare. Although we’re working on our Spanish every day, we aren’t advanced enough to understand a lot of medical terminology. Plus, having a baby is one of those situations in life where you’re already nervous enough so having to deal with a language barrier seemed like too much.
Another consideration for us was that private health care is very affordable in Costa Rica. Even without health insurance, we could easily cover our expenses by paying out of pocket. That made the decision much easier.
Choosing a Private Doctor
Once we decided on private care, we had to make the harder decision of whether to go to San Jose to one of the private hospitals like CIMA or Clinica Biblica or to stay local. A lot of expats choose to go to CIMA, both for their monthly appointments and delivery.
CIMA is a state-of-the-art hospital, similar to what you would find in North America. The equipment is modern, the doctors are supposed to be very good and many speak English, and overall, the experience is supposed to be what you’re used to if you’re from North America. We liked the idea of knowing what to expect and being comfortable, of course, but were also weighing the fact that we live almost four hours from San Jose. That had us exploring more local options, even if it was just for prenatal care.
After we found out we were pregnant and really had to figure out a game plan, we connected with an expat from the town over who had recently given birth in Costa Rica. It turned out that she had her prenatal appointments with a private, English-speaking doctor in San Isidro de El General, a small city just 45 minutes from where we live near Dominical. She told us that she loved her experience with the doctor and was very happy with her care. This seemed to be the perfect solution.
Our Experience: Prenatal Care
We’ve been seeing our doctor for the last six months, the one in San Isidro who was recommended, and have had such a great experience. He always takes the time to talk with us about how I’m feeling and if we have any questions about anything. The care feels very personalized, and even though he is a busy doctor, we almost never feel rushed out like we sometimes did with our doctors in the US. He seems to be an expert in the field too. Over time, we’ve learned that he studied in Chile and is an expert in identifying birth defects and other prenatal problems through ultrasounds.
One of the things we appreciate most about our care is that I get an ultrasound (3D or 4D) at every single appointment. From talking to friends back home, it seems that ultrasounds are given much less often there and we love the little check-in it provides each month. We not only love seeing the baby, but also enjoy watching our doctor study the image on the monitor, identifying the different organs and telling us what he’s looking for.
All of this personal care is costing us only about $90 per appointment.
The facility is nice too. The doctor’s office is in a plaza right in downtown San Isidro de El General. He has a waiting area just like you would expect, with a TV, some magazines, a receptionist, and air conditioning throughout. His office is adjacent to the waiting room. There is a space for his desk where we always spend some time talking, and an adjoining room with an examination bed, ultrasound machine, and other equipment.
Getting Ready for Delivery
Staying Local vs. Going to San Jose
As you might have guessed, since we love our doctor so much, it was hard to decide where to deliver. A lot of expats who opt to see a private doctor nearby choose to deliver at one of the private hospitals in San Jose. This was originally our plan too. We figured we’d see the doctor in San Isidro and then when our due date got closer, go to CIMA and find a new doctor for delivery. As we’ve mentioned, we live quite far from San Jose, so if we did this, we’d have to leave our place near Dominical in the weeks leading up to my due date and rent somewhere in San Jose waiting for the baby’s arrival.
Over the course of our appointments, we became so comfortable with our doctor that we couldn’t imagine switching mid-course. Most importantly, I was really confident in him, and we both liked his medical ideology. Unlike a lot of doctors in Costa Rica, he is pro natural delivery, water births, and even home births. Once again, our decision was easy. We would deliver at the private hospital in San Isidro and keep our doctor. Since my pregnancy isn’t high risk, we didn’t feel the need to go to San Jose.
Clinica Labrador
Recently, we toured Clinica Labrador (now Hospital Las Americas) where we’ll deliver to get a sense of what to expect. It is definitely more simple (think rural US hospital) but seems more than adequate. The head nurse was very knowledgeable and walked us around to the different rooms, explaining (all in Spanish) what would happen in each place. We’ll have a private room and have heard that the place is virtually empty most of the time so you often have the whole floor to yourself. Our doctor later explained that he would be with us the entire time too, even in the early stages of labor. We left feeling really good about the whole experience and can’t wait to share how it actually goes.
Update: Since we wrote this post, the Labrador underwent a major renovation and is now called Hospital Las Americas. We have heard from people that the facility is much nicer now. If you’ve delivered at the new hospital, let us know how your experience was in the comments below.
Final Thoughts
Those are our thoughts on what it has been like to be pregnant in Costa Rica. One other thing we want to mention, aside from the practical info, is that the Ticos absolutely love babies. The culture adores children, and everywhere we go, strangers admire my growing belly. Many give me a smile when they pass by and others want all the details: how far along I am, if it’s a boy or a girl, and even if we have a name picked out. We felt welcome in this country before but even more so now that we’re going to have a little Tico. We can’t wait to bring him into this beautiful place.
Have a question about having a baby in Costa Rica? Ask us in the comments below.
Last Updated: May 15, 2020
More Posts on Having a Baby in Costa Rica:
- Having a Baby in Costa Rica: Part 2 – What it was like delivering a baby at a small private hospital in Costa Rica.
- Having a Baby in Costa Rica: Part 3 – Focusing of the paperwork involved to get your baby’s birth certificate, passport, and more.
- Where to Buy Baby Stuff in Costa Rica – Best places to buy baby gear in Costa Rica without breaking the bank.
More Resources
- Tico Times Articles: A Costa Rica online newspaper for expats, The Tico Times, has two very helpful articles about having a baby in Costa Rica. Here they are: Giving Birth Through Costa Rica’s Public Health Care System and West Side (Birth) Story: Isla arrives at CIMA.
- Pura Vida for Parents: Short e-book from a woman who lived in Costa Rica with her two young children. The book has lots of anecdotes from different moms across the country who have had a baby here or are raising a family.
- Families with Children in the Central Valley – Awesome Facebook group with friendly expats living in Costa Rica with kids. This is a great place to ask specific questions about giving birth, schools, etc.
- Ocho Vez – Great blog post from a Canadian woman living in Costa Rica who used the public health system for prenatal care and delivered at CIMA.
Very excited for both of you! Can’t wait to hear the baby has arrived!
Thanks Sirkka!
Hi I’m 6 weeks pregnant and my partner and I were returning to Costa Rica to matapalo. Could I have the name of your doctor? I plan on returning to Canada to have the baby for ease of paper work and family support. But I’m worried about Zika and about getting the proper screening tests for our baby. Anything helps thank you
Hi. My husband and I are us citizens considering going to Costa Rica for our next baby’s birth (not pregnant yet). I did a homebirth here in the states for my first baby. We are not wanting to move to Costa Rica permanently but maintain us citizenship and permanent residency in Costa Rica. Do you think it would be possible or fairly easy to stay here in the US for about 6 months of my pregnancy and then rent somewhere in Costa Rica to do a homebirth?
Hi Julia, A lot of people come to Costa Rica to give birth. I wouldn’t say it’s easy, but it is possible. Home births aren’t technically legal but people have them all the time. You would just need to find a midwife or doctor to do it. We are not the best people to ask about this because we had hospital births. There are some groups on Facebook that may be helpful. You could join one called Pura Vida Mamas.
Hi there,
I am looking for any advice.
I will becoming into my 2nd trimester when I get to Golifto, Costa Rica.
Do you know if there is a medical facility there that can support me through the teats I will need and any other medical attention.
Any advice or information is greatly appreciated.
Kind regards
Lucinda
Hi Lucinda, Cortes is about an hour away and has a fairly large hospital. I think you could go there to see an OBGYN and get your tests done. You could deliver there as well. Otherwise, there’s a hospital in Ciudad Neily, which is a little closer, but we don’t know much about that one. Not sure if they have a maternity and obstetrics department. Hope that helps. Best of luck with the rest of your checkups and delivery!
Hey there,
I read your articles and I am interested in hearing more about the doctors you used to deliver in CIMA. If you’d be able to pass along their information I would be very grateful!
Hi Margaret, We’ll email you now.
Hey there – I would also really appreciate the doctor’s information if possible.
Hi Tera, We will send you an email now.
Hi Jenn and Matt,
Can you please send me the name of the doctor and clinic in San Isidro that you really liked?
Thanks,
Arin
Hi Arin, Sure, we’ll send you an email now.
Hi! Im near san Isidro del general and 9 weeks pregnant, could you please share your doctor info with me as well?
Hi Mya, We’ll email you now.
Hi Jenny, your Blog is great! Very helpful content. Could you give me the name of your doctor in San Isidro? Thanks so much
Hi Daniela, Sorry for the delay. We will send it now.
Hiya. We are British residents but live in Canada for a bit. But still English. We are leaving and want to come down south. I’m pregnant and want to give birth somewhere like Costa Rica but, I’m
Worried I won’t be able to leave. Will the baby get a birth certificate and passport so we can leave even though we are not residents. I would love your feedback please and thank you
Hi Chloe, Yes, you will be able to leave with the baby. You will want to look into how to get a British passport for the baby. The baby will be able to get a Costa Rican one too if you want. You’ll need the birth certificate before you can get the passports. This can take up to a month.
To leave the country, you will need to get an exit permission from Immigration (permiso de salida). You just have to get it one time for all Costa Rican minors and it’s good forever after that unless you change it. Here’s a link to one of our posts with more information about that process. It isn’t too hard.
Hey, could you please send the info of your doctor in San Isidro El General?
Otherwise your blog is fantastic, thanks!
Sure, we’ll email you now.
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing your experience and helping others with the process. I’m pregnant I CR and I’d love the name of the San Isidro doc! Thank you!!!
Hi Asia, Sure, we’ll email you his information now.
Hi there! I found this post to be very helpful. My name is Alice and I will be traveling to CR in a few days to the Uvita/Dominical area. So far I have gathered that Zika is not much of an issue, which is a great relief. It is hard to find the latest on this so if you and your family have heard differently please do share!
We will only be in the area for 10 days however I began to have some anxiety in regards to unexpected complications and what I would do if something came up. My question for you is if you know any facilities in the area to go in an unexpected emergency. I understand you share the name of your doctor however I’m not sure this is applicable for such a short period of time. Would you recommend just returning to San Jose? I have read that the medical system is great! I am 20 weeks pregnant and so far everything is very, very normal but this is our first pregnancy and you know how that goes! I so appreciate your time. Thank you!
Hi Alice, Sorry for the delay. It seems you have already traveled so our reply may not be helpful at this point.
If anything comes up with your pregnancy during your visit, you could go to one of the private clinics in Uvita, Hospital Las Americas in San Isidro, or Dr Arcia in San Isidro. Arcia is an OBGYN. The hospital will have specialists as well.
Hello, thank you so much for this valuable information. Would you mind sending me the doctors information that you recommend? Please and thanks!
Hi Karla, Sure, we will send you the info for both doctors we’ve used (this birth and the other birth at CIMA Hospital).
So happy I stumbled across your site! I know it’s been some years, but congratulations on both of your births. I would love to know the name of your doctor as well. I saw that you mentioned he supports home births, which is what we are interested in for our third birth. We plan on relocating to Costa Rica in the next couple of months and I’m trying to get as much info/everything planned so that our transition is pretty straightforward. Thanks in advance for your response!
Hi Aja, Thank you! Yes, the boys are 2 and almost 6 now. How times flies! I’ll email you the info for both doctors now.
This is so great to hear! I was 7 months pregnant when we first visited CR and everyone treated me so nicely. Even at the airport, they let me cut the line for security which was sweet and unexpected. I even had a Tico come up to me in Manuel Antonio advise me that Tico women do not drink coconut water fresh from the coconut as they don’t know what kind of bacteria might be in it, after he saw me drinking from one. I don’t know the validity of that, but I stopped drinking it just in case. 🙂
I’m glad to hear that you are having good experiences with the health care so far as it’s definitely one of my concerns for moving there next year.
Hi Marianne, The Ticos have been so great, I’m not at all surprised to hear you were given priority at the airport and given the warning about fresh coconut water. I’ve never heard that myself but it makes sense. Thanks for reading!
I’m excited to read the follow-up posts when your little Tico arrives. Best wishes!!
Thanks Liisa! We’ll have to coordinate so we can share our story on your site later on.
Exciting! Hello! We are in Costa Rica and we are very interested in information about this doctor. Do you think you could give us the name or location of the clinic? Thank you very much!!!
Hi Nina, Sure, well send you an email.
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story, we are also moving to Costa Rica soon. Could you please share with me the doctor’s name you were seeing. Thank you.
Hi Olga, Sure, I’ll send you an email.
Hi! I was wondering if you could send me the name of your doctor as well! I’ve been looking in San Jose but I’ll be closer to San Isidro and am very keen on a doctor who encourages natural birth.
Thank you!
Just sent you an email.
Hi! Would you be able to also send me the name of your doctor? Thank you
Hi Julianna, Sure, we just sent you an email with the info.
Could I please please get the name of this doctor. We’re living in matapalo.
Hi Brittney, Sorry, we receive a lot of comments so sometimes it takes us a few days to respond. We’ll send you an email now.
Hello can you also send me the name of the doctor? Thank you so much
Sure. We will send you the info now.
Congrats on your 2nd birth! I know this post is from a while ago, but I also am hoping to know who your wonderful doctor was in San Isidro. My son and his fiancee are expecting in October and we will be moving to CR at the end of august, but first coming for a research trip in a few weeks, and we would love to meet the doc.
Hi Saritah,
We’ll gladly send over an e-mail with the information now.
Hello, I am 8 weeks pregnant and I live in the US but Intend to relocate to CR in the near future, but maybe not immediately – need to sell my house, etc. I would like to have my baby there for his/her benefit. How much time before and after birth should I plan to be in CR? Would the 90 day tourist visa be enough time to accomplish all the necessary paperwork to be able to return to the US to tie up loose ends and see family? Will they let you in the country 8 months pregnant with a return ticket for 90 days later? Can you just show up to a private hospital 36 weeks pregnant with my records and be cared for? I know birth travel is controversial, but hopefully many can understand the desire to give your child the best possible future! We are all citizens of the Earth after all, no?
Hi Passportum, Yes, immigration will let you in 8 months pregnant, you just have to make sure the US airline is okay with it. People do come here to give birth so that their child is Costa Rican. It can take a while to get the birth registered in the system to get the birth certificate, which is what you need for the US passport. Most recently (last year), I think we waited maybe 3 weeks after our baby was born. It’s easiest to get the baby a US passport after (he/she can get a CR passport later on). You’ll need to make an appointment at the US Embassy in San Jose for this and sometimes it can take a few weeks to get in because appointments are limited. If you didn’t have any delays, the 8 weeks after the birth may be enough, but if it takes longer, you could always do a border run. If you have any questions abouy giving birth here or the paperwork involved, we recently started offering a video chat service. Here’s the link with more info. I (Jenn) gave birth at CIMA in San Jose in April 2019 and would be happy to share about my experience.
Hi! Thanks for this! Would love to know the name of the doctor as well!
Sent you the info, Sofia!
Congratulations, Jenn and Matt. Welcome to planet earth, Baby Sam!
Thanks Marsha! Hope all is well with you. We were just talking about how need to get some of your new books for Sam when we come back to the US for a visit in March.
Congrats Matt and Jenn! And thanks so much for sharing this! In the same boat (Dominical area) and the fact you found a great Dr in SI is wonderful news. Any chance you could share their name, either here or via email?
Thanks again!
Sure, we’ll send you an email.
I have a property in Dominical too! And interested in a Costa Rica water birth. Can you send me the doctors info? Thank you!
Hi Sara, Sure, I’ll email you my doctor’s info now!
Wow! What a great story! Looking to do the same! Can you send me doctors name as well?
Sending you an email now!
Hello Jenn and Matt,
Thank you so much for sharing your story. My husband and I just moved to Costa Rica and are living near Dominical too. I am 2 months pregnant and would love to know the name of the doctor you used who sounds wonderful. Reading your post really helped give me confidence that I can have a great birth experience here!
Congratulations on your sweet baby!
Hi Emma, Congrats on your pregnancy! I will email you my doctor’s info soon.
I’m happy that you shared your experience with us. I plan on moving to Costa Rica soon, currently pregnant and were looking at different options on how to go about giving birth when i get there. thanks for sharing your experience with us. would you mind sharing the information of the doctor also please ? because i will be looking once arrived
Hi Rose, Sure, I’ll send you an email now.
Hi guys! Thank you for providing all the resources! I am wondering if you could comment on traveling to CR while pregnant. I will be 29 weeks in February and we want to take a babymoon in CR. The main concern is Zika. How are the mosquitos there during that time? Thank you!
Hi Iryna, You should read our post Costa Rica and Mosquitoes: Tips to Prevent Zika, Dengue and More. It has a lot of info and links at the bottom to a CR government website where you see actual data on the number of cases of Zika. Make sure to scroll through the comments too. Just tonight we answered a question about mosquitoes in February and pregnancy.
We’re planning to travel to Costa Rica in the San Isidro de el General area (Quizarra) for the months of March and April for a housesit. I’ve been reading all your pregnancy posts, packing posts, and zika info and scouring the internet for info on zika and dengue. I’ll be about 12 weeks pregnant when we arrive in Costa Rica. I’d love to hear more about the weather at that time of year and how that might affect mosquitoes in that region. I find it reassuring seeing comments of others who are in Costa Rica and pregnant as well as I keep wondering if we’re crazy to not change our plans. I’d also love it if you emailed me the info to the doctor or health info in San Isidro de el General in case anything arose where I needed support or medical advice while I’m there. Yikes!!!
Hi Leisha, March/April is dry season so there are fewer mosquitoes, but there are always some, unfortunately, due to standing water. The best resource to follow the trends in number of cases of Zika, Dengue, etc. is the Ministry of Health’s bulletins. Those show the change in number of cases week to week and also where the outbreaks are located. They actually just came out with a new bulletin for January that showed a rise in cases with some pregnant women being affected. The numbers are still really low when you consider the population as a whole but it is something to be aware of. We would recommend keeping an eye on the bulletins to see how the San Isidro area is being affected. Wish we had more positive news, but it is a concern if you are pregnant.
Thank you for sharing your experiences! Do you have any recommendations for baby stores/supplies in San Jose?
Hi Emily, I think you found our Where to Buy Baby Stuff post so hopefully your question has been answered.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I just found out I am pregnant and my partner and I are currently are in Panama as we were previously in Costa Rica and are now trying to decide where we should settle with the baby based on doctors, medical, experience, etc. If we decide Costa Rica, which is it leaning that way we are thinking of somewhere in the Dominical area and would be so incredible grateful if you would be willing to share your doctors name that is in the SI area. Thank you and hope your family is doing well xo
Hi Jenna, Congratulations on your pregnancy! I don’t know much about having a baby in Panama, but Costa Rica, and the Dominical area in particular, has been great for us. We have a wonderful organic farmers market nearby, the people are friendly, and it’s close to the beach and mountains. Best of both worlds. The only downfall is that San Jose is far if you need a bigger private hospital or certain kinds of English-speaking doctors (we go there for our son’s pediatrician). I’ll send you my doctor’s info by email. Take care!
Hi Jenn and Matt,
Thank you for the response! Yes, the more I am looking into the more Costa Rica looks like the right place for us. We really love the Dominical area so we are actually looking to settle in that area too:) When you say certain English-speaking doctors does that mean the doctor you went to did not speak english? I received your email so thank you so much!
Sorry for the confusion. Yes, my doctor speaks great English. It is just harder to find English-speaking doctors there in other specialities or even GPs.
Thank you so much for sharing all this great info! we will be moving to Uvita in few months in the second pregnancy trimester. Could you please share the doctor contact information, we would really like to go to labor around the area as it is much less stressful than going all the way to SJ.
Thanks alot!
Sure, I will email you now!
Hello, I enjoyed reading your article. I am visiting the San Isidro area for two months and learned I was pregnant the day before we left. Can you please email me your doctor’s name that you went to? Thanks.
Sure, emailing you now.
Love you site, so very helpful! I am 13 weeks and would also love to know the name of the doctor you used?
Sending you an email now, Susie 🙂
Jenn amd Matt, thank you so much for sharing your experience!
My husband, I and our 3 months old baby will be moving to CR from Boston (Dominical – Ojochal area) in November. Could you please share how did you find a community for yourself and your baby? We are very social and a young couple and would love to find like minded people in the area. I was searching a meetup.com but I guess that website is not popular in CR because I could not find anything. You mentioned FB expat groups? Would you mind sharing them with us? We are so exited and cannot wait and your website has been such a wonderful resource to us!
Hi Sasha, We live right in that area so should meet up when you get here! There are some local events where you can meet people. They do a lifeguard fundraiser every couple of months that draws a lot of younger expats. A bunch of restaurants do live music if your little one will let you go out at night (it is tough with ours right now, haha). You can find out about the different events on the Facebook groups. The main one for the Dominical to Ojochal area is Costa Ballena Bulletin Board. There’s also a new one with rentals that you might be interested in called CR Southern Zone Long Term Rentals.
Hi, we are actually relocating to Costa Rica in 3 days. We will be living in Uvita. I am due to deliver in 5-6 weeks. A c section. I have heard good things about clinical labrador from friends that live there. I have read your posts and feel more comfortable about it. The hospital was Clinical Labrador? I am also interested in the private doctor at del general and was wondering if you could give me any more information (number, name of doctor) I would love to get in contact with that doctor specifically. Also would you be so kind to share places to stay near the hospital and the private doctors. We too will need to be there about a week early. We do not want to chance having the baby on the side of a windy mountain especially if im due for a c section. I hope that is not to much and I love that you were so kind to share your experience. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Hi Savannah, I will send you an email with my doctor’s contact information. For your questions, yes, I delivered at Clínica Labrador, the private hospital in San Isidro. I would recommend touring it when you get here to get a better sense of what it’s like. As for hotels near the doctor/hospital, there are a few places with simple rooms right in the downtown. We stayed at Hotel Chirripo on the park and that was very close – we walked to the doctor’s office and hospital, and it was also nice because there were a lot of restaurants within walking distance too. Made things easier.
Hey guys, thanks for your story. My wife and I are staying near San Isidro, and we just found out today that she is pregnant. Your doctor sounds great, could you send me his info? Thanks!
Congratulations! We’ll send the info now.
Hi Jenn and Matt,
I am reading all your articles about having a baby in costa rica as a reference. I am 8 months and waiting for my delivery next month. I availed their caja health care for my pre-natal and it’s really a good service.
I would like to ask about visa extension since I’m giving birth December which is also our expiration of our stay here, are we exempted not to cross the border to renew our stamp? Your response is highly appreciated. Thank you
Hi Lee and Lyn, That’s great to know that you are having a good experience with the Caja for prenatal.
I think you can get a visa extension for a medical reason (there is a process- you have to go to San Jose and I don’t think it’s easy). But I’m not sure that the likelihood of delivering is good enough. My due date fell around the time our visas were expiring so we just went to the border early. Early enough to make sure we didn’t have the baby in Panama too!
Hi,
Thank you for the info, it really gives us reference. We crossed the border to renew our stamp last week at Los Chiles Nicaragua border and we are happy that we don’t have to worry now about our visa expiration. This month, we are just waiting for our new angel to arrive. Merry Christmas to your family! 🙂
Hello! I am currently engaged to a Tico and we are expecting. I am just curious as to what you guys told immigration every time you entered once you began showing? And We’re you using just a tourist visa? Thanks so much in advance!
Hi Katlyn, They don’t question anything about you being pregnant. There’s no stigma associated with foreigners having babies in the country. They actually love pregnant women! Yes, we were on a tourist visa then.
Thanks so much for your blog post! It was the first I ran across while searching about pregnancy in CR. I just found out we have a bun in the oven as well! Could you please send me your doctor’s info, we live near San Isidro and he sounds like he’d be a good match for us. All the best to you and yours!
Just sent you an email, Jesse.
Hi there! My name is Melissa, and my boyfriend, 8 month old daughter and I plan to move to Costa Rica before the end of this year. We are originally from the east coast as well, currently living in California! I am now 4 months pregnant. I am very interested in having a natural birth experience and would love if you could reach out with more information on your doctor and experience. Thank you so much in advance.
Hi Melissa, We just sent you an email with the info.
I know it has been a while since baby 1 born, but could you email me your obgyn contact? Or have you heard of others that are recommended? Thanks!!
Hi Rachel, A lot of people still use the same doctor. We’ll send you his contact info now.
Great, thanks so much! Sorry to bother again, but the contact info didn’t come through to my email… could you try again? So grateful for the insights.
We just sent it again. Maybe check your spam too.
hi guys, great useful articles!
we’ve been to CR 4 times and love it there. now that we’ve recently found out that I’m pregnant with our Second baby, my husband got this idea in his head of giving birth in Costa Rica )))
During our trips we met a few pregnant women and american/canadian couples who gave birth there… all seemed to be very happy.
As for me, I’m very concerned with Zika Virus… mosquitos love me((( so I’m not 100% sure about this decision..
I read your articles/saw bulletins on Zika.. but still, Can you please give me an insight on what is the situation there now.. as locals who live there .. Have you met or heard of people who got this sickness (pregnant and/or not) …. Do local OBGYNs have any concerns.. I am due in May – which is wet season, and i assume there will be even more mosquitos..
And can you please give me your doctor’s info…
Thanks,
Hi Veronica, Zika cases are really low this year and have been almost exclusively on the Caribbean side of the country. I am pregnant again actually and am not concerned with Zika. I do try to avoid insect bites, of course, though, because of other illnesses like dengue and leishmaniasis. Dengue is the most common but again, it’s down a lot this year and there haven’t been very many cases. Leishmaniasis is very uncommon but my husband Matt did somehow get it (see our 5-Year Update) and we know other people in our area who have had it as well. It isn’t in too many areas of the country but can be sound in the Southern Pacific. Not to scare you…we didn’t change our family planning but I’m just careful with wearing repellent and taking precautions. I’ll send you the doctor info now.
Hello! My husband and I are moving to Costa Rica by the new year. We will try to get pregnant by the summer of next year. I would love the name of the doctor you used who is pro-natural delivery. My address is jennaelizhall@gmail.com
Hi Jenna, We just sent you and email with the info.
Hi Jenn, my husband and I are planning a Costa Roca trip in November. I’m 4 month pregnant now and would like to ask you about the current Zika / Dengue / Malaria situation in CR. Many thanks in advance, Dalma
Hi Dalma, You should read our post all about Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya in Costa Rica. Here’s the link. At the bottom of that page are some resources. One is a link to the government website where you can find fairly current information about cases in CR. In general, Zika is very low and Malaria is almost unheard of. Zika is really only a problem on the Caribbean coast and Caribbean slope (places like Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui and Guapiles) so avoid those areas. Dengue can be anywhere but the number of cases is still fairly low this year (it has been trending down over the last several years). When I was pregnant earlier this year and last year, I wore long pants and had mosquito shirts for when I was out in a buggy area. I’d recommend getting some of those. Here’s a link to our Mosquito Protection Clothing article. Lots of pregnant ladies here, though, without any problems so as long as you follow some precautions, you should be fine!
Hello! My husband and I are planning to give birth in CR and it was really great to read about your experience. Could you send me the name of your doctor? Thanks!
Hi Lauren, We just emailed you the info.
I was wondering about vaccinations.
Hello, I love all your articles. We are also new in Costa Rica we live in Platanillo, and are looking into starting a family of our own in the near future. Do you think I can have your doctors information as well? Thank you!
Hi Emma, Sure, I will send you his contact info now and the info for the doctor in San Jose we used for the most recent birth of our second child.
Hi Jenn and Matt,
I’m so glad to stumble onto your blog. I just found out I’m pregnant and I’m living in San Isidro de El General. Can you please give me the name of the doctor you saw here? I would really appreciate it.
Hi Jennie, We just sent you an email with the information.
Hi,
Trying to find a doctor to do a natural birth. Can you please give me the name of your doctor. Much appreciated!!
Hi Tracy, I’m sorry for the delay. Please let me know if you’re still looking for a doctor and I will send the information.
Hi there thank you for your posts! Very helpful! My question is concerning visa runs…I still need to do visa runs while pregnant? Correct? And then after giving birth the application process for residency can start, then meaning visa runs will be on hold after I give birth? Do you have any information on this topic? Much appreciated!
Hi Niani, Yes, you have to do visa runs even while pregnant. After you submit your residency paperwork, you don’t need to renew your visa for immigration purposes, but you do need to renew it if you plan to drive in Costa Rica. Your foreign driver’s license renews concurrent with your passport.
Wow very insightful thank you so much for relaying this valuable Information! In a very similar situation now would love to connect with that doctor, please email me his name When you have a moment 🙏
Sure, we will send you the info now!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m 26 weeks pregnant now, and we’re thinking of doing the birth in CR. We had the plan earlier, but covid made things hard. I was trying to get information and advice on facebook groups, but I was told there it was selfish and disrespectful of me to come to CR and claim free care in these hard covid times. What do you guys think about this? Should we still come?
I really want to, because it sounds like the best option and we’re not so welcome together in a lot of countries. Covid has made us refugees, kind of. Unable to settle down somewhere together. We have a bit of money left, that’s why I also think we should come to CR, because of the relatively low living costs. If we find a place that’s not too expensive, we will survive a few months. (In combination with our online work.)
(A little bit of background: I’m Dutch, my bf is Russian. We lived on Aruba for a while, as tourists, until my health insurance ran out and I couldn’t extend. We tried to go to the Netherlands together, but they wouldn’t let him in because of covid. We went to NYC instead and I also got free healthcare here, but I don’t like being here too much, it’s expensive, dirty, cold, overcrowded and our visa’s will expire in 80 days.)
Thank you so much for any advice you can give us.
Irene
Hi Irene, I’m not sure we’re the best place to opine on whether it’s right or wrong to come to CR now to have a baby. But we’ll say that the Costa Rican health care system is really taxed now because of Covid. But it’s in your right to come and do that, of course. That’s tough that the Netherlands won’t let your boyfriend in. Keep in mind that Costa Rica isn’t all that inexpensive. The cost of living seems to keep creeping up with changes in taxes, etc. All that gets passed on to the consumer. But you can still find inexpensive places to rent and other things are very affordable (fresh produce, etc.). We wish all the best during these hard times!
Hi Jenn and Matt! We have been thinking of moving to Costa Rica for a few years now. Now that I’m pregnant, I’m thinking it will be a good idea to give birth over there. I’m due in April 2021 and have done some research on the areas. I prefer a non-city lifestyle and your area sounds like a good fit. May I please get the name of your OB doctor? You’ve mentioned that the hospital staff didn’t have many English-speakers, do you know if that is still the case? I don’t speak Spanish. I am also interested in a natural birth, water and/or home birth, is that something fairly easy to set-up in CR? Is that something only midwifes would handle over there? Any information is greatly appreciated! Thank you for these wonderful blogs, by the way!!!
Hi Lilya, Glad our site has been helpful! We actually don’t live in this same area anymore. We moved up the coast closer to Jaco, but in the countryside. Here’s a link to our 7 Year post with more info. Also, this story was about the birth/prenatal care experience for our first son. For our second son, we delivered at CIMA in San Jose. A lot of women do this who live in the Dominical/Uvita area if they want a larger hospital or more English-speaking people available – they spend a week or two before the birth up in San Jose to be closer to the hospital. Here is the link to the article about that birthing experience. If you want English speakers, going to San Jose may be better. At least when we delivered at the hospital in San Isidro, most of the nurses and administrative staff spoke only Spanish.
Setting up a water birth is fairly easy. They can do them at Hospital Las Americas in San Isidro and at the private hospitals in San Jose too. Home births are technically not allowed in Costa Rica but a lot of people do them – the doctor I used in San Isidro happily does them too. You could join the Facbook group Pura Vida Mamas and search for old posts – there are many on this topic.
I will email you the information for both doctors I used now. Thanks!
Thank you for this post! It’s very informative. Would you be able to share the name of the OBGYN you went to near Dominical for prenatal care? Many thanks!
Hi Alexandra, Sure! We will email you the info now.
hi guys, thanks so much for this post, its super informative. I am in CR at the moment and need to get my 12 week scan. Could you possibly share the doctors name who you went to in San Isidro as i am in quepos so it sounds like the best option. thanks again. Georgia
Hi Georgia, Sending you the info now. Thanks!
Hello! I appreciate you all sharing your stories and helping all of us parents with our questions. My family and I are moving to dominical in May , we have a 2 and 4 year old. So far I’m having trouble finding a pediatrician in the dominical/ Uvita área . Do you have any suggestions with this? We are moving from the states so although we havnt been to the doctor much outside of routine visits , it would be nice to know where I can go if something comes up. Thank you!!
Hi Jena, There are pediatricians nearby in San Isidro de El General but they only speak Spanish, I believe. For English, most people go to San José. That’s what we did when we lived near Dominical. Escazu, on the western side of the city, has a lot of options.
Hello Matt and Jenn,
Thank you so much for the info and telling your experience:) I go back to your part 3 the paperwork- as I need for getting things in order for my daughter- who was born last year in CR.
I’m curious if you know of a forum for women who have had horrible experiences giving birth here? I am one, but it seems every woman I speak to here in the nicoya paninsula have had similar or much worse than me. And it seems to be brushed under the rug by writers who did not have terrible experiences with public hospitals and drs here.
Thank you 🙂
Hi Diana, We don’t know of any forums that talk about giving birth in CR. Sorry you had a bad experience. It seems that it can vary a lot depending on the public hospital. We’ve heard a great things, for instance, about the public hospital in Quepos for giving birth. But a lot of negative feedback about other public hospitals.
Hi! I absolutely love your article. I will be on vacation in Costa Rica in mid August and need to have my 13 week scan while down there. Would it be possible to share the name of your doctor? Thank you so much!!
Hi Elizabeth, Sure! We will email you now.
Hello!
Thanks for taking the time to share this info with us! We are in the Uvita/Dominical area.. Could you pass on any info you have for OBGYN/Maternal care?
We’ll send you an email now.
Lots of comments here! I am early pregnancy and would feel more at ease to get an ultrasound in San Isidro. Can you please also share the doctors contact with me. I appreciate your support for women and families new to CR!
Sending you an email now.
Hi! Thanks so much for writing this article.
My baby is due next year in January and would love to contact your doctor as he sounds amazing.
Could you share the doctor’s information?
Thank you so much for your help.
Sure, we’ll send you an email now.
Hi Jenn,
Great post, thank you. I just wondered if you were worried at all about Zika virus when you were trying for a baby and then pregnant in Costa Rica? There is so much (worrying) stuff online when you look up ‘trying for a baby’ and ‘holidaying in Costa Rica’ and myself and my boyfriend are planning a trip for next month so we were slightly scared off.
Thanks!
Jane
Hi Jane, I was worried about Zika during my first pregnancy but that was over six years ago. Now, Zika is not an issue. We follow the news and haven’t heard anything about it in years here. You should still use repellent to avoid bites because of dengue but don’t worry too much about Zika. Hope you both have a great trip!
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for all the information you shared.
I lived in Platanillo last year, about 15 min from Playa Dominical, I’m pregnant & planning on moving back and giving birth there.
I see you mentioned the Doctor you used supports home births, which is the route I’d like to go with my birth.
I was hoping & would appreciate if you could pass along the information of the Doctor for you used ?
Hi Jazmin, You’re welcome!
Sure, we will send you his information by email now.
Hello! I ran across your blog while doing research on zika in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. I am 4 weeks pregnant and my husband and I had a trip planned to Costa Rica in May. I began to worry that this was unsafe because of Zika. It is hard to find much information on the current numbers in the country or if it is a serious threat any longer. The CDC website says to consult your doctor but my doctor does not want any liability or to do any research into the situation. Do you guys have any insight into this topic after moving there and having a baby? Am I over reacting and it is rare or is Zika still a serious threat in Costa Rica? Any information would help, Thanks!!
Hi, Zika cases are extremely low in Costa Rica. I just tried to search for the number of cases from 2021, but the Ministry of Health just updated their website and many of the links aren’t working.
To give you my perspective, I was initially worried about Zika when it was spreading several years back, but didn’t worry about it at all when I was pregnant with my second in 2018. You just don’t hear about anyone getting it anymore (and we follow the news about this). Dengue is much more common, but even that is rare (we haven’t had it in the almost 9 years we’ve lived here). Just take precautions like wearing repelling and long pants in buggy areas and you will be fine! 🙂 Here is a link to our post on clothing that is good to wear to prevent mosquito bites. This worked for me.
Hello! Are you able to share what you ended up spending for everything?
Hi Taylor, Our subsequent posts share the cost of delivery. Here’s the link to our post about delivering at the small private hospital in San Isidro de El General. And here’s the post about delivering at CIMA Hospital in San Jose. Keep in mind that the prices are from 2015 and 2019 so most likely have changed some.
Thanks so much for getting back to me. Do you mind emailing me the name of the doctor you used in San Jose?
Sure!
Great article! Just found out I’m pregnant after vacationing in CR (technically a CR baby?lol). Just wondering if Zika is still a concern when having a baby there?
Hi KC, Zika numbers are very low in Costa Rica now so it’s not really a concern anymore.
Hi Jenn and Matt! Thanks so much for sharing your journey. My husband and I recently relocated from New York and Boston, excited to have found your site. Would you mind please sharing the info of both doctors you saw during your pregnancies? Unsure if we’d prefer to deliver in San Jose or closer to where we live in Uvita. Thank you again!
Hi Ally, You’re welcome! I’ll email you the info now.
Hello Jenn and Matt,
I have recently moved to Costa Rica a few months ago and found out I was pregnant. I started going back to Canada for my prenatal appointments expecting I would just return to give birth there but I have really been considering having my baby here in Costa Rica. I have been doing a lot of research and would definitely need to find a doctor that speaks English and be comfortable with. I contacted hospital CIMA to get information about the care and delivery process. I am really nervous as this is my first baby. I need to pick a doctor but am a little worried about not picking the right one. I am glad I found your site, and was wondering if you could share your doctor from San Jose (CIMA)? Would really appreciate the recommendation.
Thank you so much for sharing your birth stories with us ! Hope your family is doing well!
Hi Sarah, Of course! I will send the contact info now.
Hello! I am not pregnant (yet!) but I am a massage therapist, specializing in prenatal care and I am interested in different approaches across the globe 🙂
Do you have a massage therapist in CR? I am potentially coming to Costa Rica next month and would love to volunteer some time while I’m there. This month I’m learning more about postnatal care and found someone who is open to C-section scar work so I’m very excited about that! I have been doing prenatal massage for years, but have been taking further education recently, and working in side lying is no problem for me (most RMTs hate this!)
I loved this, thank you for sharing! I shared with a friend who is currently pregnant in Costa Rica.
Hi Stacey, Lots of people are massage therapists here. I have heard of some who do pre and postnatal care. Best of luck with your plans!