I've had 2 babies in France. As an American, the biggest shock was never getting a hospital bill.
American expat Kristen Seitz had both her children in France. She says the biggest surprise was receiving extensive maternity care without a bill.
Kristen Seitz, an American woman living in France, gave birth to two children there. She started her pregnancy feeling anxious about the costs and control issues she might face in the US healthcare system. However, her experience in France turned out to be quite different. She had a midwife throughout her pregnancy who checked on her monthly, provided workshops, and attended her birth.
She was given a private hospital room at no cost and received four months of paid maternity leave with a small financial gift from the state. Seitz was surprised by how free the care was in France, as she didn't have to pay for any of it, unlike what she would have experienced in the US.
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