Baby Steps in Japan
Ahead of this month’s Tokyo: Here & Now orientation program, two Members explain the ins and outs of having a baby in Japan.
As her baby boy stirs, a smiling Lisa Champ leans over him and coos. His birth last year wasn’t easy, with an emergency cesarean section and complications. Months later, David’s six-hour sleeps during the night are a welcome relief for the new mom.
Although Champ, 39, has no experience of the maternity care system back in her native United States, she says she is pleased with the care she received in Japan. In particular, she praises her obstetrician (and fellow Club Member), Dr Hideki Sakamoto, for his “amazing” professionalism and diligence throughout her pregnancy and delivery.
“I don’t know if we would have had the same outcome and care with someone who wasn’t fluent in English,” she says.
Sakamoto, who holds a doctorate from Nihon University and later studied for four years at Yale University in the US, stresses that cultural understanding is also key in patient care.
“Japanese doctors may not share the same style or way of thinking as expats,” says Sakamoto, 68, pointing out that some Japanese physicians may not be used to answering detailed patient questions or discussing every aspect of their care.
In the charity Save the Children’s 2015 global index on the best place to be a mother, Japan was ranked 32nd in the world, one place above the US.
Sakamoto recommends expats research Japan’s healthcare system and options as much as possible. One such way is through the Women’s Group’s biannual orientation program, Tokyo: Here & Now. Champ attended the two-day guide to living in Japan last year, and Sakamoto’s colleague, Dr Thomas Lomax, is one of the expert speakers.
Postnatal care is also markedly different in Japan from other countries. While it is common in the US for a woman to be discharged with her newborn within a day or two after giving birth, new moms in Japan are encouraged to remain in the hospital for up to five days.
“The backup system doesn’t exist in Japan,” says Sakamoto. “There are no midwives and, if something happens, you may not be able to go back to the same hospital at which you delivered.”
This, he explains, is because some prenatal clinics may not offer postnatal or pediatric care.
He also warns that not all hospitals provide round-the-clock emergency care and emergency room staff may not speak English. While Champ describes the level of care as “really good,” she says the lack of English-speaking professionals can be “frustrating” and advises others to be prepared for a possible language barrier.
But both Members agree that attending Tokyo: Here & Now is an excellent way to start those preparations.
Tokyo: Here & Now
Feb 26–27
Words: Kathryn Wortley
Image: Cédric Diradourian
