An American woman who gave birth in England has detailed the differences between the two healthcare systems, including one major surprise.
I'm childless so I cannot speak for everyone, but I presume that having a child is one of the biggest things you can do, as it will alter your life forever.
Each country will have its own way of doing things when it comes to childbirth, but one thing that often leaves Americans in shock is the difference in healthcare.
Paige Wester, an American native who moved to the UK, gave birth in England and took to TikTok to reveal her experiences.
Explaining that it was just her experience and others may differ, Paige began by revealing that the first difference was that after she gave birth she was "sent to a maternity ward" which had "a maximum of three women" on it with curtains separating you.
The second was the most surprising, that after an hour of giving birth, she was handed a cup of tea and a plate of toast... which is about as British as you can get.
Revealing that she gave birth in Newcastle, which is in the North East of England, Paige explained that she had a lactation consultant on call when she left the hospital.
"My son had trouble latching when I got home," she explained. "I called and I had a lactation consultant out to my house in like, four hours."
Paige confirmed the best part of it all, that it's all completely free at the point of use because the NHS (National Health Service) is funded by taxes.
The fourth point that Paige brought up, was that after you give birth, someone will come to your house to check up on the baby and mother, including weighing the newborn, which she described as "the best thing on the planet, because [she] couldn't imagine having to get [herself] ready and out of the house two days after giving birth."
The final point was that mothers usually get sent home the day they give birth, but in her instance, Paige was kept an extra day due to a "traumatic" delivery, so they wanted to keep an eye on her a little while longer.
People took to the comments to offer their thoughts, as one person said: "When they come to your home, they’re also doing a check of the house too. Seeing if house is appropriate for baby."
A second added: "I wasn't allowed the tea and toast because I'd had a C-section and it was one of the most crushing disappointments of my life."
In fact, the majority of the comments were about the tea and toast which apparently is a huge deal after giving birth.
A third person concluded: "I’m also American and emigrated to the UK. When my son was born (20 years ago) I got tea and toast after I gave birth. The best toast ever!"
It sounds like it's worth giving birth in the UK just to get this toast that everyone is on about.
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