[ANYC1]

Im expecting a baby in December and moving to Hongkong. Im wondedring why people say it is expensive to have a baby in Hong Kong?

I will be buying tonnes of baby clothes next month here in the US. The end of summer sales here are really great. But apart from that I cant seem to figure out what else to buy.

Everything else like rockers, bouncy, swings, toys etc etc seem to be made in China. Are Chinese made goods expensive too?

Your responses will help me plan what to buy in the US for the baby before I arrive.

Thanks
ANYC

[rani]

ANYC,

Clothes are cheap here, you get all brands - Gap, Old Navy, Carters, Little X (can't remeber the Macy's brand) in Stanley so don't worry.

What is expensive is the medical treatment, and yes if you're looking for branded baby equipment/toys You do get the China knockoffs at the local stores, but obviously they may not meet the saftey standards of the US.

Rani

[Dante]

Keep in mind that you can find most all (branded) things you need for baby, here -- but's it's at a premium, though. The locally made products are much less expensive.

For clothing, I agree with Rani, Stanley is great. You can also find one stall on Li Yuen Street (Central -- the lane/street across from the Lane Crawford) that has mostly Gap, Osh Kosh, some Polo, some LL Bean, and other non-US brands at great prices --they have a sister store in Stanley).

For baby equipment (like cribs, playpens, bouncy seats, children's furniture, exersaucers, etc., wagons, Little Tykes stuff, big toys) it is cheaper to get it in the states. By the way, they have mostly European size cribs, here. If you want a US standard crib, get the mattress and crib in the US (as well as all the necessary sheets, accessories).

You can have stuff made to order in terms of furniture/bed, though it's more costly than it is in Shanghai/Beijing.

Electronic stuff is just better to buy here, since stateside stuff you need HUGE converters to use them here.

Oh, they don't carry Children's Tylenol/Motrin, other over the counter stuff, Pedialyte, etc., though depending on your pediatrician, he can prescribe it for the most part. But I get all that stuff stateside. There are similar if not the same meds available, here. But again, it's just your comfort level. You just want to watch the expiration dates and not buy mass quantities, obviously.

Strollers are another item you might want to buy when you come here. Though there is more choice in the US, you do need to think about where you will be living and how you want to use your stroller. City living is not conducive to gonzo sized strollers. But then if you live south side, you can afford to have something larger. Oh, umbrella strollers are more cheap and available stateside. I've bought locally branded ones (which are more expensive) simply because the cheaper Kolkraft ones you see in the states are not available here. But if you know what kind of stroller you want, get it in the states. It's definitely cheaper.

That's all I can think of at the moment. As you have more questions, just air them, here on this site. The more specific the question, the easier to answer.

Cheers.

[loupou]

They don't call it "baby tylenol", it's usually called "Baby Panadol" or "Paracetmol" and you can get it at Watsons, Mannings, and many other pharmacies.

"America" sized baby furniture is far too large for most flats in HK. When we bought a crib we got an Italian made one in UNY (a Japanese Dept. store), meeting European safety standards.

Playpen - waste of time for us, ended up being a toy depository.

Gates and fences can be bought at Toys R Us in many loactions in HK, or at MotherCare. Probably more pricey than in the USA, but you don't pay for shipping.

Since most people live on 1 level (no stairs) you don't necessarilly need a gate or a fence.

At one point when my son was getting into things and had reached the age of opening doors, we just locked the rooms we didn't want him to go in.

One reason that many people think it's expensive to have a baby in Hong Kong is because of the expense of private OBs and doctors. It's quite cheap and very safe if you use the public system.

The major expenses are schooling (if you don't send your kids to local primary schools, which is most likely if your family doesn't speak Cantonese).

Also, milk in the USA is a highly subsidized product. It's 4 times more expesnive in HK, so if you expect your kids to drink cow milk like water, then it can add up. 4 liters of fresh cow milk can cost up to $100 HK (about US$ 12.85).

Same w/ other dairy products.

[ANYC1]

Thanks for your replies. They were very helpful
ANYC

[hkgirl]

I am expecting in December as well and basically you have two major options in Hong Kong. Private Hospitals where you must pay for everything including check-ups, medication etc. I am going to give birth at Queen Elizabeth a public hospital and if you are a Hong Kong resident the only fees are $100 per day for the days you spend in hospital during delivery and recovery. Everything is included except for baby diapers and the baby rooms in with you. You do not get a private room after the baby is born, but for labour and delivery you do and husbands are encouraged to attend and help coach.

It's just the private hospitals that are expensive (about $5000 US I think) for a normal vaginal birth without any extras ie. epidural etc.

Hope that clarifies.

[Pzam]

remember if you plan to buy any electronic products that needs to be plugged (i.e, breast pumps), the difference in the voltage output between hk and the US. you would need to buy a transformer to use any product bought stateside which can be a pain, not to mention expensive. better to buy your electronic products in hk

[ANYC1]

Just curious, what do you consider cheap at Stanley? Under US$ 5, thats about HK$40 ???

We have fabulous sales after summer, but even now at the start of summer I just picked up great stuff on sale for 2 and 3 bucks (US) at Childrens Place/


ANYC