What's it like having a baby in the military life style? Is there a huge difference?

[CLT13]

I'm not saying I'm pregnant at the moment. It has been on my mind though what it would be like having a child in the military! I mean one of my friends is doin it but she's not on base with her husband or anything like that so I'm curious as to how you go about handling it? Are you all alone to do eveything by yourself? Are the places you can go to get check ups!? Just wondering:) tell me what your thoughts are!

[styler7]

While I don't physically have my husband during deployments, etc..I still have him for emotional support. I don't do everything by myself.

[chrlstoncharmed]

Are you or your husband in the military?

[lilnena98]

It's no different that having a baby if I wasn't in the military!!

[livn4hevn]

Well OF COURSE there are places you can go for check ups....lol

Every major post/base has a hospital. If you're on Tricare PRIME you go there. If you can't go to a major post/base they will set you up with an off-post/base doctor who will take care of you (Tricare Prime Remote). I've personally never been happy with the quality of care on Tricare Prime, so I usually go with Tricare Standard for my pregnancies. It might mean some out-of-pocket... but I think my last pregnancy cost me about $45. Total. all 9 months, plus the hospital visit.

If you have Standard, you can go to anyone who will accept your type of insurance. Tricare provides a list of preferred providers, but essentially if they accept your insurance, you can go. Just like any other insurance plan.

Now RAISING a military child is the harder part. You need to decide if you can handle being a single mom. If you can do that, then go for it. Because you should count on your child and the child's father being seperated a LOT. And you need to prepare YOURSELF for the questions... stuff like "Doesn't daddy love us anymore?" and "Is daddy going to die?" because it's rough. There's no time for YOU to be sappy and sentimental, and lock yourself in your room for 3 weeks with chocolate and wine and a good chick flick (STAY AWAY from "ps I love you" lol). You have to be strong at ALL times. It's rrough!

[vintage-misha]

How can you be married and a single mom? Ignorant statement. Being a military mother is not any harder than being a mother in general.

Quoting livn4hevn:

Well OF COURSE there are places you can go for check ups....lol

Every major post/base has a hospital. If you're on Tricare PRIME you go there. If you can't go to a major post/base they will set you up with an off-post/base doctor who will take care of you (Tricare Prime Remote). I've personally never been happy with the quality of care on Tricare Prime, so I usually go with Tricare Standard for my pregnancies. It might mean some out-of-pocket... but I think my last pregnancy cost me about $45. Total. all 9 months, plus the hospital visit.

If you have Standard, you can go to anyone who will accept your type of insurance. Tricare provides a list of preferred providers, but essentially if they accept your insurance, you can go. Just like any other insurance plan.

Now RAISING a military child is the harder part. You need to decide if you can handle being a single mom. If you can do that, then go for it. Because you should count on your child and the child's father being seperated a LOT. And you need to prepare YOURSELF for the questions... stuff like "Doesn't daddy love us anymore?" and "Is daddy going to die?" because it's rough. There's no time for YOU to be sappy and sentimental, and lock yourself in your room for 3 weeks with chocolate and wine and a good chick flick (STAY AWAY from "ps I love you" lol). You have to be strong at ALL times. It's rrough!

[chrlstoncharmed]

Um, I live at a "major" base, although small compared to some others - and we do NOT have a hospital. 

... and here we go again with the "single mom" crappola.  

[vintage-misha]

I KNOW RIGHT!!

Quoting chrlstoncharmed:

Um, I live at a "major" base, although small compared to some others - and we do NOT have a hospital. 

... and here we go again with the "single mom" crappola.  

[jas_momof2]

We have a clinic here...  And I'm not a single mom...

[vintage-misha]

I am at a MAJOR base and we don't have a Hospital either. 

[nancym3]

My children have never asked those questions. It's not easy by any means, but raising a child in the civilian sector isn't easy either.

Quoting livn4hevn:

Well OF COURSE there are places you can go for check ups....lol

Every major post/base has a hospital. If you're on Tricare PRIME you go there. If you can't go to a major post/base they will set you up with an off-post/base doctor who will take care of you (Tricare Prime Remote). I've personally never been happy with the quality of care on Tricare Prime, so I usually go with Tricare Standard for my pregnancies. It might mean some out-of-pocket... but I think my last pregnancy cost me about $45. Total. all 9 months, plus the hospital visit.

If you have Standard, you can go to anyone who will accept your type of insurance. Tricare provides a list of preferred providers, but essentially if they accept your insurance, you can go. Just like any other insurance plan.

Now RAISING a military child is the harder part. You need to decide if you can handle being a single mom. If you can do that, then go for it. Because you should count on your child and the child's father being seperated a LOT. And you need to prepare YOURSELF for the questions... stuff like "Doesn't daddy love us anymore?" and "Is daddy going to die?" because it's rough. There's no time for YOU to be sappy and sentimental, and lock yourself in your room for 3 weeks with chocolate and wine and a good chick flick (STAY AWAY from "ps I love you" lol). You have to be strong at ALL times. It's rrough!