FAQ and Answers (all of which are perfectly acceptable)

In a previous post I mentioned what you should NOT ask new parents but I failed to tell you which questions were perfectly safe. Encouraged even.

Below are some of the questions Lou & I have been asked by friends & family since spilling the news. Our personal FAQs if you will. In case you were wondering some of these things yourself, I thought I might as well clear them up here!

(Random, not at all baby related picture I felt the need to include because it's fun)

Q: When are you due? (excellent question!)
A: January 8th, 2012.

Q: Hmmm... January 8th. Ouch. That means you can't fly during the holidays. Where will you spend Christmas?? (mean yet valid question)
A: We have no idea.

Q: So does that mean you'll be having the baby in Belgium? Or in the U.S.?
A: We aren't sure yet. There are a oodles of pros & a few cons for both so it's a tough one. We'll keep you posted.

Q: How would having a baby in Belgium differ from in the U.S.?
A: Well, seeing as how we have pretty limited experience when it comes to giving birth, either in the U.S. or Belgium, I'm afraid the following is going to be based purely on anecdotes from friends who have been through the process in both places:

- The average Belgian doc gives more ultrasounds than the average U.S. doc
- If you go the hospital route, after delivery, the mom & baby stay for an average of 3 days. More if there are complications, less if everything went great and you really need to be at home.
- Having a doctor and a midwife help you in the weeks up to your due date as well as in the delivery is not uncommon. (note: I have no idea what this costs)
- Unless you deliver in Flanders (where I live) or at certain hospitals in Brussels, there's a decent chance you will have nurses who do not speak perfect English.

And... that's it. Yeah, I thought there would be more differences too. Guess there's only so many ways you can have a baby in countries with solid medical care. If we were expats in West Africa, the list might be longer.

Q: If you have the baby in Belgium will it get dual citizenship?
A: I wish. Sadly, these are the rules:

A person born in Belgium (to non-Belgian parents) is a Belgian citizen if that person:

- holds no other nationality at the time of birth (i.e., is stateless) OR;
- loses any other nationality before turning 18 OR;
- has a parent who was born in Belgium or who has lived in Belgium for at least five years during the last 10 years OR;
- is adopted (while under 18) by a parent holding another nationality who was born in Belgium and who has had their main place of residence in Belgium for five years during the 10 year period before the adoption takes effect.
- has two parents or adoptive parents born abroad who submitted a declaration before that person's twelfth birthday requesting that the person be granted Belgian nationality. Belgium must have been the parents' main place of residence during the 10 years preceding the declaration, and the person must have lived in Belgium since birth.

Basically, this means that the only way we'd get the baby to have Belgian citizenship is if we were to stay here for another 6 years and then submit a declaration. I love Belgium and all, but I'm not sure I'd last another 6 years...

(sorry, maybe next time)

Q: Will you find out if it's a boy or a girl?
A: Provided he/she cooperates in the ultrasounds, absolutely! We'll need all the time we can get to prepare a nursery, get baby clothes in colors other than yellow or green and... think of a name in the event it's a girl. (Current contenders in the girl's name department: 1/2 of one name. Super.)