Do you have health insurance without carencia or that is outside the standard period of carencia? Search the forum first to read about your impending C-section (whether you actually want to have you child this way or not!). Perinatal in Laranjeiras or Barra tops the list for facilities for the birth and there are any number of good clinics where your ultras can be performed. Your own doctor may have his own recommendations if they give him the appropriate kick-back. Sorry to sound cynical but I've had two kids born in Rio and I know the ropes as good as anyone. If you don't have health plan and are paying private, you will have a much better chance of getting things your own way.

The Maternidade-Escola da UFRJ in Laranjeiras is the best public hospital but is very busy.

Edited by man of leisure - 07 August 2012 at 08:03

I second jubilee's answer, we had a baby in Brazil and ended up giving birth in Florianopolis by a private home birthing clinic to make sure that it wouldn't end in a C-section.

If you find a doctor that you like, make sure and get references and find other mother's who have used him/her in the past!

You will not get a plano de saude that covers pregnancy within the first 10 months or more. That's called carencia (mentioned in my previous post). Paying yourself may not be so bad as it might swing a natural birth. Planos will pay your doctor and his team a basic/standard rate and they simply do not want to wait around for nature to take it's course, when they could be doing 3 or 4 C-sections in the same time; and C-sections pay more from the planos.   It's a racket!

Moshiba, if you are worried about giving birth naturally vs c-section, contact these guys (ladies) http://www.partodomiciliar.com/index.php?dep=34&0=enfermeiras.html

Joyce and Iara both speak English well. It is a home-birth clinic we used and they were great (albeit in Florianopolis). My thought is that you could get one of them to recommend a good and trustworthy doctor in Rio.

Thank you for your concern. I have travel insurance, meaning I am covered for emergencies and any health issues. I would never travel without some type of insurance.