Being alone in a foreign country with a sick baby is one of the hardest feelings for a mother. I shared my story and my feelings from the day Hithesh got sick — you can read it here. Along with that, I also wanted to write about my experience and share with you how everything related to the medical process went. This is that untold story.
It’s true that my husband has been in Japan for 10 plus years, but family life is still very new to us. Especially with our little baby, everything feels new for both of us. That’s why we started looking for a clinic for our baby.
First, we searched online for a children’s clinic near my area. In Japan, many clinics close early, and some are closed on Wednesdays or weekends. That was the most difficult part. When your baby has fever at night or on a holiday, finding an open clinic feels really hard, back in Sri Lanka our hospitals are 24 hours open and it is so easy. We searched Google Maps again and again to find a pediatric clinic.
When we finally found a clinic, the staff were very calm and kind. At the reception, they asked for baby’s insurance card and My Number card. They also asked me to fill a small form about the baby’s symptoms like fever, cough, runny nose, and how many days the baby was sick.
Inside the clinic, they carefully checked everything.
The most important thing was that the clinic was very neatly arranged and designed in a way that easily attracted little ones.
First they checked my baby’s temperature. Then they used a small machine on the finger or foot to check oxygen in the blood. The doctor listened to breathing, checked the throat, ears, and chest very gently. Even though I could not speak perfect Japanese, they tried to help patiently. When I go with my husband, everything feels very easy. But when I go alone, things become a bit more complex and nerve-racking. Still, I’m proud that I handled it better than I expected.
Most of the time, they give simple medicine for babies like fever syrup, medicine for cough, runny nose, or throat. In many cases, the medicine cost was free or only around 300 yen because of Japan’s child healthcare support system. That surprised me a lot.
Even when I felt nervous and alone, seeing how carefully they treated my baby gave me some comfort.
Living foreign country teaches you strength in moments you never expect. A cold and fever day with a baby in Japan or any other foreign country is not easy, for a mum but step by step, you learn how the system works and become a stronger mother.
Do you have such experience?
