Is It Too Late To Change Hospitals?

For many expectant parents in Shanghai, choosing a hospital for maternity care feels like one of the earliest- and biggest- decisions of pregnancy. Packages are often the most affordable options, but this means you have a lot of decisions to make (and end up choosing a facility and doctor) before you’ve even learnt anything about pregnancy care or birth.

What happens if, as your pregnancy progresses, you realize that the hospital you chose isn’t the right fit? The good news: it’s possible to change hospitals mid-pregnancy, and you’re not as locked in as it may first appear.

Most private and international hospitals in Shanghai sell maternity packages, which bundle prenatal visits and delivery into a discounted upfront cost. Paying for the prenatal and delivery packages together may also result in an even greater discount. While convenient and cost-effective, these packages can give families the impression that once they’ve paid, they must stay with that hospital through delivery or risk losing the investment.

In reality, maternity packages are a financial arrangement, not a legal contract binding you to that facility. It is your right to change facilities, and any unused funds should, by law, be returned to you. I have seen people share that when they requested this, their hospital has told them that it is not possible according to their policy. Yet, while this may be policy, it is not the law, and if you decide to move elsewhere, you can request a refund of unused services. 

Refunds on delivery packages are straightforward: you either use the package when you give birth, or you don’t. Prenatal packages, however, work differently.

When a prenatal package is created, the hospital calculates the total cost of all the included services and then applies a discount to that overall amount. In the hospital’s record system, each visit or test is then recorded at its full price, not at a discounted rate. The discount only applies when you buy the entire package up front.

If you request a refund partway through pregnancy, the cost of the services you’ve already used are calculated at their true, individual price. This often means that by mid-pregnancy, the value of the services you’ve received already equals or exceeds the amount you paid for the package. 

To support families who transfer later, we offer late transfer packages and can help find a financial option that works for you.

Many parents hesitate to change hospitals out of concern that their current doctor will feel offended- or worse, that it could impact their care. In Shanghai’s international and private medical settings, doctors are accustomed to patients transferring for personal, financial, or medical reasons. Your health and comfort come first, and a professional physician will respect your decision.

It may help to frame the conversation honestly but politely: you appreciate the care so far, but your circumstances or preferences have shifted. Remember: doctors want their patients to feel safe and confident going into labour, even if that means moving on.

Choosing a hospital in the first trimester can feel like a shot in the dark. At that stage, you haven’t yet experienced the full spectrum of prenatal testing, the style of prenatal care, or understand the realities of labour and delivery.

By the second or third trimester, parents may have clearer priorities, but here are some areas that should be understood:

• Pain management options - availability of epidural, freedom of movement, or water immersion, etc.

• Perspectives on birth - encouragement of physiological birth, alternative birthing positions, doula support. etc.

• Protocols - hospital philosophy on VBAC, elective cesarean, or reducing unnecessary interventions.

• Newborn policies - rooming-in, breastfeeding support, and NICU capacity.

• Language support - availability of English-speaking nurses, anesthesiologists, and pediatricians.

• Insurance compatibility - whether direct billing is available, or if your insurance receives any discounts at that facility.

You can check out our list of things to ask when choosing a hospital (and our answers) to help get your head around it. 

If you’re considering changing hospitals mid-pregnancy, here are some practical steps:

Changing hospitals during pregnancy is far more common than you might think. Whether it’s about location, philosophy of care, or best financial fit, you deserve to give birth where you feel safest and best supported.

It feel like you’re tied down, but in reality, you have the right to choose the hospital and doctor that suit you best- even if that decision comes late in the journey. We can help with financial accommodations and planning if this is a barrier (see our Late Transfer Packages below!)