My wife and I are very seriously considering moving to Asuncion, PY, soon. An opportunity has arose that will be hard to turn down.
The catch is, we have a 4 month old son. Now, we've already broken the news to his grandparents, and they are sad that they'll be missing out on some of the very formative years... but we'll hopefully be able to fly all of the grandparents down frequently enough for them to see him. As well, we will hopefully have an internet connection reliable enough to hold Skype conversations.
So, a few questions I have before taking him are...
1) Will we need to obtain a separate non-resident Visa for him for the scouting mission we plan to do before the big move?
2) How are diapers down there?
3) Should we stay long enough to have a second child in Paraguay, how safe can we be by having it down there? Should we return for the delivery in Canada?
4) Baby safety... I know that much of what I read on security in Paraguay is subject to some scrutiny. That said, I don't believe it's unreasonable to be cautious about possibly kidnappings. Are there any tales of baby snatchings there? If so, what are some precautions we can take?
5) What are some of the safer neighbourhoods that we could live in that would have a nice balance of having other expats nearby, while also having locals around that he can play with and learn from (if we stay for a longer period)?
Thanks so much in advance! I plan on helping out in the future when I know more about being down there.
FRJoel
Bringing babies to Asuncion
Hello Joel,
My thoughts on your questions:
1) Will we need to obtain a separate non-resident Visa for him for the scouting mission we plan to do before the big move?
Not sure about this one. In general each individual needs their own visa, regardless of whether they are minors. I suspect he will need a visa (get a multiple entry one).
2) How are diapers down there?
Diapers are the same as in the US and Canada - Huggies, Pampers and cheaper Brazilian brands are available. People in Asunción are not into cloth diapers so if you plan to cloth diaper you will have to bring diapers from Canada.
3) Should we stay long enough to have a second child in Paraguay, how safe can we be by having it down there? Should we return for the delivery in Canada?
Some ex-pats choose to return to their home countries to have babies but I know plenty, myself included that chose to stay and have their children here. If you have private health insurance you will have access to high quality medical care - often times more accessible and affordable than what you would get back home (in the US, at least, not sure about Canada). The only thing to keep in mind is that Asunción doctors tend to be fanatical about C-sections so if your wife wants natural birth you will have to choose from a small list of OBs that are pro-natural birth.
4) Baby safety... I know that much of what I read on security in Paraguay is subject to some scrutiny. That said, I don't believe it's unreasonable to be cautious about possibly kidnappings. Are there any tales of baby snatchings there? If so, what are some precautions we can take?
This is not an issue in Paraguay, especially not in Asunción. Personally I would not even worry about any special precautions beyond what you would normally do back home (ie: donŽt leave you baby on the sidewalk unattended). The safety issue I would worry about is baby-proofing, especially since your baby will soon be mobile. You will definitely want electrical outlet covers(bring straight prong ones from home and buy round prong ones here). If you are being provided with a shipment of goods from home by your employer take advantage and bring baby items not available (or very expensive) here such as: baby gates, baby play yards (these are sometimes called pet yards too), interlocking foam tiles for a play room (carpeting is almost unheard of), nice stroller suitable for cobblestone and uneven sidewalks (jogging strollers are good for this).
5) What are some of the safer neighbourhoods that we could live in that would have a nice balance of having other expats nearby, while also having locals around that he can play with and learn from (if we stay for a longer period)?
Perhaps because we are in an election year AsunciónŽs municipality is currently rennovating many of the cityŽs public plazas, fencing them off from street traffic and putting in kid friendly playgrounds. If you live close to a nice plaza it will make for good socializing with local children (though in fancier neighborhoods most stay with their nannies behind closed gates). Living near the Parque de La Salud in the Carmelitas area is a good bet. Keep in mind there are few local playgroups as the need to socialize (mothers and children alike) is usually filled by an extended family. However you may be able to find local expats with children to hang out with.
As for the grandparents IŽd suggest springing for the highest speed internet connection possible so Skype calls go smoothly. Also consider getting them set up on Facetime (through Apple products)- the connection is much better than Skype for some reason.
If you have any other questions feel free to contact me through my website www.discoveringparaguay.com/home IŽd be happy to answer any questions and share my personal experience having and raising children in Asunción.
Saludos,
Natalia
www.discoveringparaguay.com
Hi Joel,
my wife and I brought our baby girl down here when she was 4 months old. It was very difficult on the grandparents but with skype and cell phones it made it a little easier. At about 15 months old, we took her back to the US to see the grandparents and are back down here.
As far as the visa, you do need one for the baby. Since we were already planning on moving down here, we went ahead and got our residency cards for Paraguay. The visa typically lasts the lifetime of the passport. The process was made a little easier because my wife is Paraguayan.
The diapers are great down here, we were concerned at first but you easily find Huggies, Pampers, etc down here along with the wipes.
Just make sure that your baby gets all of the necessary vaccinations up there, we have a friend who is a pediatrician down here and told us to take advantage of the shots in the US when we were to travel back there because Paraguay seems to have the older versions of the shots.
As far as the rest with Asuncion, I can't speak too as we live 3 hours from the capital.
good luck,
Ryan
