When it comes to the services provided at the moment of birth and prenatal check-ups, the United States is certainly a great choice—and it is more than just good!
When I was in the United States, a Chinese friend of mine was pregnant, and I had the opportunity to accompany her and her husband to visit the hospital. This is called prenatal orientation, where doctors gather expectant mothers to explain the birthing process, when to come to the hospital based on cervical dilation, how to call for hospital transport, which room you will stay in, and which doctors and nurses will be responsible for you (typically one pregnant woman is assigned one doctor and two nurses in a private room).
The rooms are very spacious. The hospital requires the husband to be present during the birth, unlike some hospitals in China that may charge a fee for the husband to enter. Furthermore, husbands are allowed to take photos and record videos. There is even a mirror in the delivery room, allowing the mother to choose to watch the birth process. After the baby is born, they are given immediate intimate contact with the parents to increase their sense of security, and having the husband present also helps strengthen the bond between the couple.
Most importantly, after the birth, a complimentary meal package is provided for the family to enjoy in the room. It is quite lavish and includes red wine—mothers are allowed to drink it, and it is free. Of course, another humanized aspect is that you do not need to pay upon entering the hospital for the birth, nor do you need to pay upon discharge. The costs are sent to you in the form of a bill, which saves a lot of trouble compared to the process in China.
From the perspective of the baby's benefits, it requires a more detailed analysis. If you are not short on money and would not feel the pinch of spending 200,000 to 300,000 RMB to have a baby in the U.S. (this is the cost under smooth circumstances; if complications like severe hemorrhaging occur, it could cost up to 1 million RMB), then by all means, go ahead.
If your financial situation is average, you must calculate the costs carefully before deciding. Let me break it down for you, as there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world:
1. Having U.S. citizenship means enjoying U.S. social and medical benefits. The first half of this statement is true, as it is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. However, the second half requires nuance. U.S. benefits generally require a tax record, or you must be considered impoverished with no job and no savings. If you are already in the U.S. to give birth, you certainly would not qualify for those benefits.
Additionally, some say that you can collect a U.S. pension in your old age. This is absolutely a rumor. The U.S. pension is a type of federal retirement insurance. The mechanism is that you pay Social Security tax and Medicaid tax based on a percentage of your annual income while working in the U.S. You can earn a maximum of 4 credits per year by paying at least $1,200. You need at least 40 credits (working for at least 10 years) to enjoy full benefits upon retirement. Therefore, you must first work in the U.S. and pay those taxes to be eligible to collect it.
2. Enjoying 13 years of free compulsory education from public elementary school to high school. This is true, but would you dare to leave your child alone in the U.S.? Since you do not have a green card at that time, you would have to accompany them, and the expenses would be significant, not to mention the loss of income from not working in China. That is why I said at the beginning: if you are not short on money, go ahead.
3. Cheaper tuition for university in the U.S. First of all, private schools charge the same tuition to U.S. citizens and international students. Public schools are cheaper, but there is a prerequisite: you must reside in that state and have a tax record; otherwise, you will not receive the discounted rate.
4. Applying for a green card for parents at age 21. This is true, but it also means that you must pay taxes to the U.S. on your income from anywhere in the world, and U.S. taxes are not low.
5. Enjoying visa-free access to over a hundred countries. This is true.
6. As for priority in finding a job as a U.S. citizen, this is generally true for corporate positions. However, for positions in the U.S. government or core laboratories, in addition to being a U.S. citizen, you must pass a security clearance, similar to a political background check in China. Since your parents are Chinese, you would likely not pass the security clearance, so this statement is not entirely true.