barnsleylass

Hi,
Does anyone have any experience of maternity services in NSW? We are due to move over next month when I will be 5.5 months pregnant (probably to the North Wollongong area). I will already have had my 20 week scan but do you have any more scans at a later date in Australia? We will be on permanent residency visas so I am not sure what we will have to pay for. Will I have 4 weeks midwife check-ups like in the UK and if so will I have to pay for these? Also will I have to actually pay to stay in hospital to have the baby and likewise for whatever pain relief I may require?
As we will only have been in the country for a few months (and we have no family in Australia) it is likely that when I go into labour my husband will have to stay at home and look after our other two children. Does anyone know if the hospitals can provide additional support during labour if you are on your own? It is not ideal by any means but it looks like that might be the reality (unless the hospital has a crèche for the kids!).
Advice from anyone with experience would be really helpful!
Cheers
Sally

GracieK

Firstly congrats! I've not experienced antenatal in NSW but I thought this thread looked a bit sad all by itself!! Have been looking into things and this is quite useful...

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/20...ng_a_baby.html

Costs depend on type of visa you have (whether you are entitled to medicare) and whether you choose public/private. I suppose if you know the area you are going to then it would be best to check out the local hospitals (some with birth centres etc book up quite quickly - like at 6w gestation for the really popular ones).

Forum at www.bubhub.com.au is really useful too.

laura n co

Hi Congrats I have recently given birth here in Oz, although up in Queensland but I am guessing its about the same. I had another scan after my 20 week one at 28 weeks.


If you register with medicare your hospital admission should be covered on that type of visa, however you will have to pay for scans and you get about half back (scans are around 200 dollars) .

I had a midwife visit me twice when I got home then after that you are on your own but there are plenty of clincs and weigh in centres plus all the clincs have a baby weigh in session each week with a nurse on hand.

not sure about help in the hospitals but I am sure there would be, try and get to know someone who might be able to have the other kiddies for a short time for you , I know its not easy but I am sure the hospital would be happy for siblings to go in, I had a very good experience giving birth over here and cannot complain at all. good luck Love Laura xxxx

plantpot

If you register at a public hospital at the 'booking in dept' in NEw SOuth Wales when you arrive you will pay for nothing. You get a 20 week scan free but none other unless you have contraindications. You meet your midwife or midwives about every 4-6 weeks and after 34 usually weekly or fortnightly. You will get a Gd test and an full blood and iron count at 28 weeks. If you want any other scans you pay privately.

Each hospital varies on the amount of rooms and if they have birthing suites or a regular midwife. At mine I see the same on for the visits the birth and the antenatal home visits.

You won't get additional support for your kids BUT most places DO offer that you can bring your kids with you and sometimes they have granny volunteers that help in the day if your other half is with you for the labour but not always. They will look after you and hopefully like me give you more post natal visits as you are isolated from friends and family.

As well as this you are given a number to contact your local centre where you have a Maternal Child HEalth Nurse (MCHN) who runs a series of 6 classes of a mums group and then you are grouped with women who have kids the same time as you. They give you loads of info including how to claim your baby bonus (which you will be entitled to unless you earn more than 75k in the 6 months following the birth of your baby). Immunisations schedules and ideas for future meet ups ensures you are in contact with other mums locally. All sorts really....

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

barnsleylass

Many thanks for the great advice - much appreciated! It is really reassuring to hear peoples positive experiences so I feel much happier now

One thing I am slightly confused on is whether I have to register with a GP or the local hospital for my antenatal care. Can anyone advise? Or do I need to do both?

Also does anyone know whether you are routinely tested for Group B Strep in Australia? I needed to treated for this in my last pregnancy so would be keen to get tested again.

Cheers

Sally

odyssey

Hi

I had my first in the Royal Prince Alfred in Sydney - twas fantastic. I decided to go private then got pre-eclampsia very severely. Private couldnt deal with it so I was transferred to public quick sharpish.

The next baby I just went public from the start having realised what a bloody waste of money it was the first time. Again I started at the RPA.

Appointments were with dr in the first instance and then routine appointments at hospital. As it got closer (about 34 weeks) it was fortnightly at hospital.

I followed a different schedule since I had complications and just had hospital appointmetns all the way.

My husband made all the births with some juggling with kids. everyone is different and I dont want to debate this with anyone but for me, the primary support was the midwives anyway and I would have been more than fine on my own. By baby number 3 I actually thought I would prefer it!

I mean my OH was wonderful but the midwives knew all about it all and were more than fantastic. really very supportive. All OH did really was mop by brow a bit and tease me when I lost my sense of humour which didnt really go down well. he was there and he is happy he was but in terms of necessary support, the midwives were all that were essential. The dr actually got in the way a bit on number 3 too - the midwives knew a lot more about the actual everyday birth and stopped the dr forcing a caesar when I didnt want it.

So first thing, dr for appointments they will then arrange everything. All you need to do is eat well, whinge a lot about not having room for your liver, watch your bloodpressure and try to enjoy the ride!

If you can arrange care, there are possibilities if you were that upset to have inductions etc - not saying that is the way to go but there are options there. I had all my 3 induced for medical reasons but realistically by number 3 I could have just gone naturally but with 2 small kids 3 and 1 and a OH working away, I couldnt see how I would manage a spontaneous labour. Especially since my nick name was by then quick draw.

This way it was all planned and all we did is turn up and deliver

there are some great books and websites out there to help track the baby. its SO exciting

odyssey

actually I just thought, its good to book with yoru hospital as soon as you know - some get very full.

Ask your dr to do everything but then ring the hospital ante natal and ask them how you get on the list and is there anything you can do. Especially if you want to go in one of the natural birth clinics.

I booked myself in because I didnt want to worry about getting on a list

plantpot

Yup go to the nearest GP (look for bulk billed if you don't want to pay) then tell them you are pregnnt and want a referral to the hospital. They will give you a letter and you can then ring the hospital locally and book in. I think you can also just do it all through the hospital I know at mine you can but some you need a referral.

HTH the public system so far has been great for me....

plantpot

Yes you are routinely tested for GBS and some places give you IV antibiotics anyway if you have a previous history even if you test negative....but it differs, I know my hosp is changing their rules..

Usually a self swab at 34/6 weeks...

DownUnderPaddy

You may be interested in the current developing problem in Sydney specifically with regards to full maternity wards....

A link to an article in todays news :
http://www.news.com.au/features/ange...-1225830156618

Good thing you are going to North Wollongong and not the big smoke !
Best of luck with the little 'un.

JAJ

So your child (if born in Australia) will be an Australian citizen, but you do need to get a citizenship certificate to prove it.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Eviden...an_Citizenship

barnsleylass

Again – thanks for the great advice – I will get booked in with a GP and my local hospital as soon as we arrive.
What is the thing with bulk-billed GP’s and how will I know which they are? Does this mean that you pay a lot less for GP visits?
Cheers again
Sally

odyssey

bulk billing means your costs are billed directly to medicare (so you dont pay them). Some only bulk bill children, pension card holders and you pay them in full, then medicare refunds the amount allocated to that service.

So a fully bulk billed practise means
cost = $35, medicare portion $35 - you pay nothing

Another clinic may be:
$45 - medicare portion $35 - you pay $10 (the gap)

Another
$45 - medicare portion $35 - you pay - medicare refunds you $35


Keep your receipts because you may get money back off your tax

Anastasia Beaverhausen

I had my son in Wollongong hospital last year.

Register with medicare as soon as you get here. The office is in Crown Central Shopping Centre in Wollongong. Get there early as they get busy (especially at lunch time).

Regisiter with a GP. If you are moving to the Thirroul/Austi area, the GP is Thirroul Medical Practice. Very nice docs and two obstetricians working as GPs, so very handy. They do not bulk bill, so expect to pay about $55, but you will get some back from medicare soon after. Not many northern suburbs doctors bulk bill for adults.

If you are going private, you can have the baby at Figtree Private Hospital. If you are going public, then you will have the baby at Wollongong. If you go for public I can fully recommend the Midwifery Group Practise (MGP). You will see the same midwife and have her for labour too. There are other maternity options but I cant remember them, but the docs can run you through them. If you want the MGP, lay it on a bit thick about being on your own and no one to help etc....they are great for women who are a PND risk, and they are also very booked up, so at 5.5 months you will need to beg, but its worth it.

The doc will give you a referral letter for the hospital. Make an appointment and go to the booking appointment, then the ante natal ward for maternity history.

You shouldn't have to pay a thing, except for a 30 week scan, but medicare will give you something back.

plantpot

Oh wow do you live in Thirroul/Austi? I LOVE it there, would live there in a flash if I could!