Moving UK to Sydney - 28 wks pregant!
 

Hi, I'm looking for advice please! My husband has a job offer to move to Sydney with his company, and we need to move by the end of May when I'll be 28 weeks pregnant with our first baby.

We decided to move to Sydney after visiting 3 years ago and we are really excited it's actually happening, but we're apprehensive about making such a big change only a few months before we become parents. Words of reassurance would be very welcome!!

Has anyone reading this emigrated while pregnant? I'm 95% sure we're doing the right thing but I'm scared that becoming a mother and moving so far from family and friends in London is going to be too much to cope with.

I'll be arriving on a tourist visa (which will be converted to a long stay visa less than 10 weeks after we arrive hopefully) and I'm concerned that I won't be eligible for regular antenatal care. I'd love to sign up for antenatal classes but we don't know where we'll be living. Does anyone know if we can go private immediately and get care from the same healthcare team till our baby is born?

Any help would be HUGELY appreciated. Thanks!

Re: Moving UK to Sydney - 28 wks pregant!
 

does not answer your questions, however it may raise other issues.

depending on the airline you may need to get a doctors letter for clearance to fly, and that is assuming there are no complications.

It also maybe a concern to immigrations that you are entering obviously pregnant on a tourist visa (normally 3 mths) with the intention of staying longer and reliant on visa extension with no option but to stay (re pregnancy). and then there is the visa issue re the new born. Or assuming that your husband is being sponsered then you can be included on the application, however I think that you need to have a medical ie xrays & pregnancy not recommended.

I wish you all the best, opportunities like this do not come up frequently, but I am biased as I have to wait til the end of 2005 before returning to Sydney for good

Can't reallly answer your questions regarding the medical side of things.

But to put in abit of reassurance your way,when I was pregnant we had just moved away from everyone we knew but, I found the amount of people we met through having a baby and the support from all the other mums was amazing. Get out there and do the coffee morning/baby group stuff and you will be fine.

Good luck and all the best with baby and move.

Pott

Re: Moving UK to Sydney - 28 wks pregant!
 

Thanks walaj, we're going BA so think we're OK to fly up to 36 weeks; and we're assured by my husband's company (who are sponsoring him) that the visa situation (converting once we're there) is not a problem. I have to take their word for it!! They've said we can wait till I've had the baby to have my Xrays done which is a relief.

Thanks for your good wishes, you're right - one reason we've decided to go for it regardless of our circumstances is that the opportunity might not come up again and we have both had our hearts set on it for a few years now so it's amazing to think it's going to happen.

Wishing you all the best with your plans to return in 2005!

Hello there,
just to say I flew long haul at 32 weeks pregnant. You must do all you can to try to get a seat with extra leg room, I cannot stress this enough, trying to squeeze you and a bump out of your seat to go for the inevitable regular toilet trips is a nightmare! Plus you have an increased risk of DVT so support stockings and leg exercises are highly advisable. Not trying to put you off or anything and I'm sure you have thought about these things but felt I should say!
We had friends who went to Oz last year when she was 25 weeks pregnant, no problems at all getting antenatal care but they had a PR visa. I think it must depend where you stand with medicare on your particular visa.
Good luck with the move and the baby!
Lizzy

Hi Pott, I've just read your reply and it's so good to hear that you had a positive experience of meeting people through your baby after moving. Here's hoping I'm as lucky as you!

I am so excited about making this move for all sorts of reasons but I'm expecting the transition period between leaving London and finding a home in Sydney to be pretty tough emotionally. I am looking forward to the evening when we can enjoy a cool glass of wine somewhere with a view, breath a sigh of relief and tell ourselves we did it!!

Hi gcud. Hope everthing works out well for you. just thought you might like to read up on BA's regulations for flying when pregnant. Theres nothing like being prepared.

"Advice for pregnant ladies

Question
Can I travel on a British Airways flight whilst pregnant?

Answer
British Airways is happy to accept pregnant ladies on our flights.
In order to ensure the health and wellbeing of both the mother and the baby, the following policy is in place:
Medical clearance is not required for expectant mothers providing there are no complications.
A medical certificate must be carried between the 28th - 36th weeks of pregnancy for one baby (28th - 32nd weeks for two or more babies), which must state that there are no complications, the mother/passenger is in good health and give the expected date of delivery.
The certificate must be completed by the treating doctor or nurse and must also state that the mother/passenger is "fit to travel".

Expectant mothers may exceptionally be carried after the limiting dates as mentioned above, but only with the prior consent of British Airways medical clearance unit for travel that is for urgent medical or compassionate reasons. After talking to your treating physician/doctor, please contact your local British Airways office to arrange this clearance. "

Hi Lizzy and Sassie

I hadn't thought we'd need a medical note for travelling at 28 weeks but thanks for the info, it's definitely something we'll sort out! Guess it makes sense for BA to be cautious.

Thankfully the company policy is that we can fly Club so leg room should be OK. I'll bring support stockings and keep my feet up a lot. A friend got DVT from a 3 hour flight at around 6 months pregnant so I am always careful about sitting anywhere for too long - plus it gets uncomfortable even at this stage.

My husband has just found out something about Medicare having a reciprocal agreement with the UK so we might be eligible for treatment, I'm about to do some surfing to look into it. I feel so much better for getting this far with my investigations, thanks!

Go for it!
 

Hi,

If your not experiencing any health issues, it is fine. I flew at 30 weeks with twins. What I did on the flight, was drink lots of fluid. Walk around a lot, and had a 2 night stop over. This was important.

Emotionally, it was o.k as I was originally from Perth, and had decided to return to have them there. But what is different, is the way that they manage your check ups. etc. Not bad just different.

I also shipped all the baby things that I wanted from here, expensive yes, but emotionally the right thing to do, as the variety is less in Australia. I needed to set up the babies room as soon as possible, and to enjoy the shopping experience while I could.

We managed with a few tears just fine. I had the twins five weeks early, not bad for multiples, sold a unit and bought a house all within the first four weeks.

It's hard but as long as your realistic you should be fine. Have you got people who will give you support? If not please try and arrange this through agencies before you go, as the mid wives do not visit at home, you go to them, and it might be nice to have a cleaner, and someone to drop in for a bit.

If you don't contact the red cross for a friendly face for the first few weeks. They have lovely volunteers. I did this when the twins were little and I was over tired. Its nothing to feel embarrassed about. Just a way to meet some short term needs.

Good luck

Nicci

This is a link to the Health Insurance Commission's webpage that confirms the availability of health cover for those from the UK in Australia under the Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement between the two countries:
http://www.hic.gov.au/yourhealth/ser...rs/vtta.htm#uk

This same Agreement pertains once you receive your 457-employer sponsored visa, but many choose to take private cover, as the Agreement in essence only provides for essential treatment - if you would like an indication of premiums for private cover please send me an email.

Assuming yours is indeed a 457-employer sponsored visa, note also that your husband's company has an exposure under their sponsorship obligations to "accept financial responsibility for all medical and hospital costs that sponsored persons and their dependents may incur in Australia." As such it might be in their interests to pay the cost of private healthcare for you to cap their liability.

Hope this helps.

Re: Moving UK to Sydney - 28 wks pregant!
 

Hi- I am now about 25 weeks pregnant and arrived in Perth on 6th March. So far so good. Had a scan which you do pay for but a fair bit back from medicare. Not had an appointment with hospital but should have within next 2 weeks.
Much the same as UK as far as I can gather. Do the same research about the hospitals as you would do in UK. Ask lots of questions.

Did you know if you have a baby in Oz next year they will give you 400 bucks a week for the 1st 12 weeks (trying to encourage a baby boom). Wont tempt me though into another!!

Good time of year to have a bambino as well btw as it will be winter so no sweaty months being huge!