fishpond

Hi there people,

Have posted this on the NZ forum too but thought this was a good place also and not sure how much overlap there is...

We are thinking of returning to the UK earlier than we thought because although we like it here, lifestyle, some family etc., I am having a baby in July and feel I would prefer to be at home for such a major life change. I don't think NZ will go away and we can come back. Anyway, quite a bit to sort out by April and not sure where to start!

I guess I would need to sort flights, flat here (bills, notice to landlord, post, gym, subs etc), shipping, where to live in UK (initially poss with parents), healthcare back in UK for baby. Not sure in what order or how to go about it all and start! Sounds daft as have done it all to come out here!

Any good recommendations for shipping companies? Ideally I would like one that helps you pack up things as am getting less energetic as time goes on! We had a good experience with Anglo Pacific coming to NZ...

Help! Deep breaths, trying not to panic!!

Fishpond

leeds lass

Hi

I have just got a quote from the moving company which you can get online www.themovingcompany.co.nz for a 4 bed house they quoted $9500 - $10500 which wasnt too bad just not sure about them as I have not used them before that includes them packing it all for you. Was quoted $13000 by crown.

Not sure about healthcare I suppose if you registered at a GP as soon as you got back they would sort that out for you get you a midwife etc.

Hope that helps

fishpond

Anyone? Now I am panicking!

Sparkle2nite

Hang on in there Fishpond....someone will reply with help soon!

I moved back from Spain so know nothing about packing companies where you are.....we used Brittania and they were pretty good. We got a better deal coming back though, we used their opposites in Spain to bring us back at half the price and better service too.

Hope you enjoy it back here as much as we do!

Sparkle

Hayley

Well I hate to see you floundering out there!
I am moving back to the Uk form the US after six years and my baby is due in August. We also have a April leaving date set and I'm freaking out about the house selling (it goes on the market next week)

Can't help with the shipping (a search of the forums might help) but can say there are others in similar boats and one day soon we will be immersed in nappies and forgetting all the upheaval. Also you can spend your time checking out the great cheap baby stuff in mothercare, boots, tesco, asda etc.

fishpond

Hi
Thanks for your reply. I am worrying about how easy it will be to slot back into the UK system for maternity care really as well as if I will ever get all the organising done in time. The tricky thing is we would have to decide where to live - at least for the first 3 months. Our flat is rented out as I said, and the tenants can't really move out until July. However, we are not keen to have a young baby in Central London so that is out anyway. We could live with my parents for a week or so but imagine that could get quite stressful! My other worry is about flying at 24 weeks pregnant. Would this be any better/worse than with a 2.5 month old baby?

So - in order of priority my worries are:
1. How to get back into the UK system to have a baby - from here!
2. How to choose and organise where to live back home
3. How to make sure we get it all organised to leave for home in the time we have without getting stressed - including shipping etc.


Also what is better? To leave at 24 weeks pregnant (end March) or in mid September (can't bear thought of arriving mid winter at home) with a young baby? I am new to this pregnancy lark so can't really imagine myself in either situation. I am not fond of flying long haul at the best of times so that is an added complication.

I get conflicting views from everyone I ask! My GP here says 6 of one half a dozen of the other, my brother had said come back now says that better to stay, parents were the other way round, now think I should go back...grrgggghg!!!! Going mad here and it is depressing as I want to be enjoying final however long here in NZ and my pregnancy, not worrying all the time about this seemingly insurmountable problem. It is exhausting!

Fishpond

fishfinger

Definitely fly when you are pregnant and not with the baby if you can help it although flying with a very small baby is easier than a 1 year old!

You can register with a doctor when you arrive and get accommodation sorted out. I'm sure you will be accepted immediately if you have proof that you are now resident in the UK.

I would definately go back to UK and have my baby if it were me just to have that extra help from your parents.

Congratulations!

Hayley

I have to agree here.
I also have a one year old in addition to the baby that is is on the way and travelling whilst pregnant is the option I'm choosing because I know how wiped out I was when my son was born. I also nursed him and I can't imagine lugging all that equipment back (plus frozen supply?!)

I do understand your nerves though, I am anxious about the NHS experience, how long it will take to get a doctor and what the birthing experience will be like but when I think about the bills here in the US I know it's the smartest option. (I don't know about the healthcare in NZ, will you be left with expenses?)

It's obviously just my opinion but I do believe that being in a state of unrest and unhappiness prior to the birth is going to affect the child somewhat and you might find it best to get back while you can and start busing yourself with purchasing goods back home. I thought about waiting myself but then imagined traveling to different rentals with a baby in tow and knew I couldn't do it.

I feel like I want to know where I am bringing my baby home to after the hospital as silly as that sounds.

seasprite

relaaaaaax..NHS simply amazing. Get Doctor on return and they will simply book you in with the midwife team and you will have a dating scan if you are lucky around 13 weeks and regular appiontments thereafter for blood pressure and urine checks for protein. They will discuss places to birth at some point and you do have choices you know! (ie home, hospital, painkillers or not, water birth etc). Enjoy it!

fishfinger

Congratulations to you too Hayley! I guess you will fly from Seattle, right??? I'm sure you will be fine because you can just get a night flight back and they are much easier, even with a toddler. I just wouldn't fancy doing any kind of flight with a little one from NZ!

Hayley

Thanks! I'm getting a little less anxious as time goes on but still I'm a natural worrier

Hayley

we do hope to get a direct flight from seattle after flying from spokane and spending a couple nights.
It is kind of spendy for a direct but I don't think I can take a stopover with all the stuff we have and a one year old. Last time we went for a visit we ended up with 2 stopovers and a 24 hour total travelling time (including airport time)
it was horrid! Also I have to travel from Heathrow/ gatwick to my part of the UK so we won't be done upon touchdown- so trying to make it easy on ourselves.

Hayley

Just curious the waterbirth option- is that only certain hospitals?

seasprite

yes, but most towns now have that option or you could hire your own waterbirth pool for hospital or home use. Some hospitals will allow that. Have a google search on your local health authority, there is usually info about childbirth on the applicable hospital weblink. Good luck!

lynniep

I was a bit pregnant when we returned to the UK, and kind of fretful about it as it is my first (now I'm a lot pregnant!) There wasnt really any need to be!

I had a few blips getting registered, but it really really depends where you end up in the UK on what you experience.

Firstly, if you've still got your NHS number, it makes life a bit simpler, but its not necessary. If you're UK born, you're still entitled to NHS treatment.

When I first got back to the UK, I was staying with friends in London. They're a lot stricter about who they let into their GP surgeries in London, so the first hurdle was actually to register. They wouldnt let me do it without utility bills, bank statement or rental agreement, none of which I had, so I just nipped down to WHSmith, got a bog standard rental agreement for about a fiver, and filled it in with random details. They were fine with that - they just wanted something on paper - and booked me in with the nurse (for registering checkup) and the doctor (for pregnancy). The doctor then gave me a list of 3 hospitals to choose from, and referred me to my chosen one. I got a letter a few weeks later for my first scan appointment (but would be quicker if you're a lot further gone).

My experience of St Marys, Paddington (I had 3 visits) was ok, but impersonal as you might expect in London. The midwives are all based at the hospital clinics, and were very sweet, but too busy to take much of an interest. I was happy that they were giving me the information I needed about classes and suchlike though.

We then moved house in November (25 weeks), to Cambridgeshire, and again I had to register with another GP. This was a completely different - I had no problems registering and again was booked in with nurse for checkup. The nurse gave me the number of the local midwife, whom I rang up and made appt for home visit. She came round the next week, and stayed for about an hour - she did basic checkup and gave me all the info I needed, about parent craft classes, hospital visits and so on. It was all quite different from the London experience. They hold a pregnancy clinic at the local surgery every week, which she takes, so at the moment I go once a fortnight for my checkup.

The flying thing - I wasnt that far gone, so was OK but its apparently perfectly safe at 24 weeks, as long as you get up and about during the flight, and drink lots of water, which is the bog standard recommendation anyway. I have friends who've done the long haul at various stages, and its hard to say because it depends how your body is coping in a 'normal' environment. For instance if you're suffering water rentention anyway, you might find it more painful over the vast amount of time you're up in the air, but its not harming the baby, just causing you discomfort. High/low blood pressure might also be an issue, but in general, I've had nothing but positive reports from people (including a UK->NZ at 30 wks)

I'd so much rather get the air travel out of the way before it was born, but thats just my opinion. Good luck with it!