Pregnant can any one help!

**cassandre** · 05-05-2009, 02:55 PM

Hi all,

My partner and i were granted our visa last month and to our surprise though extreme delight have discovered that I am pregnant!
We are planning to be out in Oz for around Aug, hoping to head south of Sydney though very much dependant on partners job(presume I have almost zero chance of a job in my condition!). Just wondering if any one has any information regarding hospitals, antenatal care etc.
Also I'm a nurse and wondered if any one knows what the requirements are in Australia for keeping un-to-dater with registration?
Many thanks for any information
Cas

**flowerofscotland** · 07-05-2009, 06:39 AM

Hi Cas,

I had a baby 4 months ago in QLD the care I received was fantastic, I have had 2 other kids in the UK and I think personally for me it was better to have a baby here, I went through the birth centre at the Gold Coast hospital, which is 1 on 1 care with a midwife the whole way through, all home visits and beautiful delivery room, birthing pool if you wanted to use it, and you could get out 6 hours after the birth, then home visits again for a few weeks afterwards, was really brilliant. I haven't heard anyone say they have had a bad experience with care and attention here, so don't worry about anything, good luck with everything

Lisa

**cassandre** · 09-05-2009, 11:11 AM

Hi Lisa

Many thanks for your email, definate confidence booster.
Take care
Cas

**cookiecat** · 27-06-2009, 10:24 AM

Hi Cassandre and Congratulations!! We live South of Sydney (Wollongong area) and i have just had my first baby here, 6 weeks ago. I realise that i'm not able to compare it to UK but i have had the most fantastic care. I also had one on one midwife visits coz i choose the midwifery group program, but there were plenty of other choices for care and i gave birth at the Wollongong public hospital, which i could not fault in any way. I was always given clear and helpful information and most importantly was free to make my own choices about my care. You couldn't be in a better place to bring up a child and i feel very lucky that our little boy will grow up an 'aussie'!! How far south of Sydney do you plan on living, we live in the Illawarra, check out the thread 'Illwarra what's it like' if you need more info on this area, there are some fab pics on there and one of the poms on there is also a nurse whose just been through the registering and securing a job stuff. Hope this helps! Good luck with your pregnancy!! Donna

**cassandre** · 27-06-2009, 03:30 PM

Hi Donna,

Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy. Hope all is well for the both of you.

Many thanks for your reply. Very bizarre eventually we would like to settle south of Sydney, suppose close to yourself but this very much depends on fingers-crossed my partner getting a job and where he's based.
Sorry just a few questions, did you attend any atenatal classes? Were these paid for by yourself?
and your hospital care was it public? Sorry, lastly have you the oportunity to attend mother and baby groups? Suppose this is a concern of mine, emigrating and lack of support, so thought by attending groups I may be able to make a little network.

Take care
Cas x

**cookiecat** · 28-06-2009, 04:15 AM

Hi Cassandre, Thank you! Fingers crossed your partner secures a job soon! The south coast is very beautiful. No probs with the questions. Yes, i did attend antenatal classes and because i was actually working at the hospital in the antenatal department i got them for free but they should have cost $150 and we did 3 saturdays from 9am until about 1pm so not too bad. Since having our baby though i can think of a lot more useful info they could include!! Sounds like we are in the same boat. It's just me and hubby over here, family still in UK so we are pretty much in the deep end with it all and some days we have sank! but mostly we are keeping afloat, not having had any experience of kids or babies i think we have found it particularly hard going, especially when sleep deprived!! Yes, i did attend public hospital for the birth and it was fantastic, couldn't fault it in anyway, i find the public system here a lot more efficient and quicker than in UK that is for sure.
I actually start a mother's group on Tuesday and like yourself would like to get a network of friends together, so i';ll let you know how it goes! There has also been plenty of support with midwife visits and the local family and child centre and there is a breast feeding drop in group that do one on one visits and home visits as well there is a lot of help and support out there and we have taken advantage of it, but feel we are finding our own way now, but it's good to know it is there if you need it. Good luck with everything and let me know if you end up moving to the Illawarra!! Kind regards, Donna. xxx

**cookiecat** · 28-06-2009, 04:21 AM

Hi again Cassandre, forgot to say, you have to pay for your scans as well, but not all of them and you can claim most of the cost of them back from Medicare. Any other questions ask away, i'll to help if i can , i know i had hundreds of questions! Donna xxx

**guest30038** · 28-06-2009, 06:15 AM

Congratulations.

kev

**paddingtonpom** · 28-06-2009, 07:03 AM

Hi Cas,
congratualtions on your pregnancy! I too am pregnant with our first baby due on Xmas Eve! I've found the care to be fantastic so far although we have had private health care (expensive per month but now seems to be paying off!) We are also going to attend antenatal classes closer to the due date which cost $300 (in a private hospital) paid for by our Private Health Care Insurer. As we are still on a business visa we only get reciprocal Medicare which only works out to be a certain percentage... but hey its better than nothing! Are you on permanant residency visa?
I'm also apprehensive about having our first baby with no immediate help from family (all in U.K) but I'm trying to find mum and toddler groups etc-when and if you arrive in Sydney it'd be great to meet, we are in the St George area (close to Sydney airport.)
There are some great pregnancy and mum & bub websites where you are free to ask existing Ozzy mum's for help-I was completely lost by it all! Try www.bubhub.com.au and www.birth.com.au they have been great at answering my questions on Obstetricians, hospitals: Public v's Private etc.
Feel free to get in touch if you need to-I'm a bit of a pro now I have sooooo much info on it all!
Hope this helps, Alex

**cassandre** · 30-06-2009, 09:53 AM

Hi All,

Thank you all for your information. I'll definately check out those websites Alex and I'll keep you posted with where we end up as it would be great to meet up.
Glad to hear your a pro Alex as I haven't the faintest idea, but never mind hopefully it will come once I'm in Oz and if you don't mind me asking you questions alone the way.
Suppose, first concern is how do I register with a G.P, I know I need to register with Medicare then do I go alone to any local G.P and register myself (wonder if this was different for you Alex with you being private?). Do you know Donna?

Thanks again, if you both wouldn't mind sending me your email addresses, take care cas x