Kealey Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Hi Guys, i have so many questions and I'm very confused. I have been granted my visa 6 months ago, and myself and my husband are looking to emigrate to Melbourne next year. We would like to try for a baby and get pregnant before I move to Melbourne, as I want to get maternity pay from my job in the uk whilst living in Australia. We ideally would like to move to Australia when I'm 6 months pregnant. My questions are the following: 1) I want to be covered by private medical for when I give birth, and I've been looking online and it states I have to have the insurance 12 months before I give birth, is this correct? Does this also include scans ect? 2) I'm concerned about flying to Australia at 6 months pregnant, has anyone else done this? And what was your experience giving birth in Australia? 3) what were your experiences giving birth in Melbourne if you have given birth in Melbourne? 4) did anyone apply for Medicare before their permanent move to Melbourne? And what documentation did you need? 5) how did you find it settling in to a new country when pregnant and without family if you didn't have any in Australia? Sorry for so many questions! Worried and nervous! Thank you in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeboard1980 Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I believe you wont get insurance to cover you if you are already pregnant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blossom Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Double check if you have to go back to work after your maternity pay to be entitled to it. My friend is a teacher and moved to Scotland after giving birth. She had to go back to work for a couple of months or pay anything above statutory back. The last place I worked in the uk it was three months after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 There is a 12 month wait on your private health insurance to claim any hospital treatment for pregnancy. Private health insurance covers the cost of your time in hospital and the doctor's charges for delivery and when he sees you in hospital. Your medical treatment (appointments at the doctors, scans, tests) are refunded in part by Medicare. However you will almost certainly be paying a few thousand out of pocket that you will not get back from Medicare or your private health insurance and you need to be prepared for that. You need to be very careful when getting private health insurance that you select a level of cover that will provide for pregnancy and cover a lot of the cost - otherwise it is not worth it. Also, read the fine print to make sure you don't have to be resident. Premiums differ according to the state you live in, so you will at least need a local address. You will also need to find an obstetrician who will take you on late in the pregnancy. They are busy people and most have a big patient load already. You will also need to be booked into a hospital early if you want any choice - and the obstetrician does this. The airlines have cut off dates for flying and whether you will fly comfortably depends on your physical condition at the time. Only you can decide if the maternity pay is worth all the bother - particularly as you will need to find somewhere to live after you arrive and babies sometimes have their own ideas about when they will arrive! You also say that it is your visa - what will happen if your husband is unable to get a job - can you live on your maternity pay? Best of luck - lots of decisions to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 By the way, you can also give birth quite happily and safely for free on Medicare, just as you would on the NHS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest littlesarah Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I'm currently 27 weeks pregnant, & pretty well at the moment. I'm sure my GP/midwife would be happy to sign me off as fit to fly, but I think I'd find the experience pretty uncomfortable! Already I find that I get breathless at times, & I definitely tire more easily than usual. I also find that I'm more emotional than normal so I think that in itself would make the trip more stressful. However, no one can predict how they will feel by this stage - I mostly feel great, but find that I can't move as fast as normal & definitely can't carry heavy things very far. You would need to make sure you have travel insurance that would cover you for your stage of pregnancy (most don't cover you after 26 or 28 weeks, & if you're pregnant before you take out cover they are likely to not cover you at all, IME). I wouldn't even consider travelling long haul at this stage, but I'm sure the fact I've already lost one pregnancy makes me more cautious. As for private care, it doesn't cover consultants' fees, so if you should need a c-section you will have to pay for the ob & the anaesthetist. I was told by my insurer that if baby needed NICU they wouldn't be covered & we'd have to pay for that too (though that may just be our level of cover, which isn't the highest). I considered going private, but because I want to have midwife-led care I decided to go with the local public service. So far they've been great. Early this year I lost a pregnancy & the care & support I received from the local hospital really could not have been better. I had to have a minor procedure & every person I dealt with was respectful & sensitive, & this time they've all been very understanding of my worries. I agree that I would seriously consider the big picture before migrating to have a baby here, regardless of the maternity pay a situation. I've been here a while, & have friends with kids so have a good support network, which I think I'll need when I'm at home with baby all day. If you do decide to migrate & have a baby here, it may be a good idea to suss out local mothers' groups so that you will have somewhere to go for support & friendship. I don't want to sound negative - I am immensely happy to be expecting, but it isn't an easy road, even when things go well; & in my experience it's easy to underestimate the effects of pregnancy. Not to mention the fact that if something goes wrong you have to somehow cope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themaccas Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 I would confirm everything said so far, I work in healthcare and you will not be able to get private med ins unless you have taken it out 12 months before and even then you I don't believe you can make any claims for existing pregnancies after 12 months. If you want the best care, go to your local public hospital, they may not have the best facilities but they will have better standards of care, otherwise you have a 50% chance of a CS at a private hospital. Additionally if you take the full maternity care from your uk employer and do not go back to work there you will have to go back for two months or pay most back. If you opt for statutory mat pay you will cease to be entitled to it once you have left the UK as you will not be resident anymore. You may not find all this works out exactly as you had planned..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 I personally wouldn't presume that nature is going to work to your timescales. It took one enthuisastic weekend to conceive our first and another three years for our second.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 To move to the other side of the world is a huge step, to do it when you are six months pregnant is massive Please have a think about the fact that you will be in a new strange country without family support and/or the support network you already have. Being pregnant is emotional enough, having a new baby even more so. Consider whether it would be better to settle here first, rather than putting even more pressure on yourself. Just a thought. As regards the private medical insurance question, no it will not cover your pregnancy. There is normally a 12 month waiting period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 There's no way I would even think of emigrating when 6 months pregnant. The plane journey alone would put me off. It is not a barrel of laughs scrunched up in a nasty uncomfortable seat at the best of times. Unless you can afford first class travel I would definitely wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 There's no way I would even think of emigrating when 6 months pregnant. The plane journey alone would put me off. It is not a barrel of laughs scrunched up in a nasty uncomfortable seat at the best of times. Unless you can afford first class travel I would definitely wait. Its not that bad actually. I did it at 29 weeks, drink plenty water (I sucked ice cubes) and get up and move round a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Its not that bad actually. I did it at 29 weeks, drink plenty water (I sucked ice cubes) and get up and move round a lot. You are a she? Well I never. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blossom Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Its not that bad actually. I did it at 29 weeks, drink plenty water (I sucked ice cubes) and get up and move round a lot. I can't bring myself to go to the uk for a visit not pregnant just because of the flights. I can't imagine much worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 You are a she? Well I never.Meaning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Meaning? I guess she thought you were a he, to be honest so did I. However, I thought Rupert was a middle aged man from the posts and Mary Rose a middle aged woman. You never can tell on here- that's half the fun sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Meaning? No hidden meaning, I just thought you were a he. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 I guess she thought you were a he, to be honest so did I. However, I thought Rupert was a middle aged man from the posts and Mary Rose a middle aged woman. You never can tell on here- that's half the fun sometimes. Nice to know I am not alone - I worked out last week that Rupert was not a boy and Mary Rose took ages..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxboz Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Wow you are going to be going through a very emotional time when you first land in Australia even if you were not pregnant. I don't think that this sounds like a good plan for anyone. You would be best to wait until after you have arrived and calmed down from the emotional roller coaster of leaving family/landing in a new country. Once you get settled and have some friends around for support sounds like a much better idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Wow you are going to be going through a very emotional time when you first land in Australia even if you were not pregnant. I don't think that this sounds like a good plan for anyone. You would be best to wait until after you have arrived and calmed down from the emotional roller coaster of leaving family/landing in a new country. Once you get settled and have some friends around for support sounds like a much better idea.That is your opinion, some people manage perfectly well, I did and I know others as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 That is your opinion, some people manage perfectly well, I did and I know others as well. I was pregnant when I moved here, so yes the above post reflects my opinion too. Each person will have a different experience, but it is important to have a well rounded view before taking the big step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 I remember having to get a doctor's note to say I was fit to fly ( he thought that was very funny)- and that was just from the UK to Portugal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealey Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 Double check if you have to go back to work after your maternity pay to be entitled to it. My friend is a teacher and moved to Scotland after giving birth. She had to go back to work for a couple of months or pay anything above statutory back. The last place I worked in the uk it was three mo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealey Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 Hi thanks for the reply, I've already checked and I don't have to return to work! Lucky me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealey Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 There is a 12 month wait on your private health insurance to claim any hospital treatment for pregnancy. Private health insurance covers the cost of your time in hospital and the doctor's charges for delivery and when he sees you in hospital. Your medical treatment (appointments at the doctors, scans, tests) are refunded in part by Medicare. However you will almost certainly be paying a few thousand out of pocket that you will not get back from Medicare or your private health insurance and you need to be prepared for that. You need to be very careful when getting private health insurance that you select a level of cover that will provide for pregnancy and cover a lot of the cost - otherwise it is not worth it. Also, read the fine print to make sure you don't have to be resident. Premiums differ according to the state you live in, so you will at least need a local address. You will also need to find an obstetrician who will take you on late in the pregnancy. They are busy people and most have a big patient load already. You will also need to be booked into a hospital early if you want any choice - and the obstetrician does this. The airlines have cut off dates for flying and whether you will fly comfortably depends on your physical condition at the time. Only you can decide if the maternity pay is worth all the bother - particularly as you will need to find somewhere to live after you arrive and babies sometimes have their own ideas about when they will arrive! You also say that it is your visa - what will happen if your husband is unable to get a job - can you live on your maternity pay? Best of luck - lots of decisions to make! thanks Rosie - yeah I've done a lot of research, I know I have to wait 12 months. I'm visiting Australia in Jan, so I'm hoping to register for Medicare then, and also my friend I'm Australia recommended a great OB, so I also have a meeting with her, and I'm going to have a look around the hospitals too. I'm going to have a private OB in the UK so my private UK OB will speak to my OB in Australia and update her. I will also have Skype appointments with her until I'm 6 months. I already have a house in Australia which me and hubby bought a year ago, so that should help, as we will move into our home. We also have all our furniture ect to ship so we don't have the hassle of buying any. My my maternity pay is really good, I get 6 months full pay, and 50% after that for 22 weeks. In relation to my hubby getting a job, his sector is really in need of people, my friend is also a recruitment agent in Australia, and if he didn't it's ok as we have good savings and a house we rent out in the uk which is an income too. So we can afford him to have the year off. Th anks so much for your advice!! It's much appreciate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealey Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 By the way, you can also give birth quite happily and safely for free on Medicare, just as you would on the NHS. Thanks again Rosie - I'm so glad you have said that, as I'm a bit scared to be honest. I recently lost a baby 4 months gone, and the NHS care I received was terrible, which has made me scared of any public hospital care. Which is why I mentioned private, I think it will help when I speak to a GP in Melbourne and when I visit the hospitals in January! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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