Pregnant in Oz what do i do now?

[Rolieplusone]

Hi Guys, This is my first post so hi.

I have just foundout that I am pregnant with mysecondchild. My first was born in the UK so imabit confused about the wholeprocess here so need some advice...

In England I went to my Dr Surgery at 10 weeks for a booking in appointment. A midwife then came and visited me at home and filled in my pregancy book with all my medical history etc and basically took over my care from there. i didnt see a Dr once. :yelclap:

How does it work here as my Dr is the only one at the practice. Will he do all my appointments? What if he doesnt specialise in Obs? Just so confused about who organises scans etc. When do i first go and see someone and where do i go? I dont have private health care by the way.:confused:

Any advice would be great.Thanks

[chicky2lala]

My friend is english and moved out here while she was pregnant. She had shared care with her doc and hospital.....so the appointments got split between the 2. The doc did the ones he could, and for everything else she went the hospital.
As far as Im aware, she didnt have to pay for a thing as there is something like a recipricol agreement between Oz and the UK, whereby if an ozzie goes over to the UK they dont have to pay for the birth/visits and vice versa......(though maybe she did have to pay for the doc visits, cant remember:o)...

Im pretty sure you will also get the baby bonus....

Thats about all i know sorry....

[AM]

You can always go the homebirth route, hire a private midwife, and have all antenatal/labour and postnatal care with the same person, who you have gotten to know throughout your whole pregnancy.

Scans are definitely optional.

[Rolieplusone]

Thanks girls, I am a permanent resident here so will go through medicare. It sounds like my first port of call is a GP then. How do i find one that specializes in pregnancy? Is there a website to look that up or should i just give mine a go?

Thanks for your replies :)

[Mummaholic]

I haven't heard of GPs specialising in pregnancy here, I think any GP is OK...perhaps ask when you make the app which dr at the practice usually takes care of that?

I have heard of some female drs specialising in women's issues which must include pregnancy - it would depend on your state though :)

Good luck.

[Tori2]

Hi,

I have had 2 children over here and originally from the Uk.
If you are going to go to a public hospital all I had to do was contact the hospitals and visit them,some have specail days where they show you around the maternity department.Choose your hospital and then arrange a booking in appointment with the midwifes.All your care is then at the hospital and it won't cost a penny!
When you talk to lots of people it all gets really confusing I had a few nightmare months until I understood the system.
The public hospitals here are far better than what we are used to in England so don't worry about what your care will be like.
Hope that helps
:thumbsup:

[Rolieplusone]

Thanks Tori, that is perfect. I have just been looking up my nearest hospitals on the internet so i will just give them a ring and go from there.

Thanks heaps x

[surferchicksal]

Hiya, I am also from the UK, Im on a temp visa at the moment and had a little girl 5 months. We moved here 2 years ago.

the first thing I did was go to my GP, I have a medicare card which, when i go and see my GP, I have to pay, but having a medicare card I got half of what I paid back. The doc did most of my appointments and told me when I needed to go to a scan. Which was done somewhere else. there too I had to pay for the scan, but medicare again gave me about half back.

I occasionally went to the hospital for check ups, everything that goes on at the hospital is free of charge.

No I did not go to any ante natal classes, as I was told the hospital classes are free but they were well booked in advance and full classes, so if you need to do them get in quick!! If not I was told they are available elsewhere but for a fee!

I got the baby bonus even though I am a temp resident my hubby who is aussie citizen had to apply for it as I was still on an intrim medicare card!

good luck for the future, keep us informed as to how you go, if you need any other help, let us know and we will all help!!!

[SPC]

Hi, I'm also pregnant and from the UK. I rang up the midwives at my local birthing centre at 5 weeks and went for a visit and then booked in with them. I only had to see a GP because I needed her to sign the form for my 12 weeks scan, which is the only thing I've had to pay for, [$185]. The midwifery-led side of the system is much like the UK.

[Rolieplusone]

Thanks girls, Im sure i will have many more questions in the future. I have booked in at my local hospital now so my mind is at rest.

Thanks heaps :yes:

[Clinya]

Well i am from the UK and i have had both my children here. We don't have private health insurance. All i did was go to our GP who did a pregnancy test and when it was positive he gave me a referral to the hospital. He asked which one we wanted and we just wanted the closest one. It is a quiet one and it was like having private care there anyway.

I had shared care with the midwife at the hospital and my Dr but i always just rang the midwife if i had a problem with any thing. :)

We didnt have to pay anything for the care we received except i had some sort of test as i had high blood pressure so i had to pay something towards that but that was like $20.00. We got the baby bonuse too but my DH is an aussie.

Congrats on your pregnancy and GL :)

[filmgirlgail]

Hi

My route, as far as memory serves, was confirming pregnancy with my GP, then recommended an obstetrician, based at my local hospital, and from then on I had all my visits with him. Similar time to UK midwife visits, first once a month, then once a fortnight, then weekly nearer the end. He always did weight and doppler and ultrasound. Good luck with it! Where are you byt the way? If you're in Brisbane I would recommend my OB

Gail