Anyone had a baby in Australia?

[Ness73]

We've moving to Oz in Nov (yippee!) and I'm due with baby no. 2 in April (yippee again..I think...still getting over the fact that I will - briefly - have two under two..). Anyway despite being Australian myself I have no clue how the childbirth thing works there. Do you have to have a ob/gyn person? Or can you go the midwife route at a public hospital? We won't have medical insurance so don't think we can afford to go private even though I get the impression it is more common there, a bit like America. I really have no idea. Any help please? I will need to get it sorted as soon as I arrive.

Thanks.

Bloss ???

Hi Ness73,
I have had one baby born in Australia with another due next week. We have gone down the private hospital route with our own obstetrician but this is not mandatory. A lot of people choose to go public where i believe most of the care is provided by a midwife. You will though also meet up with obstetricians occasionally if you go publicly.

Given that you don't have private health insurance and that you haven't booked in with an obstetrician to go private, you may have to deliver through the public system. I live in Sydney so i'm not sure of the situations in other cities/states but here you have to book in with an obst. as soon as you know you are pregnant. There is a critical shortage of obst. here because of the insurance costs for them.
The insurance costs have meant that obstetricians have had to raise their fees which turns some people off going privately.

I guess you will have to see where you will be settling and find out what hospitals are in that area to get more information. You may be able to find out the cost of public vs private by contacting drs and hospitals.

I hope this helps and good luck with the move and the new baby!
Melitaaus.

Hi,
There are several options in Australia.
1 See a local GP who will book you into one of the local maternity hospitals for public care. This is similar to the NHS and standards are good.

2 Get the local GP to refer you to private obstetrician, because you are not insured you will have to pay for this, usually between $5000-8000 total. Its well worth getting private health insurance if you want this type of care in the future, monthly payments are about $200-250 for full private insurance.

3 Book an independant midwife for a home birth. Check the qualifications of independant midwives as they do not need to be registered midwives to work as independant practitioners in Oz, although most are very good and very motivated towards natural childbirth. They mostly charge between $2000-5000 total.

Public and private care are actually very similar except for the accomodation in the hospital and the fact that you will see the same doctor each visit and have the doctor deliver your baby instead of a midwife.

Hope this has been of some help, and good luck!

Thanks so much sonyredspider and melitaaus! I can't believe the costs there! Plus I have discovered, as you mentioned melitaaus, that if you don't book in with the ob the minute you see a blue line, you've got no hope. Looks like public hospitals here I come! Still, I think I prefer the idea of a midwife again rather than a doctor. I'm going to Brisbane BTW.

Anyway, thanks again for your help.

Ness73 - this site might help a bit in giving you an idea what to expect. I have a cousin who until recently was a midwife here. Hope it might help. Do you know Brisbane well? I grew up there, and was just wondering where you will be living?
www.mater.org.au/hospitals/hospubmoth.asp

Have had friends who went both private and public for births in Brisbane - two gave birth in Redcliffe hospital - (public) - raved about it. A couple who have given birth in Royal Brisbane Woman's hospital - again can't fault the care they received. I am jealous - being a Brissy girl - would love to be home... ahh soon -we are moving back next year.

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Ooh..I can't keep up with Mumsnet..thanks for all the advice! Yes, I am a Brissie girl too - grew up mostly in Coorparoo/Holland Park (went to Loreto). My parents have now moved to Redland Bay. I discovered Essential Baby which has been a godsend...nothing like chatting with other mums to get the lowdown. My mum has managed to book me into the Royal Brisbane (where coincedentally I was born!) which I like the sound of. They have a birth centre people rave about though apparently getting into that is like winning the lottery (literally - they pull your name out of a hat apparently). Still, even if I'm just in the main hospital I'm happy. I feel better just having midwife/GP care..I'm not a fan of the ob/gyn approach. Seems to overmedicalise everything..and who can afford it anyway?

Thanks again.