Giving birth in Dublin, Ireland

[Utpala18]

Hi Guys,
I am Utpala from India, and would be relocating to Dublin, Ireland in March, 2018.
I am currently 16 weeks pregnant and would be relocating there in my 7 month. Planning to deliver my first baby there, and have no idea about how to go about it. Doctors, hospitals, public private. Utterly confused whether I would be able to do it smoothly there as I dont know anyone in Dublin.

Please help!!

Hi there I've had 3 babies here in Dublin!
You will need to register with a hospital, which one will depend where you are living.
You will also need to register with a GP as some of the pre and post natal checks are carried out there.
Unless you are covered by health insurance already you will not be covered for an existing pregnancy by a new policy, so unless you can afford to pay all of the cost of private or semi private you will be in the public system.
I had my first baby through the public system and the care was fine, but a bit crowded!
I never went private but did go semi private for the other two. This means smaller clinics and smaller wards in the hospital.
Private means you are seen by the consultant and have a private room IF there is one available, it is not guaranteed.
Good luck!

Thanks a lot Doza.. Answers a lot of my doubts.
One thing though about the insurance.
My husband would we relocating and working at veritas Dublin and has an insurance that covers family members as well. So this should cover my maternity too, right?

I would be very concerned about your converge. It would be a very unusual insurance policy that would cover an existing pregnancy - most Irish policies would require a year-long waiting period for maternity coverage. The only possibility would be if you are already on an international insurance where you are now and are transferring this insurance to your new location. Please investigate this quickly.

I would also not be confident at all taut you are eligible for the free public system either, if you or your partner have not been normally resident in Ireland and paying PRSI (national insurance / social security contributions). You would need to contact the Department of Social Protection to ascertain this.

Basically based on the information you provide, the most likely scenario looks like you would need private care and be liable for the full costs yourself. Make sure you fully understand all aspects before you commit to a move.

You also need to understand Ireland's policies on health care for pregnancies as some people have been caught in difficult circumstances due to the overall Catholic stance.

Hi OP- sycamore is on to something about the eligibility to free care. You must prove that you are ordinarily resident in the state to avail of this.

www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health_services/women_s_health/maternity_and_infant_welfare_services.html

I had my maternity care until 38 weeks at Holles Street in Dublin before I moved back to Belfast and gave birth on the NHS. The staff in Holles Street are excellent, but the public service is very much "you'll get what you're given" - they're obviously really stretched.

I'm attending the rotunda private clinics and am receiving excellent care.
From chatting to friends/family the main difference in public/private is a nicer room at the end and having the same person see you at each visit.

Public care although busy is still very good.
I'd disagree with the you'll get what your given comment re public service
You can question any option offered, no one can force anyone into anything.
With the 8th amendment in our constitution some choices are limited, but in most circumstances this shouldn't effect your care
Holles St especially is very known for having a more catholic ethos guiding its decision making, The Rotunda and the Combe are less so though.

I'd recommend looking into your insurance plan to see if you are covered for anything. As someone else mentioned, there are wait periods on insurance cover so if it's a new policy it may not cover you at all.
Insurance policies here cover limited maternity costs because it is provided by the state anyway.
For instance my plan (which is quite high) will cover my private room after the birth plus some other antenatal costs but only €400 towards my consultant fees
A private room is usually around €1000 per night
Semi private around €800 per night
Public around €100 per night
Consultants range from €2500 to €6000 per pregnancy.
Tests, delivery etc are already taken care of by the state and/or covered under my insurance too.

The free scheme is based on being a resident here in Ireland not tax contributions.
I think you need to be here a year, although there are exceptions to this so its worth looking into too.
The link a previous poster put up has info on this.

AFAIK you need to be a permanent resident of the Irish State for 6 months plus to avail of free public Antenatal care. I'd also be surprised if the insurance company will cover you since you are already pregnant before travelling. Are you planning to travel on a visa to come to Ireland to give birth? You would need to check with your embassy/consulate regarding the terms of the visa before travelling.

ArnoldBee I suspect I know what you are referring to but it is incorrect to attribute anything to “Catholic Ireland” in this instance. It is the Constitution that affords equal rights to both the mother and unborn not Catholicism. But OP my advice is to first contact your insurance provider and take it from there.

Guys, First of all , thanks a lot for all the information.
I am a little confused though.
If I relocate there in April and am due in June, would I be eligible for free Public maternity care?

See from the Coombe.ie website an excerpt below. Not sure about other main maternity hospitals. If all paperwork is in order it appears you should be covered?
Link here www.coombe.ie/index.php?nodeId=85

IF FROM ANY OTHER COUNTRY
You must produce your current Garda National Immigration Bureau Card. Please bring your GNIB card with you to the hospital so that we can obtain the Number and Expiry Date or you must produce a valid Medical Card or valid Student Card, with a letter from your college.Please bring your Medical Card or Student Card to the hospital so that we can obtain the Number and Expiry Date.
If you do not have any of these documents, you will be required to pay a deposit of €1650.00 to cover your maternity care on your first ante natal visit to the hospital.
Please be aware that failure to produce any of these documents will result in charges for your care and all invoices must be paid in full when leaving the hospital.

Hi, I would contact citizens advice to get a answer.

www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health_services/women_s_health/maternity_and_infant_welfare_services.html

You'd be best contacting your health insurance company or embassy for specific advice. What are the t&c of your visa if you are travelling from India to live in Ireland?