Trip to Ireland at 34 weeks - help!

[Yankunian]

For the past year we have planned this weeklong trip via ferry, meeting friends from USA in Ireland, so we'd hate to reschedule - and we will be able to relax and take it easy as we are staying with friends. Unfortunately, I seem to be having a nightmare arranging for travel insurance at 34/35 weeks - the policy I have through my bank account won't cover me, and a couple of others I've checked won't either at this stage, even though I am low-risk. Does anyone know of any company that will?

Also, I would love to know if we'd be covered by the EHIC card for all the costs of labour/birth/hospital if I do have the baby early (god forbid!) I have heard that most people in Ireland have private health insurance, so is travel insurance a must? Or if I would be covered by the EHIC would the national health service in Ireland be okay? We'll be staying in both Tipperary and Co. Clare coast, if that helps.

Oh dear, I can't be much use I'm afraid. I have annual travel insurance (with Esure) and have been told that they won't cover me at all from about 28 weeks. I have a feeling that no travel companies will cover pregnant women after a certain point, but would love to be proved wrong.
My family are Irish and they all have private health cover - everyone seems to have and it doesn't stop them having to wait several months for ops. Have you looked at E11 forms? I seem to recall that they give you health cover in certain European countries. It's widely available in the post office, but not sure if it covers you for pregnant.

I have just got cover with American Express who cover up to 32 weeks.

Hiya,

On the travel insurance front, I had to get it for a recent trip and it seemed to only go to 32 weeks....I certainly didnt come across any that covered you beyond that.

I am Irish though, and had my first baby in Dublin. It is true that most people have private health insurance in Ireland and you can use it to go private at most hospitals...which basically means you select your own consultant and see them for all appointments and they they will most likely be there when/immediately after baby is delivered. However, it you go public then it is the same as with the NHS....it should be free or only some nominal charges towards stay in hospital...maybe check with the hospitals in the area you are planning on staying?

Prob not alot of help...sorry ...

Charlie

No, that is helpful, Charlie. And many thanks to the rest of you - it's so hard to find this kind of info elsewhere online.

Happy to say I did find one insurer who will cover through 36 weeks after trawling through old MN threads: International Health Insurance www.ihi.com/ will cover the week for £48. This seems to be one of the few around that goes this late.

Also, I checked and The E-111 (now called the EHIC card) gives you the basic cover you'd get from the health service as a resident of the European country you're traveling to, regardless of how pregnant you are. But from the sound of it the travel insurance will be worth it, as we'll have more options/security about care if I do go into labour early.

Also, just found out you can't travel on Irish Ferries past 32 weeks. But Stena Line has no restrictions on pregnancy travel - thought this might be useful information for someone at some point. It made our choice of ferry company very easy!

The European Health Card should cover you in Ireland. If you are based in Tiperary and Clare if you were unfortunately enough to go into early labour you would have to go to Limerick as there are now no maternity units in Clare or Tipperary.

ooh - good to know, RosaisRed. I will make sure we know where the nearest hopsital is!

Dear Yankunian,

I lived in Ireland and have moved back to my parental home in England to have the baby because of poor services in my corner of Ireland. I am 31 weeks now.

There is no health board in Ireland only the HSE. Services are limited, particulalry outside large towns but it does vary and I am not familiar with the midwest. Limerick should see you as an emergency.

Generally the Irish maternity emergency service is good and the nursing staff are welcoming and friendly. (I have been treated for 2 ectopic pregncies in Ireland.) However, in my experience should you have other concerns that are not obviously an emergency, it may be difficult to see a doctor and it may be down to the luck of the draw. (I have had to wait 9 hours for a scan at 9 weeks after a small bleed.) Do your friends have a reliable GP you could call on? I would also ring Limerick Hospital and ask to speak to the maternity ward and find out their procedure. Take all your notes. Irish and English maternity notes are similar and the hospital should be able to transfer any information over.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy Ireland and come home to have baby.

Best of luck NS XXXXX

Hi Yankunian

I live in Ireland, Co Galway (next to Co Clare) Do not worry about insurance as far as cost of having the baby is concerned, maternity care is free in Ireland. It only costs something if you choose to go privately. Obviously you would need to be aware of the distances you will be travelling and the distance between hospitals. If (and hopefully you won't have to find this out)the baby arrives that early he/she will probrably need special care.

There are only some maternity hospitals that have special care. Obviously Dublin has plenty, but outside of that there are only a few. Nearest to where you are staying I would think the hospitals would be Limerick, and if you are north co. clare then Galway hospital.

I was surprised to read that Irish ferries said you could not travel after 32 weeks , I did that trip only recently and was definitely more pregnant than that!!!!!

I hope you have a fantastic and safe journey.

Oh, thank you Newbishad and GalwayGal - that is great to know. My friends in the area are going to make sure we know where nearest GP and full-service maternity hospitals are... but I really hope we don't need to go in for anything at all, esp. after I needed to have something checked out at the hosp. here and ended up waiting 7 hours for a consultant! It would suck to have to do that on holiday in gorgeous Ireland.

I couldn't believe that about irish ferries either - I mean, like they're going to stop you while boarding and say: "stop! You're clearly more than 32 weeks pregnant?" And the ferry ride is under two hours for chrissakes.

Yankunian,

Let us know how you get / got on in Ireland.

Hope you have a great relaxing time.

Love NS XXXX