Making the move 5 months pregnant - advice needed!

[paul&emma]

Hi All

My name is Emma and along with my husband Paul and our 2 and a 1/2 year old son we will be moving to NZ the end of June.
I will be 5 months pregnant by then and I need advice from anyone in NZ who has had a baby, made the move whilst pregnant or has any knowledge about the maternity service they have in NZ.
I have looked at Auckland Hopstial and their facilities look really good, but I would really appreciate any advice and stories about how others have found things.
My labour in the UK with my son was not an easy one and I have heard a few horror stories about lack of care and facilities in NZ.

Any advice would be gratefully received.
Thanks

Emma x

[kiwinett]

Hi Emma

I'm afraid I don't have any useful advice but am really interested in any responses that you receive as I am in a similar situation... I'll be 7 months pregnant when we move in June and haven't got a clue how to access maternity services in NZ!

But there are so many other things to organise at the moment that i've been able to ignore the growing bump and have been pretty much going with the 'she'll be right' approach. Though I should really get myself a bit more sorted on the baby front I think.

Good luck for your move and your baby

kiwinett

[paul&emma]

Hi Kiwinett

I know how you feel when you say about so much to organise you've been able to ignore you bump - I am the same - but I am starting to show and clothes getting a bit tight so won't be able to ignore it for much longer!
Where about in NZ are you moving to? We are looking at Auckland - North Shore at first but then travelling around Auckland to have a look at other areas. Auckland hospital looks really good and nice facilities, they have a unit that is called the National Women's Health and they deal with maternity care with antenatal and postnatal facilities, but unless you are a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident then you have to pay! What type of visa do you have? We are travelling on a permanent recidency visa so I am hoping that this means we won't have to pay - but need to check this aswell.
Keep in touch if you find out anything
Emma

[JandM]

Cheer up, ladies. I've just posted this link on another thread, and you'll see there that if you're on a Residence visa (which is the equivalent of the old name, permanent residence, mentioned on this link) or a work visa running two years or more, all your pregnancy and birth care is free. http://www.workingin-newzealand.com/...ess/healthcare

Also, the Search button on the blue bar above is your friend - look for old threads about maternity care and how to access it. It has often been discussed on the forum.

I've seen NZ care through a difficult birth (ended with an emergency Caesarean) and difficult first few days of life in the case of my grandson, and you could not get better help anywhere in the world.

[Georgebulldog]

Hi There has been loads talked about before on here so worth doing the search thing
I came over 5 months pregnant on PR, as soon as I got here I think I contacted a Dr's surgery who gave me a list of midwives, I called all of them on the list & they were almost all too busy for me which was worrying but found the last one would take me on because it was my 2nd so wouldn't be so in the dark about it all. I didn't have to pay, maybe the odd scan but nothing else. Had I not have found a midwife I was told I would just have been under the care of the hospital. My labour was luckily only 3 hours, unfortunatley was in the old maternity unit so not a great experience but found it to be about the same as the UK, I wouldn't say one was better than the other, other than the room I was in, both were great. My midwife was busy already in hospital when I went into labour so her back up was called, but I ended up having them both with me at the crucial time.
Not sure what else to add, feel free to pm me any questions & I can try & help although the little one is now nearly 3

[kiwinett]

Hi

Thank you for the responses

Emma - I'm an ex-pat kiwi so luckily don't have to worry about the visa side of things. I've been out of NZ for 13 years though and things have changed quite a bit since I left!
I'm moving to Kerikeri in Northland so I think I may end up going down the route of Whangarei Hospital

Lindsey - Thanks for the advice about contacting a GP first, I think i'll do that to see what my options are (if there are any other than hospital - as my first daughter's birth ended up being a wee bit complicated in the end)

Cheers
kiwinett

[JandM]

Excuse me, but surely a good place to be in touch with in case of a difficult delivery is exactly a hospital?

[NAP]

Kiwinett -

I'm an ex-pat kiwi so luckily don't have to worry about the visa side of things. I've been out of NZ for 13 years though and things have changed quite a bit since I left!
I'm moving to Kerikeri in Northland so I think I may end up going down the route of Whangarei Hospital

I live in KK too - most people go with midwives here unless they have a history and may have to then be referred to whangarei. It is over an hours drive to the hosp in whangarei at the moment with roadworks and all..

The midwives here would deliver in Kawakawa or at your home. Emergencies then get to taken to Whangarei.

Maybe contact Kawakawa for their list of midwives. I believe one called Justine is very good..

Good luck