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Thread: Giving birth

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    19

    Default Giving birth

    Hi guys,
    I have two questions.
    1.
    My family has been approved for residency, we got our residency visas stamped, but haven't activated yet. In the mean time my wife got preganant.
    Based on my understanding of the following statement

    From 1 January 2006, children born in New Zealand (or in the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau) acquire New Zealand citizenship at birth only if at least one of their parents:
    is a New Zealand citizen; or
    is entitled to be in New Zealand indefinitely in terms of the Immigration Act 2009 (i.e. has a residence permit or visa, or is an Australian citizen or permanent resident); or
    is entitled to reside indefinitely in the Cook Islands, Tokelau or Niue.

    although we are not PRs if baby is born in NZ it will be NZ citizen by birth because my wife and I
    will have our residency visas activated. Is my understanding correct? Anybody had similar situation?
    2.
    Regarding the pregnancy
    We plan to travel to NZ when my wife is 7 months preganant, what should we do when we land in Auckaland? Should we just go to Auckland Hospital and they will tell us what to do, like assign an obstetrician? Or should we do anything before we go to NZ?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    although we are not PRs if baby is born in NZ it will be NZ citizen by birth because my wife and I
    will have our residency visas activated. Is my understanding correct? Anybody had similar situation?
    That's absolutely right.

    I'll leave it to someone who's gone through the pre-natal and birth processes in NZ to tell you the rest of it.

    By the way, congratulations!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    19

    Default

    Thanks JandM!


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Whangaparaoa
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    472

    Default

    First of all, travelling in your third trimester is not recommended unless absolutely required, after 32 weeks you usually require a letter from your primary care giver to show the airline or they will likely not let you travel (from what I remember).

    In NZ, your primary care giver is generally a midwife. I'd look up the midwiferies in the area you intend to stay when you arrive and reach out to them for advice on how to proceed upon arrival.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    S'pore-2-AKL again
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    Default

    I would suggest you get your doctor's advice on seeing whether your wife is fit to travel in her 3rd trimester plus more importantly a doctor's letter. Some airlines do not permit traveling at all when a women is pregnant in their third trimester and some would only allow it with a doctor's letter.

    NZ uses the system of midwives (senior nurses who are trained for child deliveries and pre-natal care, post-natal care) but they are only trained for normal deliveries. If you require a c-section or develop complications, you will immediately be referred to a obstetricians on standby but only if you have a complicated birth. Otherwise midwives will be the ones delivering you baby. This is the public maternity system in NZ and it is free.

    However given that midwives are in short supply in NZ and the late stage in your arrival in NZ, you might be pressured to find one very soon, very quickly and some midwives are not too keen to take on late cases especially since they have not developed a personal relationship with you or know your medical history.

    If you find it hard to find a midwife at short notice, then you might consider getting a private obstetrician but this will cost you as you will have to foot all the bills for her medical check-ups and maybe hospital bills (if you enter a private hospital) so look up on the costs of maternity packages that private clinics offer.

    In the last trimester, your wife would need to be constantly monitored for her health and I am not so sure with all the moving, planning, logistics, packing, looking for accommodations, transport arrangements etc you and her are in the best condition to manage this. It's a stressful period.

    I would highly recommend you go in her 1st or 2nd trimester rather than wait so long. But in the end it is your decision.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Waterloo, Lower Hutt
    Posts
    505

    Default

    Midwives in many parts of NZ are very limited. I have heard of people booking their midwives 6-9 months before the due date. If you are not able to find an independent midwife you can receive midwifery care at the hospital (though not with a dedicated midwife) or you can choose a private Obstetrician as your Lead Maternity Carer. The government subsidises most costs associated with using Independent Midwives, though Private Obstetricians are more expensive.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Singapore
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    19

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    Only benefit of finding and booking a midwife early is to have a dedicated midwife with you through the pregnancy? What is wrong with having a midwife from hospital, birth itself should be in hospital, right?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    auckland
    Posts
    83

    Default

    Try this it might help answer some questions can't comment from experience though http://www.mamamaternity.co.nz/
    You will need to work out the number of weeks your wife will be when you fly and check with the airline. Emirates allow travel up to week 36 for uncomplicated single pregnancies. You need a doctor note from week 29 though.
    Good luck and congratulations.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
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    Waterloo, Lower Hutt
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    Default

    The system in NZ is based on people choosing their Lead Maternity Carer post 3 months. Hospitals can help you find an independent midwife if you are having difficulty finding one yourself and they do have some midwives available at the hospital should you not be able to find a suitable midwife.

    Especially for your first child it can be nice to build up a relationship with your lead care provider, and have someone you can relate to and who as a similar philosophy to you. Independent Midwives are located throughout the community so it can be more convenient to travel to appointments, compared to hospitals. Also some people prefer not spending more time than necessary inside hospitals

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Singapore
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    Default

    Thanks for your invaluable answers. I think we should be ok because we have already arranged for the accommodation and logistics.
    I have one more question.
    Is it possible for my wife to be denied entry to NZ because she is pregnant?

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