Would appreciate any figures/estimates/reminiscences on this...
My small family is due to be in NZ next year with myself on a student visa and wife and daughter on temp visas to accompany me. We're not eligible for normal health services, and of course have to arrange insurance ourselves. And so in the midst of our preparations we receive the surprising news that we might be having a 2nd child in the coming year. Not the greatest timing and not planned, but what can you do.
A quick search shows that you have to show an extra $9000 available to cover the medical fees for pregnancy, on top of the normal amounts of $1000/dependant/month for your stay. I imagine this would be on the high end of what would be required, and if everything went smoothly total cost would be lower, depending of course on your care preferences. I'm wondering if anyone might be able to give me any idea of what we might pay in this situation based on your own experience, although I'm guessing if you're in NZ and in the health system there you might not have been made aware of the costs.
For what it's worth, we expect our experience to help. No need to take breastfeeding and hypnobirthing classes this time, nor a doula like we also had, nor monthly ultrasounds which my wife liked to take because we didn't have to pay. We'd also take a very non-interventionalist approach again and look to do things through a clinic probably with a midwife where we'd be in charge, rather than take the hospital-led medical approach. Our preference, but also a more economical way too.
Thanks for any general info on this.