Flying home to deliver baby

[Louiza]

Hello all,

We just found out we're pregnant - I would really like to go back home to Sydney deliver the baby. Am also contemplating to go to UK as I'm a dual citizen and would like to pass on both citizenship to my child.

Am trying to see if anyone on the forum had similar experiences and trying to hunt down some information on what to do now if I want to do so in terms of finding OBGYN and booking at a birth center or hospital, either in Australia or UK?

I'm working at the moment so wouldn't be able to take much time off than the standard 3 months and will probably be flying in last minute if all things permit.

Any advice or information would be much appreciated!
Thanks!

(Couldn't seem to find a thread on this, but if there is one, moderator, please advice)

[amiee40]

In terms of Aust. hospitals and Ob&Gyn i can advise you.

Since you are still in Singapore, i doubt you'd still have private health insurance in Aust. without it, it would be very expensive to go to a private hospital.
If you still covered in Aust, you must check whether there is a 12mth waiting period for pregnancy related expenses with your cover. The gap for an Ob&Gyn is between $2800-$3500AUD (not covered by medicare), this does not include fortnightly visits and ultrasounds(2 ultrasounds covered by medicare). The Ob&Gyn would book a private room for you. Alternatively, select the private hospital that you would like to give birth in and they'd have a list of Obs attached to the hospital. But i must warn you, most private maternity hospital rooms are booked in advance. In the private system, you would be discharged after 5 days for normal delivery, for c-section 7 days. Midwives are lovely and lots of help with breastfeeding etc.

The public hospital system is free if you have a medicare card, you would see an Ob who is attached to the public hospital. but you would be sharing a room with other new mums and you would be discharged within 2-3 days.

The baby bonus in Aus will be income tested from 1st Jan 2009.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Hello all,

We just found out we're pregnant - I would really like to go back home to Sydney deliver the baby. Am also contemplating to go to UK as I'm a dual citizen and would like to pass on both citizenship to my child.

Interesting situation to find yourself in.....

Both you and your spouse are pregnant? Or are you part of a set of cojoined twins who are both pregnant and just found out? One or both who have a different citizenship? Or are you part of the Royal family using the royal 'we'?

[smayrhofer]

In case you are not aware of this, airlines generally won't let you fly if you are too close to your due date. It may be worth checking how long before your due date you need to fly home. I think it's one month before.

Any reason you don't want to have the baby in Singapore? Health care here is top notch, and your child won't automatically get Singaporean citizenship if born here. You would still be able to apply for either UK or Aussie citizenship following the birth. Having your baby here would mean not having to waste one month of maternity leave before the baby is due.

[rodandhelen]

Hi Im from UK and my hubby is from Sydney... I flew to Sydney to have my son, i think that airlines slightly vary with regards flying pregnant but i think most of them are before the 36th week. I flew just as i got to my 36th week, all they requested when i checked in was a doctors note saying i was fit to fly.
With booking a hospital sorry I cant help with that but we went there when i was about 5 months pregnant and arranged the midwife etc
I then got all my docs notes from my check ups here to take back with me.
Hope that helps
Good luck
Helen

[Lily Pad]

I think RPA has only 1 bedder rooms within maternity, so whether you're a private or public patient everyone gets a single room. Best to check as I delivered there a few years back and came in as private patient.

Unless you have a one in mind, maybe contact your preferred hospital for a list of obgyns who operate from that hospital if opting for private cover.

[Zeenit]

Good luck with having a baby in th UK. Unless you go private and pay big time the NHS is not a safe place. Not in my books, anyway.
You have also got to bear in mind what happens if you have a C section.....and also I am not sure what age they will allow you to fly back with a new born babay. Air pressure on very younger eardrums is not a safe thing to do for a newborn.

Most countries and I know the UK will give you child citizenship.

Take care

[rodandhelen]

I think that it is 10 days old to fly approx (again depending on airline, they may vary) But of course you have to quickly get a passport.

I have to defend the NHS sorry, Im sure that some people have had bad experiences with it but I had my first baby in the UK and I can not pick one fault with the care I got from the hospital/birthing unit and midwives. I wouldnt have second thoughts about having another baby there.

Helen

[QRM]

So long as you have a letter from the doc saying you can fly Sing Air did not even ask when we got on the plane, ( just wore a big top.)

There are two types of medical insurance, we discovered the hard way the basic one only covers you for local medical help, an international one that covers you for births/ medical anywhere in the world, a bit late now to take it up as you are already pregnant. Also note there are age and time limits I think up to two week after birth on most insurance.

We were in the same situation and had to rush over to the UK to ensure our daughter received a UK passport. She was not entitled to one if she was born in Singapore.

We had to pay out of our own pocket, but it was money well spent, we now have the international insurance which has proven to be a smart move.

We went private in the UK after hearing the three or four horror stories from chums that went NHS, the Portland hospital was great even the food was good!!

Best of luck

[Zeenit]

So long as you have a letter from the doc saying you can fly Sing Air did not even ask when we got on the plane, ( just wore a big top.)

There are two types of medical insurance, we discovered the hard way the basic one only covers you for local medical help, an international one that covers you for births/ medical anywhere in the world, a bit late now to take it up as you are already pregnant. Also note there are age and time limits I think up to two week after birth on most insurance.

We were in the same situation and had to rush over to the UK to ensure our daughter received a UK passport. She was not entitled to one if she was born in Singapore.

We had to pay out of our own pocket, but it was money well spent, we now have the international insurance which has proven to be a smart move.

We went private in the UK after hearing the three or four horror stories from chums that went NHS, the Portland hospital was great even the food was good!!

Best of luck

Portland is one of the best, I will second that.

[Louiza]

Thank you all for your constuctive replies, and very funny, SMS!

Don't get me wrong, I would give birth in Singapore any day (cos the facilities are indeed top notch from what I could gather) apart from the fact my husband holds a Singaporean passport and hence if the baby is born here, he/she will be automatically Singaporean. I could claim Australian citizenship for him/her on top of that, but I don't want the child to have to choose one and 'throw' away the other later in life, instead of letting him/her choose whether him/her wants to become singaporean or PR or what not later on. Seems like it's the dead end if the kid wants to throw away the Singaporean passport then and if we are still here.

Singapore Air has a 36 week limit and of course in any case if it's going to jeopardise the baby's health in any way, I would just deliver here. And I will have OBGYN and work ups as per normal pregnancy till I fly off and will bring the records along with me.

I do have private health insurance in Australia but it's on suspension since we moved here last year and somehow I don't think it covers maternity stuff anyway. I still have a current medicare card and don't mind the public system - a few of my friends delivered at RPA and seemed happy enough with it.

Where did you deliver your son Helen? Sounds like a feasible plan - to go in and arrange stuff in 2nd trimester then fly back later on.

Zeenit & QRM - thank you for your UK information. I'm in the same situation as QRM where if my child is born outside of UK, he/she is not entitled to UK citizenship cos I got that by descent through my parents. Portland does look good, will certainly keep that in mind.

[rodandhelen]

Hi sorry I had a home birth with my son so dont know about the hospitals.I know a few ladies who flew back to have their babies and they did the same as me, flew back earlier on in the pregnancy to arrange hospitals etc.
Good luck

Helen

[Louiza]

No probs Helen, thanks for the information none-the-less.
Just glad to know I'm not the only one faced with this in the world!

[cbavasi]

I had my first child at Chelsea Westminster Hospital in the UK on the NHS and it is a very popular birthing hospital. You really should check with the hospital - do you have a permanent UK address? They were very particular about our postal code and where we could deliver.

[smayrhofer]

I know this is completely unrelated, but my baby is kicking up a storm in my tummy while i'm reading this thread!