Going back - temporarily

[Shelmadean]

Hi there all. Just thought I'd share my story.

I arrived in Australia in Feb 2012, with my husband being here from Dec 2011. We live in regional WA in Newman. I recently found out that I'm pregnant & due in March 2013. We've been very excited with the exception of the medical systems here relating to the birth. We've got private health cover through IMAN & find this good. However wanting to go to a public hospital has been a difficult endeavor. There is now only 1 public hospital in Perth that will consider me for the birth and that is subject to review of my medical history. Thus my other option is to go Private, but with the IMAN plan we're on, that will leave us out of pocket extensively at around $7000 - $10000 for our cost. Also taking into consideration that I can not have my baby in Newman & need to have accommodation in Perth for around 6 weeks. This cost also adds up. What we've eventually decided is to go back to South Africa for the birth of our baby. Even though we'll have to cover the cost of a private hospital in SA, it's much lower in comparison to the Aussie costs we'll have. It's quite a scary thought & not the way I planned on doing this. Well, wish us luck for our 6 week return to SA.

[AllisonW]

Wow, this is going to be a jet setter baby! :-)

Best wishes. I hope all goes well and at least you will have family with you in SA to help and share this wonderful time.

[Erik]

Just remember that if you're on PR and the baby gets born in SA, you have to get a 101 child visa which is another R20,000, apart from the waiting for an unabridged birth and passport and 3+ months for the visa.

Hope everything works out for you though!

[nicse]

My experience, once my daughter was born, I could not get the unabridged certificate when I registered my daughter, I had to wait for 3 months before I could do that. It took 18 weeks to get hold of it and that was with me fighting home affairs for it.

The first 6 weeks we were advised to stay away from public places until such time that we had our first inoculations, not sure it a good idea to go to home affairs with a young baby before inoculations are done.

The passport for my daughter, both my wife and I had to be present for that, otherwise it seems like it is a massive mission to get signed/certified documents etc allowing for the passport to be issued. Not sure if you need a letter from the father allowing the baby to travel.

If anything should go wrong with the birth, the bills could soon get very expensive being in SA without any medical aid.

Good luck, I think it going to take a lot longer than 6 weeks before you can travel to Oz with the baby.

[miraclebabycaw]

I have to agree with the others..think very carefully. I understand what you are saying but 6w back in SA is not going to be long enough I am sure. It's a nightmare to get the unabridged certificate and as Eric says, you will need to add your baby to the visa which will also cost more money. That being said the welfare of you and the baby will be the first priority. I'm just curious though as to why you can't have the baby in Newman? I understand possibly no hospitals etc..but is there any reason necessitating that you need to have a hospital birth? Could you not consider natural birth with a midwife? Are you also planning on travelling back to SA when you are very far into your pregnancy? Just again a word of caution. After 26w I think it is you need special permission from your doctor to fly, and I am pretty sure there is an exclusion on pregnant woman travelling after a certain date..possibly 36w. Not exactly sure when. Does the 6w factor this in? If so there is just no way in hell you will be able to only be out of Oz for 6w as your baby will never be added to the visa and will not be allowed back into the country. Flying late in pregnancy can also cause issues on the pregnancy. Not saying it will, but just something to be aware of. Brings to mind a case of a woman who is Australian, who flew to the US. I think she was 26w pregnant and had permission. Not long after arriving she went into labour and delivered the baby. She is sitting in the US with a baby in neonatal with a bill mounting up to over 1mill USD as a result.

Sorry I am really not trying to scare you in any way, but you have to know all the possiblities of what might not work out for you. If home affairs this side was on the ball and you could get the unabridged certificate in a matter of days it would be possible..but realistically it sounds to me totally impossible.

Best of luck though and congratulations and hope you have an easy quick pregnancy and come March next year holding a precious little bundle.

[Bronwyn&Co]

Hi Shelmadean, congratulations on your pregnancy, firstly! I cannot offer any advice except to ask - surely the flights to SA will cost you & your husband $5k or so. I know this is a lot less than $10k but wow! Too many what-iffs! Does your Iman cover exclude pregnancy, or won't you have served the waits yet? Not an easy situation, but I wish you all the very best.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Bronwyn&Co

[Bob]

I find it hard to beleive that a baby born in Australia nowadays wouldn't have first world care and all the latest tech to welcome it into the world.

The Western Australian gov't would have hell to pay with the Australian electorate if it ever came out that a baby suffered because of bureaucratic stuff ups or that some public hospital or other refused to give the necessary care during delivery.

Heads would roll . . . . in Australia.

Also, if you have PR, then the child born in Australia, will automatically be an Australian and you'll be entitled to the Baby Bonus of a few thousand $$$$$$$.

If you have PR and choose to have your baby outside Australia, it's not an Australian and you won't get any tax free thousands of $$$$$ from the Australian gov't for having the baby. . . . .

. . . . and you're up for all the costs personally for bringing in a foreign baby into Australia.

Your choice.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Bob

[Shelmadean]

Thanks for all the comments & info.

I am not on a PR. I am on a 457 Buss Visa. The baby will go onto a tourist visa & not directly onto our 457. I've cleared this with the Immi offices. This process takes on average 5 days.

I am travelling at 36 weeks, with clearance from my doctor & will leave earlier if for any reason it is medically needed. This also applies for staying longer if I need. Of course the well being of my child is FIRST PRIORITY.

No baby bonus applicable to me at this stage.

I will definitely check up regarding the unabridged birth cert.

As a further bonus we've been able to reinstate our SA health cover, with no penalties or waiting periods - which means no out of pocket cost for the birth & healthcare in SA. Just an added blessing for us, during this tough decision making process!

[Lynnie]

Sjoe dit is rof... Baie sterkte en laat weet hoe dit gaan :ilikeit:

En Baie geluk!!

[Lisle]

Shelmadean congratulations. This is wonderful news. Not sure where u are having your baby but if it's in gauteng I would like to add my two cents worth (having had two babies in the last 14 months). Get an abridged birth certificate before u request the unabridged. Depends on the hospitalu are going to but most (like netcare storks nest) offer the certificate for free (got mine in an hour) and will apply for the unabridged for a fee. I applied for it (unabridged)myself at the RANDBURG home affairs. It took two weeks. The baby's passport takes a week.

All the best with your confinement

[miraclebabycaw]

Lisle...wow you were very lucky..2w is about the best I have heard. So many people have battled for nearly a year at times. We requested ours twice before we finally got it.

Shelmadean - all the best for both of you. Hope everything works out great and you guys are back in Oz very soon after baby is born. Please keep us all updated. We'd love to know how you are doing.

[LizM]

Took us 4 months to get my 2nd son's unabridged birth certificate. Of course, we had to apply 3 times due to the paperwork being "lost"

[Bosluis]

My wife is a nurse and she says people think private hospitals is always better here in Australia, its not, pubic hospitals here in Australia is not at all the same as back in south africa, plus here in Australia public hospitals are always up to date with the newest technology unlike private hospitals or practices because for them its about the money unlike the public hospitals.

[sysie]

Agree, public hospitals is at a high level... at least here in Victoria... We had private health (Medibank) since we got here and have been treated in public hospitals (a little daredevil I am) with the option to be moved to a private hospital... didnt bother cause the care I recieved was above my expectations so I was happy and comfortable with the accomodation and care.

My wife had our first baby in a Private hospital, with a dedicated gynie from the start... cost us about $3000 out of our pocket for the full experience (all checkups/scans/bloods/ from week 12 and then planned ceasar birth)

The second we might go the public route... as I doubt there is really a big difference.

[Guest Eager2go]

All the best Shelmadean. May your little one be a blessing to you and your family.