Having a baby in Australia

jack128

Just wondering does anyone have any experience of having children in Australia. Both my boyfreind and I are Irish and are on 457 visa's. And are just wondering about the costs involved we are both currently on holidays in Ireland and are finding it difficult to get info on the net.
Cheers

Cooperspale

Most answers in this thread:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=75176073

You'll have some outlay but nothing dramatic unless you want to go private and then it's the cost of the hospital room that is the most expense. Public, you are looking at 2-3 days tops in hospital. Private is 4 days plus. Some first timers prefer the private route if they don't have family nearby etc.
Also if you want a particular obstetrician 1500, I think.

ellaq

It can very costly to have your baby privately even with private health. Doctors charge a management fee around 20+ weeks that can be anything from $2k to $3.5K. This is not covered by your private health. Private health will cover the cost of your hospital stay, it will cover a part costs of the delivery. It can work out to around $5k to birth privately even with private health.

The public system is grand over here and free. If you are feeling a little lost without family support you can hire a doula for the labour. The major hospitals usually have a birthing centre attached to them if you want a water birth or something different but you have to book in fairly fast.

kdevitt

jack128 wrote: »

Just wondering does anyone have any experience of having children in Australia. Both my boyfreind and I are Irish and are on 457 visa's. And are just wondering about the costs involved we are both currently on holidays in Ireland and are finding it difficult to get info on the net.
Cheers

Important question is in what country the child was conceived believe it or not. If conceived outside Australia before your visa started, you are covered for absolutely everything in a public hospital through the reciprocal (delivery / accomodation charge)

If conceived while in Australia on your 457, you are basically covered for everything except the accomodation (which was over $900 per night in RNSH iirc)

The only thing I ended up paying for were two ultrasounds in a private clinic - we were too late to get them done in the public centre.

Edit - as an FYI, even though we went public, my wife had a delivery room for herself for the day - and the room she ended up in afterwards only had one other patient. The standard of care was excellent, and easily better than some of the private / semi-private care her family got back in Ireland.

jack128

The baby was conceived in Australia. I am happy enough to go public despite it being our first child, as I've heard the standard of care is second to none.
All I need to do now is persuade my parents to make the trip over come July:)
Cheers for the info guys.