Confused about the system :-(

Hi there,

first I want to say "Hi" and introduce myself: My name is Steffi, I'm 27 years old and I'm actually from Germany. My husband and I have been living in Auckland since September and we will live here for the next two years.
So, and now I found out, that I'm pregnant
I read many things about pregnancy in New Zealand, but it's so different to Germany, I'm extremly confused what I have to do now. I hope you all can give me some details, or give me recommendations.

I think I am in the 7 week now.
Do I have to go to a GP, or is this "to late" and I have to choose a midwife now? Also I read, that many midwifes want to see one first, at week 12.
I have absolutely no idea where to go. I googled and goggled...but it doesn't help very much and I can't ask someone, because I don't know any pregnant women here...
Can anyone recommend a midwife near Central Auckland? And is a midwife "enough", or is it more convenient to go to an obstetrican?
The obstetrican care is the usual care in Germany, but I think about to take a midwife as long I feel well during the pregnancy. Actually I feel only a bit nauseous but this is not that worse.
I think the midwife will also do the important tests, isn't she?

Please help me

Thank you very much
Cheers, Steffi

PS: If my english is not perfect, I'm sorry. I am still a learner

Most people just have a MW and if you need specialist care they refer you to an ob. Some people choose to go to an ob privately but it costs to do so.

Hopefully some girls will have some good MW recommendations for you but its best to get onto that fast as they book up quickly. They only start seeing you for care at about 12 weeks but will see you initially beforehand to introduce themselves and see if you want to go with them.

Hi Stephyy - welcome to nz

You can still go to a GP and if you don't know where to start looking for a midwife they will usually have a list of local ones that they can recommend. Most midwives want to see at the 12 week point, but will see you earlier if you contact them earlier if you know what i mean. After that it's about every month until you get closer to your due date.

I think you can choose to have an obstetrician but you will have to pay for it, whereas midwife care is provided free by the government (depending on what visa you're on i guess). Your midwife will be able to do the tests or refer you to someone who can.

Sorry - can't recommend anyone as I live in a different area, but there's plenty of people on here from Auckland so I'm sure someone else will be able to help you there!

Congratulations!

Hi Steffi and congrats. I'd contact a midwife instead of a GP as they'll only tell you to get in touch with a mw.

If you're covered for health care the midwife will be free otherwise obstetricians are about $5000 i think. If you have complications and therefore need one though it will be free, but your midwife will help with that.

I can highly recommend the Parnell Midwife team. I know all four of them through friends and my own pregnancies and they are all good. Ph: 302 -0278 and you can either see them in Parnell or Epsom.

Your first appt she'll send you for some blood tests etc and if everything is ok you'll have your first untrasound scan at 11 weeks. Then you have another one at 19 weeks - this is when you can find out the gender if you want. You'll see your mw every month till your 3rd trimester and then fortnightly and weekly and maybe even daily at the end!

And there's this forum for advice as you go on.

Stephyy you would be best to contact the Immigration Service in New Zealand to see what you are entitled to as it will depend on your VISA of why you are here in NZ.

I found this on the NZ Herald Website:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/pregnancy-and-childbirth/news/article.cfm?c_id=1500859&objectid=10594449&pnum=1

Tuesday Sep 1, 2009 - Foreigners giving birth in New Zealand have racked up millions of dollars in unpaid bills, despite rules around their maternity care being tightened in 2003.

The number of babies born to non-resident women rose from 3248 to 3866 between 2005-06 and 2006-07, with hospital deliveries costing between $5000 to more than $12,000 if a Caesarean was required, the Dominion Post reported.

All maternity care was free in New Zealand prior to 2003 but the rules were tightened after revelations that foreign women were cashing in on free care.

Since then, taxpayer-funded care was limited to women who met certain conditions, such as holding New Zealand citizenship or residency, who had refugee status or a certain working visa, or who fell under the reciprocal agreement with Australia and Britain.

In June, Lithuanian Jurga Skiauteris, 29, was granted an extension to her visitor's visa so she could give birth in New Zealand after doctors said it was too dangerous for her to travel home. Although Mrs Skiauteris had health insurance, the Immigration Service rejected two appeals on the basis Mrs Skiauteris was "not of an acceptable standard of health" and would require expensive hospital care and pharmaceuticals.

Despite the thousands of foreign women receiving maternity care here, Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said New Zealand "simply does not have the healthcare resources to offer maternity services to visitors", even if they were prepared to pay.

Auckland immigration lawyer Aaron Martin said many people on work visas were confused about their entitlements.

- NZPA

*edited to add web address

Edited by SusyNZ

Hi Steffi,

1. Mw care is free and government funded if your visa is longer than 2 years.
2. Shared care costs about $2300 and for that you see the mw like with the free option and there is an obstetrician you see twice or so and he/she is at the birth.
3. Obstetrician only. This is where your obstetrician see you all the way through the pregnancy and the birth. This is $4000 in Auckland.

I am also from a country where obstetrician care are standard and couldn't get my head around mw care here. I decided to get a private ob to give me peace of mind.
Two friends of mine has been with mw and the level of care they got compared to what I get made me glad I went with the private route. That said most people are really happy with their mw's and the care they get from them. And as they say you will get referred to a specialist if it is needed.

PM me if you want more information or anything.

Hi,

thank you very much for all the answers.

Slowly I get it :-) This morning I called the Immigration Service, but the woman there gave me a phone no. from the health board. So I phoned them, but I had bad luck. I'm not able to get in touch with them via Skype...

But we have a visa for two years and I hope the maternity care will be free.
So I plan to call a midwive. Maybe she know if it's free for me....

I'm very excited to tell my family and friends the pregnancy, but I think I wait for the first ultrasound...It's a pity that this will take a long time

Btw, is it necessary to declare the pregnancy when I apply for a job ? (I look only for a few hours job for the next few month). In Germany you have the right to deny it.

I'm happy that I found such a nice forum!! Thank you

Edited by Stephyy

As far as I'm aware you don't need to tell a new employer that you are pregnant, but have a look on the labour website to check.

http://www.dol.govt.nz/

If you have a working visa I think you are ok to get free maternity care, but when you speak to a mw they should know or be able to put you in touch with someone who will know.

I got this off the immigration site for you :-

To be eligible for publicly funded healthcare you must be lawfully in New Zealand at the time of
seeking services and meet one of the Eligibility Direction's specified criteria. In general, the
following individuals are eligible:
New Zealand citizens
New Zealand residence permit holders
holders of a current work permit which, together with the time already spent lawfully in New
Zealand, allows for a continuous stay of at least two years
Australian residents34
British residents35
overseas students funded by NZAID
Commonwealth scholarship students
foreign language teaching assistants
asylum seekers who are either waiting for their initial determination or waiting on the results of
an appeal against their initial determination or who have been found to be refugees but have
not yet been granted residence
children (up to age 18) in the care of eligible persons
persons receiving compulsory treatment for TB, alcohol or drug addiction, or compulsory
assessment and/or treatment for mental health issues
prison inmates or individuals on remand in prison custody
persons who have suffered injury through an accident in New Zealand
student or visitor’s permit holders eligible through grandparenting from the 2000 eligibility
criteria
users of maternity services who are spouses or partners of New Zealand citizens or residents.

All other temporary entrants and overstayers (including people appealing removal from New
Zealand) are ineligible for publicly funded health services.