Dont know where to give Birth - Please any advice welcome

I'm not sure - is it tax or NI contributions that count? The last info I had about NI contributions was related to state pensions and didn't say anything about NHS. As kitty80 says it's probably best to ask the NHS Trust where you'd be receiving care. When I saw the consultant over there recently, she asked me if I'd just discovered I was pregnant at 25 weeks, even though it said in my notes I lived in Dubai and was only in the UK for the summer. There's every chance they may not even notice you haven't been there all along!

I recently enquired about bringing my NI contributions up to date (10 years) an was quoted roughly 300quid per year.

would continuing to make 'national insurance contributions' in UK while residing here make a difference?

Hi fullofdreams - I am planning to give birth back in the UK next year. I have been told that the criteria for determining whether you are entitled to NHS care is as follows: The patient should ‘provide evidence that they have returned to the UK with the right to reside here and to resume permanent residence’. Or if they have been working abroad to provide evidence ‘that they have been working abroad for less than five years and have lived in the UK legally for 10 continuous years at some point’. The best thing to do is to identify a potential hospital you would like to give birth in there and speak to someone there to confirm their requirements. Good luck!

My AW experience is two years ago now (YIKES!) but my hot tip is to get to know both the Nursing Unit Manager and the Head of Midwifery! The girls I met are no longer there, but it's worth insisting on meeting the current heads and staying in regular touch with them. They are the people who actually make things happen at AW. :) I once had the privilege of meeting the CEO of the hospital...a lovely man who makes sure he has the best of the best running his various departments. <em>edited by Green-ish on 04/11/2011</em>

PS - Fullofdreams - have e mailed you - you can take your e mail address down now :)

Frannie - thanks for posting your view too. I agree that it's not super-fancy but I guess it depends what you're looking for. And yes, I would say it's similar to an NHS hospital, only cleaner and not quite as busy. Re: private rooms - apparently the best way to get one is for your dh to request one as soon as labour is underway. For both of my dds, I was on a ward for 1 night, then had a private room thereafter. It's so much nicer and worth the extra Yep, we applied for a private room from the moment we arrived, but the hospital was incredibly busy and priority goes to UAE nationals. That said, I didn't mind one bit once the snorer checked out!

Hi fullofdreams - that's great that you're going to the bf workshop at AW. The lady who runs it is fantastic and I'm sure you'll find it informative. In fact I used to run the monthly support group meets at AW under the banner of the same group - bfq&a. I forgot to mention that AW is officially 'Baby Friendly' - this is the intl standard for bfing. It's *very* difficult to get as it involves training *all* staff (including non-clinical e.g. admin and cleaners) on the topic of bfing. I saw a huge improvement between the births of dd1 and dd2. Apologies if I am starting to sound as if I work for AW (lol). I honestly don't but it ticks all my requirements - specialsied in maternity, high risk, non-profit, very established and so on. Frannie - thanks for posting your view too. I agree that it's not super-fancy but I guess it depends what you're looking for. And yes, I would say it's similar to an NHS hospital, only cleaner and not quite as busy. Re: private rooms - apparently the best way to get one is for your dh to request one as soon as labour is underway. For both of my dds, I was on a ward for 1 night, then had a private room thereafter. It's so much nicer and worth the extra money. Re: not having the same doctor throughout - personally this did not bother me as my priority was to have ppl who were very experienced and could handle any possible outcome. The fact that AW is *the* high risk hospital means that they have seen every possible eventuality and know how to deal with it. Everyone is different, but to me this is more important than building up a rapport with a specific individual. Anyway I hope all this info is useful - remember it's *your* baby and only you can decide what's best. Good luck x <em>edited by EmilyG on 03/11/2011</em>

Good point DC, I believe you can buy a policy from ADNIC to cover you from today to birth - might be worth looking at? Fullofdreams - I still have the e mail address of the head midwife at AW...she gave me tour when I was in the early stages of pregnancy. Let me know if you would like to contact her (maybe see her at the same time as your breastfeeding meeting?) and I will pass on the address. F

I have all the documentation they gave me somewhere but I'm not sure if it's here or back at Mum's. I'll try and find the online link so you can have a read through. One bit of it referred to whether you intended to take up permanent residence in the UK at the time of being there, so maybe that has some bearing? Let me see if I can find the link. [url=http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/index.htm'>link[/url'> That should help a bit. A friend who was living in Kuwait went home to have her baby and was sent an invoice for GBP7,000 for an emergency C-section. I'm not sure how much natural delivery would be. Weirdly, even if you're paying privately you can't choose what doctor or whether you have natural or C-section, which I found a bit strange! There seem to be very few private maternity care providers in the UK so if I'd wanted anything specific I'd have had to go to the Portland in London (eeek). If you need emergency care at A&E then it's free regardless - as far as I understand it - so don't worry about that if you go home. I think the only difficult bit is when you register, as they ask you where you were registered before. Or if you register temporarily they ask you where you're registered permanently and then you might run into issues if you don't have another UK address to put down (and even if you do put another UK address they may double-check you're registered there). Didn't someone on here recommend an insurance company that will begin cover even if you're already pregnant?

I had my DS at AW in October 2010 and from what my friends back home (UK) have told me the experience was very similar to an NHS hospital. Nothing fancy schmancy but a good standard of medical care, a low c-section rate and a very pro breast feeding attitude. Oh, and the best NICU in Dubai - hands down. The biggest downside for me were: - waiting for ante natal appts - go for 8am appts everytime! - lack of communication - it was a difficult birth (very nearly a CS and an eventual ventouse delivery) and for a lot of the time I didn't really know what was going on - I'm not sure they are that used to women who demand all the what, whys and wherefores during labour! However I did have three amazing midwives (vvvvvery long labour!) who kept some semblance of calm in the room ;) - not being in a private room - (after giving birth) the woman next to me was an appalling snorer and managed to sleep through the sound of her **twins** squalling, amazing - bedside manner of some of the maternity ward nurses is appallingly grumpy....by the day I checked out it was a game between DH and I to get them to crack a smile ;). If you are a softy and want your hand held the whole time, it just ain't gonna happen! Overall, I'd go back, but this time take a doula to make sure I knew what was happening at all times. If you'd like to PM me, pls say and I'll add my e mail address. Good luck!

Yes it could end up being really expensive if your baby was prem etc or needed time in the NICU, then again this is more likely to be an issue before your 36 week in which case you would still be here. The deciding factor might be whether or not there is someone back in the UK who you would happily have as a birth partner if DH couldn't make it to the birth and how your relationship is with your family (i.e would you be happy staying with them for a month or so pre/post birth, how do you get on in stressful circumstances.) With many airlines after around 28 weeks you need a Drs note to fly, if you are classified as a high risk pregnancy (not sure if having gone the IVF route makes a difference there) then they are less likely to write you the note so you might have to leave sooner than you think. It might help to get in touch with a Doula and ask her about the government hospitals, I'm in Doha and I know that many women without insurance deliver at the government hospital here essentially for free.

What a tough decision :(. I don't envy you. I just wanted to add in one more thing to think about. Probably not what you want to think about, but worth it to avoid issues later (and my apologies if I already mentioned this on a thread of yours, I can't remember what day it is or where I am right now). I had ante-natal care in the UK over the summer and my local trust made it very clear I had to pay for it, as I'm not resident in the UK. They were also very clear that if I delivered there, I'd receive a bill as an NHS patient paying privately. I'd never experienced this attitude before so I'm not sure if their guidelines or procedures have recently changed, but they gave me a booklet with details of who qualifies for free care and who doesn't. It may well be that as I'm not registered with any GP surgery any more it's more obvious I'm a non-resident? Obviously I don't know the ins and outs of your situation and your local trust may well have a different approach to mine but it's best to be prepared for every eventuality and not get a shock afterwards. A friend of mine went home to deliver and was sent a bill for her emergency C-section out of the blue - not what you need when you're recovering! My local NHS trust is North Somerset and I also dealt with consultants in Bristol, if that's any help.

Hi I forgot to add that I was actually admitted to AW earlier this week and put under observation for 24h due to dehydration. Altogether I had 3 IVs, an u/s scan and various blood and urine tests. I must have seen 5-6 doctors in total. I stayed overnight on a ward but this really wasn't an issue as it was nice and quiet. The care was great and it only cost AED360! I even had special potassium-rich meals prepared for me. I think that as I am a 'booked' patient' (i.e. have already paid the AED5k antenatal package) they are willing to provide this sort of care at a very competitive rate. Not sure how much all of that would have cost at a private hospital but am guessing it would be more than that! My mil spent 2-3 days at City hospital under observation a couple of years ago (also for dehydration, funily enough) and it cost over AED6k in total. The way I see it is that being registered at AW is a bit like an insurance policy in itself - it gives you access to excellent, specialised care at a reasonable rate should the need arise. But as I said it's a v personal choice and I'm sure you'll choose what's best for you.

sorry to hijack this thread, but i thought you bought packages? i.e. dhs.5,000 for natural and dhs.21,00 for c-section. or is that just your gynae's fees? i'm a bit confused now ... Ilovewine, you can get a packages too, but I am afraid natural is way more expensive than Dhs5K. Depending on the hopsital you can opt for hospital ob-gyn or ob-gyn from outside the hospital - ie. in AH normal delivery costs Dhs11950, c-section Dhs22950; normal delivery wiyh ob-gyn from outside the hospital Dhs 8250. If you opt for ob gyn from outstide the hospital you have to add doctor's fees (my ob-gyn charges in range of Dhs6K). HTH

sorry to hijack this thread, but i thought you bought packages? i.e. dhs.5,000 for natural and dhs.21,00 for c-section. or is that just your gynae's fees? i'm a bit confused now ...

hi fullofdreams... i'm due in feb too and this time with my second... so hopefully a bit more prepared than last time... i agree with the other ladies on this forum... if ur keen on keeping the costs as low as possible register with one of the government hospitals - Al Wasl or Dubai Hospital (depending on which one is closest to your residence)... these hospitals offer very good professional service, are able to handle emergencies and even early deliveries (even as early as 28weeks!)... they have excellent neonatal ICUs (God forbid ur baby to have the need of this!)... and the nursing care is exemplary... and plus the volume of cases they handle per day make them by far the most experienced! the only issues with these government hospitals are as follows: - chances of getting a private room are slim... and u may have to share a large room with four other women - male relatives (even if it's ur husband) are not allowed to stay overnight... this privilege is only offered to female relatives... (but this is not really required as the nurses are quite capable of taking care of u!) - they have strict visiting times - u might not have the doctor present during delivery (as if it's normal the midwives handle the whole process excellently well!)... and if ur having a c-section (unplanned) then it might not even be ur consulting doctor that does it! the costs of a c-section in al wasl starts at AED 15K... as is quite competitive when u look at the more expensive private hospitals where costs can skyrocket! i personally wanted to have my husband and my family around at the time of delivery... and it definitely helped me coz i had an emergency csection last time and it was just good knowing that they were all around if needed... plus there was so much help in terms of looking after the baby, etc. u said ur husband usually has issues with his job over the summer... but since ur deliverin in feb, it'll give u a good five months to decide on where to move with the baby :) stop stressing darling... u'll be fine... just set aside the required amount of money and focus on enjoying these last few months with bubba still inside :)

Thank you ladies for the feedback I know the thought of not being with DH is awful. I was not really worried until about a week ago when I heard about a story of a baby arriving early and how much debt they ran up with hospital bills. I guess maybe that is playing more on my mind as we have been through ivf but up until now no problems. We did a list of should I give birth here or not but that does not really help either. I did wonder about the passport and that is useful to know at least you don't have to wait ages. We have costed about Aed 30,000 for the labour and I really want to have natural although I have not met one person here who has so I guess that is playing on my mind as well. The problem what do you budget for emergencies I guess you cant really. I have my next apppointment at the end Nov and maybe chat it through with him not that he will really be able to help. When you did go back at what stage did you decide? I need a Crystal ball lol Not an easy decision to make. I think most airlines allow you to fly up to week 33-35? Worth checking. BTW I delivered last year in American Hospital and was determined to have non medicated birth and I did, so it is very much possible. Staff will respect your wishes as long as it is safe for you and your little one, although you have to know what you want and what you dont want. I flew at 36 weeks on BA from the US to AD but each airline has different policies so make sure you triple check!

Thank you ladies for the feedback I know the thought of not being with DH is awful. I was not really worried until about a week ago when I heard about a story of a baby arriving early and how much debt they ran up with hospital bills. I guess maybe that is playing more on my mind as we have been through ivf but up until now no problems. We did a list of should I give birth here or not but that does not really help either. I did wonder about the passport and that is useful to know at least you don't have to wait ages. We have costed about Aed 30,000 for the labour and I really want to have natural although I have not met one person here who has so I guess that is playing on my mind as well. The problem what do you budget for emergencies I guess you cant really. I have my next apppointment at the end Nov and maybe chat it through with him not that he will really be able to help. When you did go back at what stage did you decide? I need a Crystal ball lol Not an easy decision to make. I think most airlines allow you to fly up to week 33-35? Worth checking. BTW I delivered last year in American Hospital and was determined to have non medicated birth and I did, so it is very much possible. Staff will respect your wishes as long as it is safe for you and your little one, although you have to know what you want and what you dont want.

If it is your first I wouldnt risk your husband missing it. It is just the most amazing experience ever for both of you. I looked at going home as we get paid to give birth in australia & the hospital is free. I dont blame you for being nervous. I was so full of different emotions before I delivered and I think thats perfectly normal. I delivered at City Hospital naturally and the bill came to 12,000 which was much less than we'd anticipated. I was told that the main reason they push C sections here is that they only have back up care in Al Wasl, so if there is any chance of a problem, they want the baby out as quick and safe as possible. I was always told Id have a C section as my LO was the wrong way around. 10 hours into labour they said he was distressed and called the Doctor in for an emergency C section. I asked to have a little more time, and less than 2 hours later we had a lovely healthy son naturally. I know friends that delivered at Al Wasl & they were very happy and it was quite cheap. Also we ended up flying to the UK on an emergency travel document to get his british passport as the Australian embassy took FOREVER. It was issued in 24 hours in Glasgow, so that wont be a problem should you decide to go home. And newborn is the easiest time to fly. Up until they are 3 months they usually love the noise of the plane and it lulls them into a good mood or sleep. Best of luck with what ever you decide. You'll love being a mum... its awesome :)

Hi fullofdreams Congrats on your upcoming pregnancy, and sorry to hear you're in a bit of a dilemna. It's perfectly normal. Obviously only you can make up your mind as to where you'd like to deliver as it's a v personal decision. But re: costs... have you looked at AW? The most you would pay there would be AED17k (that's for a cs with private room) and as their cs rate is much lower than elsewhere you'd be more likely to achieve a natural delivery. I had my first 2 at AW despite having insurance, and am going back there in 4 weeks for my 3rd. Also remember you need to factor int he cost flights etc (and your dh may fly back and forth more than once). Anyway that's my 10 pence worth. Good luck x

fullofdreams, I have been in similar situation - we had no insurance and opted to stay together - it was our 1st child; we had monies in place for delivery and potential complications. Luckilly all went well. We dont have relatives in Dubai and opted for a doula. My hormones were all over the place after delivery and having DH at this time was very helpful. Overall we had a very good care, but it comes at the price ;) Good luck with whatever decision you'll make!

Hi fullofdreams This is a hard decision for anyone to make, but at the end of the day only you can make it! The fact that DH can only join you a week before the due date may mean that he misses the birth. The due date is only an approximation and bubs can come before or after that. Consider how important it is for you both to have him at the birth if you go to the UK. If you do go to the UK, you can get a passport very quickly once you have the birth certificate. I got one within 3 days as I went in person to apply for passport then it was couriered to me a couple of days later. I think you may be able to pay for same day or 24 hours service too if you want but am not too sure about this. Bubs can travel from 7 days old so long as (s)he is well. Airlines will only let you travel before this if deemed necessary. You can travel back the day you give birth if you're well and up for it! :\: It's hard being away from hubby and home with all the hormones going on when you're pregnant and have just given birth, but the support system you may have back at home may compensate for this. On the other hand, it's also hard being out here all alone with just DH as you lack the family and friends you have back at home. I've done both so can see both sides of the story. Not sure if any of the above helps but good luck in whatever you decide!