# Pregnant and moving to UK



## KendallP (Jul 25, 2013)

DH (Dear Husband) and I are moving to London from Chicago in April. Originally we were supposed to move Sept of 2013, but his company ran into some issues starting an international branch, so our move was postponed until now. However, now I am going to be 21 weeks pregnant when we move. I have been having a very hard time locating Ob-gyn doctors and hospitals with birthing centers in the UK as I have never been there and have nothing to go on. I don't know the reputations for any of these doctors or hospitals. Does anyone on this forum know of any forums or groups for pregnant expats or moms in London that I could be in contact with for more information? I need legit info and I need it fast. Thank you for your help.:fingerscrossed:


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## ddang (Jun 21, 2012)

I'm not a mom yet but I am an aunt  I'm not sure what part of London you'll be staying at but if you look at the nhs website. I think it nhs.uk
Search for hospitals in your area. From what my sister in law tells me, you'll be with a mid wife. I don't believe it's like in the states where you have obgyn doctors. 
If you go privately I'm sure you'll pay a pretty penny and you'll have to look at private hospitals.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Normal private fee for a birth is around £11,000, either in the private wing of an NHS maternity unit or in a private hospital.
This is where Princess Catherine had her baby: http://www.imperial.nhs.uk/privatehealthcare/services/gtoo/maternity-care-lindo-wing/index.htm

Good online forum for new mums is http://www.netmums.com/


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## KendallP (Jul 25, 2013)

Joppa said:


> Normal private fee for a birth is around £11,000, either in the private wing of an NHS maternity unit or in a private hospital.
> This is where Princess Catherine had her baby: Our services - Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Internet
> 
> Good online forum for new mums is Parenting advice and information in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - Netmums


Thanks for the info. I am now on the netmums site. But, could you explain to me why anyone would pay 11K pounds to go to a private hospital? I'm looking to have as much of my pregnancy and birth covered as possible. I don't want to pay a large bill when this is all said and done. That's what I would like more information on. We will have supplemental health insurance alongside universal healthcare (or whatever the equivalent is in London...See? I know nothing about this!) And I am hoping we have a very low deductible or no deductible if possible. If you have any more information about THAT, that would be very helpful. Thanks!:tea:


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

KendallP said:


> Thanks for the info. I am now on the netmums site. But, could you explain to me why anyone would pay 11K pounds to go to a private hospital? I'm looking to have as much of my pregnancy and birth covered as possible. I don't want to pay a large bill when this is all said and done. That's what I would like more information on. We will have supplemental health insurance alongside universal healthcare (or whatever the equivalent is in London...See? I know nothing about this!) And I am hoping we have a very low deductible or no deductible if possible. If you have any more information about THAT, that would be very helpful. Thanks!:tea:


If you have supplemental health insurance which covers pregnancy through your husband's company then, most people, would take advantage of this "perk" and go privately for the birth. Very civilized with more choices.

If not, then you will be accessing the NHS - a good institution but with restrictions as to where you can go and who you can see. You'll have to register with a GP (primary care physician) and then probably attend the local hospital for care under their medical staff or midwives. You will be eligible for the NHS being the wife of a visa holder (presume hubby is getting a work visa).


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Very few private medical insurance policies in UK cover pregnancy and birth. You can be eligible for basic NHS care (by a GP) if you are here on a right kind of visa. If you come here as dependant of a work visa holder, you may have to be here a year before free in-patient care is available. While pregnancy and birth are normally excluded from the 1-year moratorium, you need to clarify your exact position with the hospital authorities, as rules can be complicated.
http://www.maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/entitlementtonhscareinfo.pdf may be useful, though it's a couple of years old.


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## modzy78 (Jan 15, 2010)

Joppa said:


> Very few private medical insurance policies in UK cover pregnancy and birth. You can be eligible for basic NHS care (by a GP) if you are here on a right kind of visa. If you come here as dependant of a work visa holder, you may have to be here a year before free in-patient care is available. While pregnancy and birth are normally excluded from the 1-year moratorium, you need to clarify your exact position with the hospital authorities, as rules can be complicated.
> http://www.maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/entitlementtonhscareinfo.pdf may be useful, though it's a couple of years old.


I had to show I had been here for a year (on spouse visa) when filling out the paperwork to be accepted for maternity care. It's dependent on the hospital/ trust. Also, some hospital maternity departments become oversubscribed really quickly. I registered really early in my pregnancy (around 6 to 8 weeks if I remember correctly) and was warned that my first choice might already be full around my due date. 

Just be aware that you might not be able to get into your preferred hospital, so look into all of the options close to where you'll be living. Also, you'll need to be referred by a GP, so be sure to get registered as soon as possible after arriving. The NHS website lets you search by region (or postcode) to find GPs that cover your geographic area. You have a lot less say than in the States because GPs will usually limit where they accept patients from. Hopefully, they'll get you in for an initial appointment rather quickly (again, some have longer waits than others because they're overbooked) and will refer you for maternity care.

Some people choose private care so that they don't have to deal with the above issues. While it can be expensive, you would have more say with private care (as far as I understand). Find out if your husband will have private insurance and if it covers antenatal care, childbirth, and postnatal care. If it does, that might work out best with the time frame you have. Best of luck!


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## KendallP (Jul 25, 2013)

Very helpful. Thank you for all this info. I will keep researching this stuff. And although we aren't 100% certain on the supplemental health insurance my husband's job will provide us with yet, they know we are expecting and will be in my 2nd trimester by the time we are in London. So they are going to accommodate us with the insurance plan that will help us get the best coverage out there. I will probably still need a GP regardless of private care options with our insurance package. We'll have to wait and see.


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## lovestravel (Apr 9, 2012)

We have private insurance with Bupa through my husbands company but we didn't realise until after we arrived it is only supplemental insurance for specialists. We still use NHS for gp, medications and emergency visits. There is also a Bupa walk in centre for minor emergencies that was can pay to use. I get the impression that is the normal type of health insurance coverage here. From what I have heard there are wait lists for delivery at the better hospitals. It sounds like you might not get your first choice on hospital especially if you are waiting until the last trimester to arrive and choose. What I would suggest is you go to the employer and explain the situation and request they pay for private care and delivery given your situation.


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## bluetail14 (Jan 21, 2014)

Oh, NHS is notoriously slow with what they consider routine! it is definately a long wait. i applied for my 1st appointment with a midwife when i was 6 weeks pregnant in early January and was able to get the earliest date for my appointment on 13th of February.. for me it is no good because my work visa expires earlier. 

there's another useful charity site where they can give you advice on your maternity rights:
http://www.aims.org.uk/

my situation was my GP refused to refer me to a midwife on the basis that my visa expires soon (according to her, i had to be covered for my entire pregnancy), however i was still able to register for my appointment with a midwife myself thru the Central Booking system for maternity care.


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