[britgirl]

Hi all!
I am new to this site but some of the discussions on living in Paraburdoo caught my eye.

My husband, 3 yr old daughter and I are likely to be moving up to Para in a couple of months.
I am quite apprehensive at the thought (as are most people from big cities I'm sure!) but we are going to embrace it and see how we go.
My biggest concern is the fact that i am pregnant and I have heard that there are no facilities in Para for giving birth. So, i'm hoping that any ladies that have been through this can give me some advice!
Where do women go to give birth? Who does all the check ups/blood tests/ultrasounds during the pregnancy? What about the logistics of travelling times etc when you go into labour?
We have private health insurance so are our options further increased?

Sorry to ask so many questions but i would be so grateful if anyone could give me any information.

Thanks!

[fuchsia]

Feel free to pm me but the basics are only available up this way. To answer your questions ...

Where do women go to give birth? Perth , Karratha, or wherever you are from and can get into so you can be around family at least.
Who does all the check ups/blood tests/ultrasounds during the pregnancy? This is done at the doctors / local hospital though regular ultrasounds are only available once a month (ish) and need to be booked in advance when the technician is in town
What about the logistics of travelling times etc when you go into labour? The doctors give you no option - You have to leave town at least 4 weeks before. There is no option of travelling in labour ( as if you were going to Karratha it would be at least 5 hours and most of that over gravel which is not my idea of fun!! ) If you go into labour before this you get the Royal Flying Doctors out of town asap
We have private health insurance so are our options further increased? Doesnt change a thing up here - it will only come into effect with whichever hospital you choose to go to
Hope this helps

( I just wanted to add I have had 2 pregnancies up here and have traveled to perth to have them - trust me you dont want to go out on the rfds in labour it s not the best experience I've ever had!)

This post has been edited by fuchsia: 16/02/2013, 01:37 PM

[duckasorus]

our friend had to travel to perth for each child.
she stayed in perth from 39 weeks till bub was 2 weeks old.

ultrasounds etc she chose to come to perth to also catch up with family each time.

[fuchsia]

Forgot to add we were allowed to head home after a few days - with our second it was as soon as we were discharged from the hospital

This post has been edited by fuchsia: 16/02/2013, 02:04 PM

[SeaPrincess]

Not in Paraburdoo, but I had a baby when we lived in a town in the NT with no birthing facilities. It was pretty much like fuchsia said for me as well - regular visits with GP, visiting u/s technicians, etc.

I'd had my second baby at 36w5d, so I had to leave town no later than 34 weeks, but DH wasn't going to be able to come with me at that stage. Because I had 2 older children, we opted for me to travel to Perth to have the baby - I stayed with my parents in walking distance of the same hospital where I had the first baby (which really helped when it came to booking in). We flew home when DD was 10 days old.

PHI does give you more options - if we hadn't had it, I'd have had no choice in hospital and would have had to spend all that time in a town where I knew no-one, and probably would have had to fly Mum up to help me with the boys.

[SeaKitten]

Most go to Perth. Some head off to Karratha or Port Hedland.

If you are with RIO, you can stay in the accommodation units in Dampier.

As you will be in Para, ultrasounds are usually done at Tom Price hospital (80km's away from Para) I am not 100% sure but bloods can be done in Para. You would see your local GP for doctors appointments until you leave.

Most doctors in Para/Tom Price will banish () you from town a month before you are due. Some people stay a little longer but I would not advise doing this in case you go into Labor early. The hospital here (In Tompers/Para)does not have the facilities nor staff to do a birth safely and have been know to put you on a RDF flight to the nearest birthing hospital. Not a great idea when you are in labor

Hope that helps

[britgirl]

Hi all,

Thanks so much for all your helpful information! Very enlightening.
It certainly isn't the best of situations to be in but you all seem to have managed quite well!!

From what you ladies have told me, if I have to leave town 4 weeks before my DD I have already decided that I will fly to Cairns. We have no family in Perth as we only emigrated from the UK a year ago. We would have no one to stay with in Perth so it would work out to be very costly!!
My husband's family are in Cairns so that seems like the obvious solution.

Thanks again and I will be posting again when we arrive in Para to see if anyone would like to meet up!

Stay safe ladies!

[britgirl]

Feel free to pm me but the basics are only available up this way. To answer your questions ...

Where do women go to give birth? Perth , Karratha, or wherever you are from and can get into so you can be around family at least.
Who does all the check ups/blood tests/ultrasounds during the pregnancy? This is done at the doctors / local hospital though regular ultrasounds are only available once a month (ish) and need to be booked in advance when the technician is in town
What about the logistics of travelling times etc when you go into labour? The doctors give you no option - You have to leave town at least 4 weeks before. There is no option of travelling in labour ( as if you were going to Karratha it would be at least 5 hours and most of that over gravel which is not my idea of fun!! ) If you go into labour before this you get the Royal Flying Doctors out of town asap
We have private health insurance so are our options further increased? Doesnt change a thing up here - it will only come into effect with whichever hospital you choose to go to
Hope this helps

( I just wanted to add I have had 2 pregnancies up here and have traveled to perth to have them - trust me you dont want to go out on the rfds in labour it s not the best experience I've ever had!)

Hi Fuscia!
Thanks so much for all the info. I will definitely be in touch once we move on up!