[cat5245]

Hi,

I am currently 12 weeks pregnant. I am booked into RPA birth centre and doing shared care with my GP. My husband and I are probably going to have to move house in the next few months and will probably be moving to a suburb that it out of the catchment area for RPA. Has anyone had any experience with this? I really don't want to have to move to another hospital!

Any advice / help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[cinnabubble]

I'd be inclined to ring anonymously and ask. If you get an answer you don't like, just don't tell them or give a friend's address that's in the catchment. They are very strict about their catchment.

[Rainbow Brite]

I was in this same situation and they told me once I was booked in to RPA nothing would change if I moved as the relationship is there already. My baby was born at RPA after us moving out of the area.

[cat5245]

Thanks for your replies. I don't really want to be dishonest about it so am hoping they will be willing to still have me give birth there! Will ring and ask this week.

[thepixiechick]

Yes I think you can choose to stay with RPA or change to a hospital close to your new home. If ou were to do that you may need a different GP for our shared care as the GPs are affiliated with the hospitals in a certain area. RPA is great though.

[sophiasmum]

Personally I wouldn't tell them you've moved.

[Feefifofum]

I moved out of my booked hospital's catchment area before giving birth, too (RWH Melb). I chose to stick with RWH because I was impressed with the hospital tour and had already switched hospitals once and didn't want the hassle again. However, I kind of wish I'd switched to somewhere closer as my baby came very early and in a hurry and it was a long drive there - 50 mins in peak hour traffic with contractions, wondering if you'll make it is very scary! Then when she was in special care for two weeks the daily commute nearly killed me. So I would say seriously consider changing if you will be a long way away and if you have a family history of early or rapid births!

[soontobegran]

I'm not sure about RPA but it doesn't matter down here whether you move out of the catchment as long as when you book in you are in it.

You will have to give a change of address at some stage during your pregnancy however.
I hope this is the same for RPA!

[Annette4]

I was booked into RPA, doing shared care with my GP, & moved 3 weeks before my due date. I certainly wasn't going to change hospitals at that stage!
They didn't really care that I had moved out of area - except when they wanted to release me early & have a MW do a home visit. They had to try & organise a MW from our new local hospital (Bankstown) - which took a day or so. By that stage, my DD had jaundice & they wouldn't let me go home early anyway!
RPA was a fantastic hospital & I'm very glad that I didn't switch - although the trip down the M5, while in labour, wasn't too much fun!

[juve17]

How did you like your experince at RPA?
I've just booked in there and was wondering about other peoples veiws on the hospital.