EU citizen pregnant.

ma88

Hello,we are a EU couple,25's,living in Ireland over 2 years,my girlfriend is pregnant,we think,based on her changes: missed a period, she is tired and don’t have much energy, may vomit...,as we didn't use to have our local doctor,who we have to contact,we have no medical card,we did only the ppsn on both of us.
Can somebody help us step by step what we have to do.
Thanks.

SaucySue

ma88 wrote: »

Hello,we are a EU couple,25's,living in Ireland over 2 years,my girlfriend is pregnant,we think,based on her changes: missed a period, she is tired and don’t have much energy, may vomit...,as we didn't use to have our local doctor,who we have to contact,we have no medical card,we did only the ppsn on both of us.
Can somebody help us step by step what we have to do.
Thanks.

I'm not clear from your post if you mean you have a doctor here but havent contacted him yet about it or you have no doctor in Ireland. First anyway get a pregnancy test - any chemist will have them and at least you will know then for sure. When you go to gp they will just do a test again to confirm and their tests are generally less accurate than say first response, clear blue etc especcialy in early days the cheap ones doctors use are less sensitive at low levela of hormones early on. The gp will then check few things like blood pressure weight etc and refer you to whochever hospital you decide to attend. Apppintments in hospotals vary but generally around 12 weeks I think for first appoontment.

ma88

SaucySue wrote: »

I'm not clear from your post if you mean you have a doctor here but havent contacted him yet about it or you have no doctor in Ireland. First anyway get a pregnancy test - any chemist will have them and at least you will know then for sure. When you go to gp they will just do a test again to confirm and their tests are generally less accurate than say first response, clear blue etc especcialy in early days the cheap ones doctors use are less sensitive at low levela of hormones early on. The gp will then check few things like blood pressure weight etc and refer you to whochever hospital you decide to attend. Apppintments in hospotals vary but generally around 12 weeks I think for first appoontment.

We have no doctor in Ireland yet,all the consultations are paid,are they expensive?Can we go to any hospitals.for the first time for gp?Thanks.

SaucySue

ma88 wrote: »

We have no doctor in Ireland yet,all the consultations are paid,are they expensive?Can we go to any hospitals.for the first time for gp?Thanks.

Depending where you are you may have few hospitals nearby or may just be one maternity hospital if not in Dublin. If you go public then its all free (check on citizens advice to be sure as may depend on taxes paid in employment since came to Ireland, im not sure). There is also a combined care scheme which covers a certain amount of gp (your local doctor) visits in between hospital appointments so that you're not in and out to hospital too often. These regulat checkups are for urine/blood pressure/baby heartrate etc and one or two for blood samples. Amount of scans you will get varies by hospital - in Galway you only get one around 20 weeks other places do more.

You may or may not be entitled to medical card as that is based on income levels and also need satisfy other conditions, again check citizens advice website. Unless a problem arises in pregnany tho and need to be monitored more regularly then anything else would be covered under combined care scheme etc.

Do a test first tho!

ma88

SaucySue wrote: »

Depending where you are you may have few hospitals nearby or may just be one maternity hospital if not in Dublin. If you go public then its all free (check on citizens advice to be sure as may depend on taxes paid in employment since came to Ireland, im not sure). There is also a combined care scheme which covers a certain amount of gp (your local doctor) visits in between hospital appointments so that you're not in and out to hospital too often. These regulat checkups are for urine/blood pressure/baby heartrate etc and one or two for blood samples. Amount of scans you will get varies by hospital - in Galway you only get one around 20 weeks other places do more.

You may or may not be entitled to medical card as that is based on income levels and also need satisfy other conditions, again check citizens advice website. Unless a problem arises in pregnany tho and need to be monitored more regularly then anything else would be covered under combined care scheme etc.

Do a test first tho!

OK,
but ,if we are working with no contract,and we don't pay taxes,and we are not self employed,the we have to pay to give birth here?thanks.

CrazyRabbit

ma88 wrote: »

OK,
but ,if we are working with no contract,and we don't pay taxes,and we are not self employed,the we have to pay to give birth here?thanks.

Working, but not paying taxes? To be honest, that doesn't sound all that legal. I'm no expert though.

As the others have said...everything is free if you go public. You'll only have to pay if you want to go with a private service/hospital.

ma88

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Working, but not paying taxes? To be honest, that doesn't sound all that legal. I'm no expert though.

As strangers,we have no choice,and we're working what we can get,male-as delivery driver,where the customer pays for each delivery,and the girl-as a cleaner,individual.
So,rent is €1000/month,1 car expenses,it sounds like we can't get too much from where to pay tax aswell.I understand that is not right,what we do,but comparative other ppls who are stealing,begging,or IRISH(where i was working they don't wanna pay me,as they are asking for some documents i don't have,they wont do nothing with my ppsn only),we are trying to do the best what we can for a better life.
We would be verry happy to have a taxed job,to work legal,but until we will find it,can take months,in this time we will have to pay rent and all the life expenses.
I was trying to be self employed,but when the letter form came to fill it in with all my income calculations,as i am not so hood with irish taxes calculate,i ask a secretary for help,who was looking to charge me too much for that...at the end decided to cancel that form.
Sorry for all this story!!!

aujopimur

You're working and not paying taxes, and you want the taxpayer to provide free healthcare,
My advise is get your tax affairs sorted, if you don't someday you'll get caught and you'll get a big tax bill and hopefully jailtime,

January

Let's leave the discussion about taxes out of this please, the OP asked about healthcare.



OP, I do not think you will be entitled to free maternity care here. Best to pop into your local citizens advice centre and ask them.

zanador

I had a quick read of the citizens information site and the two things I think you need to know are:

Are you officially resident here? If so then you will be able to avail of free health care under the mother and infant care services scheme.

To become a resident you must prove that you are habitually resident. People normally do this to apply for social welfare - which you can apply for as an EU citizen and it will be assessed based on your previous work (in Ireland, or another EU country).

Any doctor, citizens advice, or immigration centre will be able to advise you.

ma88

zanador wrote: »

I had a quick read of the citizens information site and the two things I think you need to know are:

Are you officially resident here? If so then you will be able to avail of free health care under the mother and infant care services scheme.

To become a resident you must prove that you are habitually resident. People normally do this to apply for social welfare - which you can apply for as an EU citizen and it will be assessed based on your previous work (in Ireland, or another EU country).

Any doctor, citizens advice, or immigration centre will be able to advise you.

Thank you very much,we will take a test pregnancy this days and after that wi'll start with a visit to the hospital,hoping that they'll guide us on the best way!!!

zanador

I really wish you the best of luck with it all, I know what it's like to be pregnant in a foreign country where you don't know who to go to for help. Tell your girlfriend not to worry - it will all be ok:)

ma88

I just wanna say that we visited the GP in our area ,and told us that everything is fine, and that all the EU citizens can have free maternity care, here in Ireland, there is private one as well, but is very expensive, and most of the pregnant ladies are using the public one.
In this time, we found a person who can help us to pay the tax, as self employer, for what we done here, as the mother, my girlfriend, can have the mother benefits as well.
So, we are happy, and just wanna let everybody know, who may have our story ,not to be worried!!!
Thanks all for advices.

Neyite

ma88 wrote: »

I just wanna say that we visited the GP in our area ,and told us that everything is fine, and that all the EU citizens can have free maternity care, here in Ireland, there is private one as well, but is very expensive, and most of the pregnant ladies are using the public one.
In this time, we found a person who can help us to pay the tax, as self employer, for what we done here, as the mother, my girlfriend, can have the mother benefits as well.
So, we are happy, and just wanna let everybody know, who may have our story ,not to be worried!!!
Thanks all for advices.

I used the free public system and its terrific. I had a C-section and my baby was in neo-natal too for a few days and it was all free. So are the baby check-ups afterwards and also the vaccinations.

There is also a great pregnancy forum here under parenting, where you can share experiences with others at the same stage of pregnancy as your partner.

zanador

Congratulations!!

lukesmom

Yeah congratulations

uck51js9zml2yt

Make sure you have a European Health Insurance Card from your home country.
You will get free maternity treatment.
Register with a Maternity hospital. You have a choice, the Rotunda in the city centre, National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street and the Coombe. (assuming you are in Dublin)
Get in early to make an appointment as there may be a wait to get the first visit at the hospital.
The alternative is that you go home and make use of your national hospital system.