Early labour abroad

Marronn2

Hi all

I was just wondering if anyone had any information on what would happen if someone were to go into early labour abroad? I have a wedding to attend in France at 34 weeks and obviously it's highly unlikely that I would go into labour at this point, but I was wondering what the protocol would be? I've tried to get info from the net on this but haven't been successful! I have the new E111 card etc, is that all I would need? How long would I have to stay in France before getting a passport for the baby and being allowed home? Also, as an EU citizen (Ireland born and raised ) would any costs be incurred? This is my 3rd baby and I've no history of early labour or complications. Thanks in advance to anyone who has any info!

schemingbohemia

It would obviously be an emergency situation so you would be covered under the EHIC. No idea about passports sorry.

Marronn2

Thanks for the response! Hopefully someone has an idea as to how long/difficult it would be to get home with the baby

keithclancy

Marronn2 wrote: »

Hi all

I was just wondering if anyone had any information on what would happen if someone were to go into early labour abroad? I have a wedding to attend in France at 34 weeks and obviously it's highly unlikely that I would go into labour at this point, but I was wondering what the protocol would be? I've tried to get info from the net on this but haven't been successful! I have the new E111 card etc, is that all I would need? How long would I have to stay in France before getting a passport for the baby and being allowed home? Also, as an EU citizen (Ireland born and raised ) would any costs be incurred? This is my 3rd baby and I've no history of early labour or complications. Thanks in advance to anyone who has any info!

Check the Airlines policy.

E.G.
http://www.ryanair.com/doc/conditions/FR-FITTOFLYLETTERS.pdf

Wouldn't want to be turned back at gate.

Specifically how you verify you are X amount of weeks.

Marronn2

keithclancy wrote: »

Check the Airlines policy.

E.G.
http://www.ryanair.com/doc/conditions/FR-FITTOFLYLETTERS.pdf

Wouldn't want to be turned back at gate.

Specifically how you verify you are X amount of weeks.

I'm actually going on the boat so I think you can go as late as you want..?

munchkin_utd

Marronn2 wrote: »

Thanks for the response! Hopefully someone has an idea as to how long/difficult it would be to get home with the baby

Have friends who had a premature baby in Italy whilst on holiday there and they were there for the guts of 4 or 5 weeks with the baby in an incubator till it was strong enough to survive on its own, and there was some touch and go moments aparantly

So, you'll have plenty of time to get a passport for the way back anyhow!

keithclancy

Marronn2 wrote: »

I'm actually going on the boat so I think you can go as late as you want..?

They are usually 32 weeks also.

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/faq/travel-information/can-pregnant-women-travel

http://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/faq/pregnant-women-travelling/
Irish Ferries over 32 weeks is not allowed.

Also
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22595625

I'd check at the very least if you need a cert or what the restriction is.

sawdoubters

you will need a doctors note to fly


most first babys are late


http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/premature-early-labour.aspx

Marronn05

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Have friends who had a premature baby in Italy whilst on holiday there and they were there for the guts of 4 or 5 weeks with the baby in an incubator till it was strong enough to survive on its own, and there was some touch and go moments aparantly

So, you'll have plenty of time to get a passport for the way back anyhow!

Oh ok! Do you know if it was free as an EU citizen?

Marronn05

sawdoubters wrote: »

you will need a doctors note to fly


most first babys are late


http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/premature-early-labour.aspx

I'm taking the boat and this is my 3rd baby!!!!!

dipdipdoo

As a holder of a European medical card, you are covered for the same medical care (with the public healthcare system) as a national of the country you are visiting. There is a possibility you may have to pay upfront, but would get reimbursed when you got home.

As for a passport, you would have to apply through the Irish embassy in France. They (or rather the Department of Foreign Affairs) may be able to issue you with an emergency passport (which I think would only take a few days) for the baby, as otherwise it can take 8 weeks for a normal passport to be issued. My advice would be to get the paperwork ready (as far as possible) before you go - trying to obtain and complete the forms while you are in a foreign hospital, exhausted after labour, might be more than any normal human should have to endure. :eek:

I travelled to a family wedding (on the ferry) when I was 39 weeks - waters broke two days after I got home. Totally worth it!
Best of luck

Marronn05

Thanks so much for your resp


quote="dipdipdoo;88611245"]As a holder of a European medical card, you are covered for the same medical care (with the public healthcare system) as a national of the country you are visiting. There is a possibility you may have to pay upfront, but would get reimbursed when you got home.

As for a passport, you would have to apply through the Irish embassy in France. They (or rather the Department of Foreign Affairs) may be able to issue you with an emergency passport (which I think would only take a few days) for the baby, as otherwise it can take 8 weeks for a normal passport to be issued. My advice would be to get the paperwork ready (as far as possible) before you go - trying to obtain and complete the forms while you are in a foreign hospital, exhausted after labour, might be more than any normal human should have to endure. :eek:

I travelled to a family wedding (on the ferry) when I was 39 weeks - waters broke two days after I got home. Totally worth it!
Best of luck [/quote]

Marronn05

Posted too soon there, thanks dipdipdoo for your response! Did you have to lie about how many weeks you were? Irish Ferries has a restriction of 32 weeks, I'd be past that too..

dipdipdoo wrote: »

As a holder of a European medical card, you are covered for the same medical care (with the public healthcare system) as a national of the country you are visiting. There is a possibility you may have to pay upfront, but would get reimbursed when you got home.

As for a passport, you would have to apply through the Irish embassy in France. They (or rather the Department of Foreign Affairs) may be able to issue you with an emergency passport (which I think would only take a few days) for the baby, as otherwise it can take 8 weeks for a normal passport to be issued. My advice would be to get the paperwork ready (as far as possible) before you go - trying to obtain and complete the forms while you are in a foreign hospital, exhausted after labour, might be more than any normal human should have to endure. :eek:

I travelled to a family wedding (on the ferry) when I was 39 weeks - waters broke two days after I got home. Totally worth it!
Best of luck

sarkozy

I would say, with your EHIC card, you'll get the same treatment as everyone else in France. If I were you, my first question would be where is the nearest maternity hospital? I'd also ask whether in France there *is* a maternity hospital or whether people just present at a local hospital, in which case, find out where that is!

You should also google for some information about the French maternal health system so you're prepared for what to expect, for example, I don't know how long mothers and babies stay in hospital and I'm told it's extremely common for French women to have an epidural, so this may or may not fit with what you want.

Regarding travel documents for your baby if it arrives, no doubt there are protocols for this and you might like to Google that and/or contact the Irish embassy in Paris to ask what might happen, but I wouldn't be remotely worried but it would be good to find out for peace of mind.
It seems that French citizenship is like how ours is now since the referendum - at least one parent must be a French citizen. You child won't be French!

sarkozy

I would say, with your EHIC card, you'll get the same treatment as everyone else in France. If I were you, my first question would be where is the nearest maternity hospital? I'd also ask whether in France there *is* a maternity hospital or whether people just present at a local hospital, in which case, find out where that is!

You should also google for some information about the French maternal health system so you're prepared for what to expect, for example, I don't know how long mothers and babies stay in hospital and I'm told it's extremely common for French women to have an epidural, so this may or may not fit with what you want.

Regarding travel documents for your baby if it arrives, no doubt there are protocols for this and you might like to Google that and/or contact the Irish embassy in Paris to ask what might happen, but I wouldn't be remotely worried but it would be good to find out for peace of mind. It seems that French citizenship is like how ours is now since the referendum - at least one parent must be a French citizen. You child won't be French!

This link may help: http://www.expatica.com/fr/health_fitness/healthcare/Having-a-baby-in-France_18269.html

dipdipdoo

I was taking a chance, but they didn't even ask, and I was MASSIVE.

keithclancy

sarkozy wrote: »

I would say, with your EHIC card, you'll get the same treatment as everyone else in France. If I were you, my first question would be where is the nearest maternity hospital? I'd also ask whether in France there *is* a maternity hospital or whether people just present at a local hospital, in which case, find out where that is!

You should also google for some information about the French maternal health system so you're prepared for what to expect, for example, I don't know how long mothers and babies stay in hospital and I'm told it's extremely common for French women to have an epidural, so this may or may not fit with what you want.

Regarding travel documents for your baby if it arrives, no doubt there are protocols for this and you might like to Google that and/or contact the Irish embassy in Paris to ask what might happen, but I wouldn't be remotely worried but it would be good to find out for peace of mind.
It seems that French citizenship is like how ours is now since the referendum - at least one parent must be a French citizen. You child won't be French!

This advice is terrible.

First off the EHIC Card is completely hit and miss, and parts of your use of the health system may or may not be deemed as "Emergency Care" there are instances where people have received a bill for part of, or the whole stay as it was deemed as healthcare tourism.

For it to cover everything you need to apply for an S2 form:
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/social-security-forms/index_en.htm

S2
(formerly
E 112)

Authorisation to obtain planned health treatment in another EU or EFTA country. You should be treated the same as a resident of that country - you may have to pay a percentage of the costs up front.

Health insurance authority

Submit it to the health insurance authority in the country where you go for treatment.

If your baby is premature or there are any complications you will be essentially stuck in France until the problem is resolved (Repatriation is not possible without payment)

You are basically at the mercy of the healthcare system of that country. Even if you do research it before hand, everything will be in French so you will essentially just have to blindly sign whatever is put in front of you.

As a cross border worker myself between Germany and the Netherlands and living next to the Belgian border, I would not put myself in that situation without Insurance that covered that eventuality.

When your baby is born, its essentially the same as in most countries on the continent. You have a timeframe to register the birth at the City Hall and then you will receive the Birth Certificate.

You will need the Birth Certificate Apostatised and then you can use this to apply for a passport with the Embassy.

The process for me to obtain a passport from the Irish Embassy of the Hague took 4 working days. For a witness I used the local police station.

Marronn05

Thank you for all that info! I will look into it! I have VHI cover if that's relevant? It's Company plan plus for the four of us, and paid for by my husband's work. I haven't anything extra in it re pregnancy but I assume it covers it? Not sure if that's relevant..

uote="keithclancy;88615909"]This advice is terrible.

First off the EHIC Card is completely hit and miss, and parts of your use of the health system may or may not be deemed as "Emergency Care" there are instances where people have received a bill for part of, or the whole stay as it was deemed as healthcare tourism.

For it to cover everything you need to apply for an S2 form:
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/social-security-forms/index_en.htm



If your baby is premature or there are any complications you will be essentially stuck in France until the problem is resolved (Repatriation is not possible without payment)

You are basically at the mercy of the healthcare system of that country. Even if you do research it before hand, everything will be in French so you will essentially just have to blindly sign whatever is put in front of you.

As a cross border worker myself between Germany and the Netherlands and living next to the Belgian border, I would not put myself in that situation without Insurance that covered that eventuality.

When your baby is born, its essentially the same as in most countries on the continent. You have a timeframe to register the birth at the City Hall and then you will receive the Birth Certificate.

You will need the Birth Certificate Apostatised and then you can use this to apply for a passport with the Embassy.

The process for me to obtain a passport from the Irish Embassy of the Hague took 4 working days. For a witness I used the local police station.[/quote]

Marronn05

I checked the S2 form there and it's for planned medical treatment and you may have to pay up front. As this wouldn't be "planned" and I shouldn't have to pay as I wouldn't in Ireland, why would it be necessary to complete it? Sorry for so many questions!

keithclancy

Marronn05 wrote: »

I checked the S2 form there and it's for planned medical treatment and you may have to pay up front. As this wouldn't be "planned" and I shouldn't have to pay as I wouldn't in Ireland, why would it be necessary to complete it? Sorry for so many questions!

I'm not saying you can, I'm saying its the only way to know what costs will be covered.

Best route would be your health insurance.

Eponymous

OP, if you are knowingly travelling outside the limits imposed by the ferry, it could be contrary to the T&Cs of your Health/Travel insurance, they may opt not to cover you. It might be no harm to check.

dipdipdoo

Take a look at this:
http://blog.world-first.co.uk/1752/things-to-do-when-travelling-abroad-when-pregnant

this:
http://www.e111.org.uk/about.html

and this:
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/unplanned-healthcare/temporary-stays/index_en.htm

Mrs OBumble

Not sure if it's any help but:

A friend of a friend (without EU citizenship) became preggers while on a Working Holiday Visa.

Unfortunately she developed complicatios that meant she couldnt't fly. So she had no choice but to become an overstayer: even if she got a ferry, her legal status in any other country she was going to by boat from France would have been equally difficult.

She really had no idea what would happen when it came to the birth - because of course her travel-health insurnace had run out by then.

But as it turned out, it was fine. The hospital continued t look after her, and there was no charge.

I don't know how she pulled it off. But obviously there are ways.

Marronn05

Wow! Well if a non EU citizen was covered for free then I should be too lol! It's an unlikely eventuality but I just wanted to see if others had any experience of what would happen!

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Not sure if it's any help but:

A friend of a friend (without EU citizenship) became preggers while on a Working Holiday Visa.

Unfortunately she developed complicatios that meant she couldnt't fly. So she had no choice but to become an overstayer: even if she got a ferry, her legal status in any other country she was going to by boat from France would have been equally difficult.

She really had no idea what would happen when it came to the birth - because of course her travel-health insurnace had run out by then.

But as it turned out, it was fine. The hospital continued t look after her, and there was no charge.

I don't know how she pulled it off. But obviously there are ways.