There are so many things to consider as an expat when having a baby in Ireland. The unfamiliar surroundings of a new country, cultural differences, the language barrier, and being far away from your support network of family and close friends. This can all make having a baby seem all the more daunting and overwhelming. This article will help you get organised well in advance for the most important event in your life.
Maternity care in Ireland
Birth practices and standards can vary, and not knowing the Irish healthcare system like you would at home can cause even further anxiety. But rest assured, Ireland provides very high-quality maternity care to both mothers and infants.
Every woman who is pregnant and ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to maternity care under the Maternity and Infant Scheme. Ordinarily resident means you are living in Ireland, or you intend to remain living in Ireland for at least one year. Maternity care is provided by your family doctor (GP) and a hospital obstetrician. Your GP will help you get an appointment at a maternity hospital. Visits to your GP that are directly related to pregnancy and the postpartum (6 weeks after your baby is born) are free.
Giving birth in Ireland
You have a number of choices when it comes to where to have your baby in Ireland – you can opt for a home birth, hospital birth, or a birth centre or midwifery. However, not every part of the country currently offers all these choices. The choices are also based on whether you have private health insurance, as this will determine whether you are entitled to a private consultant obstetrician or to a semi-private clinic overseen by a consultant obstetrician in a local maternity hospital. If you don't have health insurance, you will be referred to the local maternity hospital.
During your pregnancy, you'll be offered some routine screening tests to find out if you or your baby are at a low or high risk of having certain health problems. These include blood tests and ultrasound scans, and they are usually free. You can also choose to have diagnostic tests, which usually tell whether you or your baby has a health problem more precisely. These tests can be expensive, and you are only offered them if you are. More at risk of a health problem or have had a positive screening test. You should ask your midwife, obstetrician or GP about your screening test options.
Most babies in Ireland are born in a hospital, either in a dedicated maternity hospital or in the maternity unit of an acute hospital. Some expectant mums opt to have their baby at home, while others choose a birth centre or a midwifery-led unit, where you are cared for by midwives rather than obstetricians. Do your homework on where you want to have your baby. Start by researching the hospitals and clinics in your local area. Your Embassy can also give you recommendations on preferred clinics or hospitals, should you wish.
During this time, it is important to network with other expat mums in Ireland who have experience in giving birth there. Most expat societies have groups specifically for new and expectant mums. Take the time to learn more about their experiences, both good and bad, so that you know what to expect. Expat blogs and forums are also a great place where you can ask questions and share knowledge about pregnancy, birth, and childcare. In addition, pre- and post-natal groups are excellent resources for advice and finding support.
Benefits and entitlements when having a baby in Ireland
Before your baby is born in Ireland, you can take paid time off work to attend antenatal classes. Antenatal classes help you to prepare for labour, birth, and becoming a parent. In addition, your partner can take paid time off to attend the last 2 classes in the set of antenatal classes. You can also take paid time off for any medical appointments. For more information and resources, visit HSE/antenatalclasses.
In Ireland, parents are supported by a range of benefits, supports, and entitlements following the birth of your child. As an expectant mum, you are entitled to 26 weeks of Maternity Leave. You may also be entitled to Maternity Benefit, which is a weekly payment based on your pay-related social insurance contributions (PRSI). You can also take up to 16 weeks of additional maternity leave if you wish. This begins immediately after the end of your 26 weeks of maternity leave, and is not covered by maternity benefits. Also, your employer does not have to make any payment during this period.
You are also entitled to full maternity leave if either of the following happens to you:
- you have a stillbirth or miscarriage after 24 weeks,
- your baby has a birth weight of at least 500 grams.
If you have enough PRSI contributions, you can also get Maternity Benefit for the 26 weeks of basic Maternity Leave.
When you return to work, you can take Paternity Leave, which gives both parents 2 weeks off work. Paternity Benefit is a payment to employed and self-employed people who are on paternity leave from work, and is aimed at supporting fathers to take time off work to care for their newborns. It is paid for 2 weeks and covered by your pay-related social insurance (PRSI).
You can also avail of Parent's Leave, which allows both parents to take 7 weeks' leave during the first 2 years of your child's life. This leave is also accompanied by a Parent's Benefit, again subject to your PRSI contributions.
New mums can also take time off work each day to breastfeed their baby for the first 6 months. You are entitled to either:
- paid time off to feed your baby at work or
- reduced working hours without loss of pay to feed your baby outside your workplace
Child Benefit is a monthly payment to parents of children under 16, or 18 if in full-time education. On registering the birth of your child, the Department of Social Protection will begin a benefit claim for you and send you a form to complete the process. For more information, visit Gov.ie.
Registering your baby's birth in Ireland
Another factor to consider is citizenship for your baby. Find out about the dual citizenship regulations of your home country and Ireland. Obtain all the necessary information well in advance about how to register the birth of your child in both Ireland and your home country, how to obtain a passport, and whether your baby is eligible for citizenship.
It's important that you register your baby's birth no later than three months after you welcome your little bundle of joy into the world. The registration will allow you to get your baby's birth certificate, which you will need for many events in your child's future, from applying for a passport to enrolling them in school.
You can register the birth in any office of a Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, and it's free. To avoid delays, be sure to bring all the documents you need to your appointment, including a completed birth registration form, photo ID, your marriage certificate (if the marriage was outside Ireland). If it is not in English or Irish, a translation must be completed by a certified translation service.
We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.
