Any Mummies in Sydney

Hi my MIL lives in Wentworthville, 2 stations away from Parramatta.
I wil ask my hubby cause I can't actually speak cantonese. She is retired now and use to own Chinese Rest, she also knows few retired aunties that may be able to help, will call her tomorrow.
Where about do you live?

Actually I don't remember she allowed me to eat vegie either, me also vegie lover and believe in balanced diet even on confinement esp when breast feeding. But I think u can always request this, u're not her ILS, so you are safe... ha ha.

My parents actually live in Sydney too, and to me they are better than MILS (u know how we DIL feel). Mums always best. They're Indonesian Chinese, so knows how to cook even Nonya stuff.
So they brought some dishes esp for me to eat while in confinement with ILS. She will know some people as well maybe that can even help with the baby.

It depends what your requirement in how many hours, time u want them there, type of food you want, and what language you comfortable to converse with them. And as you know in Sydney, public transport is not reliable so transport also be an important factor.

Let me know your criteria, I will try to find out.
 


hey val,

let's just hope that things will look up soon. And best of luck on your "pending pregnancy"
happy.gif


Lia,

wow. ur mil sounds good. Fyi, I can't speak cantonese too. At least we know that there are people ard that we can ask for help. I am praying real hard that my in laws do not go over.

Currently, hubby looking for a job, Been sending his CV and all to the agencies and waiting for good news. So far not really much from them. We are hoping to stay at Parramatta as it's more central but i know rental there is not going to be cheap. But we just have to see where he gets his job before deciding on where to stay.

My requirement should be simple like:
-look after baby
-bathe baby
-wash baby clothes
-cook confinement food for me

Below are if possible
-just minimum household chores
-cook for hubby and daughter(dinner)
-look after my elder gal

Sounds alot? Hopefully not. If possible, do quote an estimated price. At least we can roughly gauge. But I have to say this beforehand, it's not confirmed that we will engage her services. We just want to ask ard first and see how it goes. Hope it's not too much of a trouble for u.

Which part of Sydney do you stay then?
 
mummies
i'll be flying to Sydney next week to join my hb on his biz trip..will be shopping ard myself in the day for 2 days...

any good/nice shops for buying toddler clothes, shoes, toys, books to recommend? My ger is coming 2 years old.

thanks!
 
hello mummies!

Glad to find this thread!

I'd be relocating to Syd in July 08. Would like to know if any of you have contacts for shipping our stuff to Sydney? I don't intend to ship furniture...just personal stuff. But even personal stuff adds up to quite a bit! Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks
happy.gif
 
Hi, durianlover

I did that a few years ago. Can't remember which co. I use. Try to contact a few co. and ask for quote and buy insurance if the things are exp. They go by cubic meters and take a few months to arrive. Yah, don't bother with furniture not worth the shipping charges.
 
Hi durianlover,

We used uei logistics as our forwarder in Singapore when we moved from Sydney to Singapore earlier this year.
you can ask for derek.

hope this helps. If you need more info on where to get things in Sydney, let me know as I lived there for about 8 years.
 
foop,
Thanks for contact! I shall try to get a quotation from UEI. Will also send you a PM.

manta, foop,
So far i've gotten a few quotes from some movers and forwarders and it's pretty ex to ship stuff over. Just personal belongings (excluding furniture) comes up to about 2 cubic metres and costs about $2.2K!
 
I guess its more expensive to ship things over as Australia charges for this that and the other. In singapore its more straightforward.

I think if you are shipping things with wood... they'll need to fumigate and that cost extra.

I think its about $2K for 2 cubic cos my brother shipped less than 2 cubic of wooden furniture there and it cost about $2K (including fumigation). Australia side charges $50 to get rid of each pallet. So when you compare quotes, just question everything...
 
Things have certainly gone up slightly but its about right. Just try to squeeze eveyrthing within the cubic meters. Maybe can try using space saver bags for clothing and such, so u can get more punch in a bag ! Also if u shipping electrnics, make sure those are more than 1 yr old, otherwise u may be slap with import duty by AU side.
 
Hi, Lia

It would be good to have it. Otherwise, if your electronics look old than its ok, otherwise, its hard to proof and not sure if u want to spend time disputing with customs. Don't bring too many, and u may be able to escape the scrutiny. Otherwise, just come here and buy. Now with the exchange rate, Spore is no longer a cheap place to buy electronics.
 
Hi,

Not sure if this thread is still active. But would like to check on if anyone has managed to bring their maids with them to Aust?

We are so spoilt in Spore, and am a bit apprehensive about going "cold turkey" without help, with all the baby, cooking and cleaning to do.

Thks.
 
Hi mamajac,

We are indeed spoilt in Singapore with that much domestic help available.

I don;t think you can legally bring a maid over there to work for you. However, if you're there for holiday, i guess the tourist visa for maids should be ok.

I guess you'll get used to it quickly enough. All mommies do it all themselves over there.

Cooking wise... its all about planning. Most people i know don't cook everyday. They cook in large portions say 3-4 times a week and store it in freezers.

There is alot of planning to do when you're running the house and taking care of kids all by yourself.
happy.gif


Have fun... it is very fulfilling. Of course, you'll need alot of friend's, family and partners support.
 
Hi Foop,

Thks for reply. Still hopeful though...

Does anyone know of a good "tingkat" caterer in Sydney? Would need to outsource as much as possible.
 
There're plenty of ads on catering from the community local news paper,i.e; Indonesian, Chinese, etc.

Those newspaper normally avail free from the Chinese/Indonesian grocery shop or restaurant
 
Lia's right. There are many takeaway shops of all kinds of food (indian, chinese, lebanese, italian etc etc) in most areas. Some of these shops do delivery. The choices and style of food depends on which area you live in.

Local newspapers are a starting point. check your junk mail in your letterbox too.
 
hi, sweetbaby

It depends on industry. If u have the skills that Oz is looking for, then it is easier. Check the immigration site for information.
 
Hi sweetbaby, it depends on what grounds you apply the PR. If it is base on skill set then they go on point system. But if you applying thru spouse then easier.
 
Hey Lia,

Appreciate if I could get your help to obtain some confinement help...

I can speak english, mandarin, cantonese (HK cantonese, having spent 2.5 years there).

I stay in Greenwich, the area near St Leonards, Crows Nest.

My requirements would be:
- cook confinement food for me
- tips to take care of baby
 
Hi everyone,

i am not sure if this thread is still active? We will be moving to sydney in end feb 2009 with our baby boy who has just turned 1. I have a couple of qns which i hope other singaporean mothers can help:

- we will be staying near to the sydney women and children hospital. Does anyone have any recommendation on pd in this hospital?
- in singapore we can drop by the pd office without appointment if our baby is sick. in sydney, is it the same or is it strictly by appointment only? what is the average consultation charge per visit?
- we are trying to register our baby in nursery and the waitlist is pretty long. can we have some feedback on the nurseries there? my baby goes to nursery in singapore and the teachers are great. they help in his development, like encourage him to crawl, teaches him to drink from a cup, etc. do the teachers in sydney do the same?

if anyone has any advice/ tips to give on anything pertaining to moving to sydney, we really appreciate it.

thanks!!
 
Hi, Ong

Its going to be pretty hard to get confinement help here. Can you get your mum or your relatives to help. It would be better to have familiar people around.

I suppose you are going to deliver in Oz and in the North Shore hospital nearby ? If you do, go attend classes provided by the hospital. They are good and very practical. The nurses are also very experienced and helpful. I can say this for private hospital, not sure if the public hospital provide these classses.


Hi marylou

1) Usually, we see a GP first if the kid is sick, then the GP will recommend a PD if the kid really needs it. Of course if its an emergency, u bring to hospital A&E.

2) PD is regarded as specialist and usually they only see patients if they have referral letters usually from GP, so they don't take walk-in.

3) Most childcare have at least a 1 yr waitlist for the popular ones. But am sure u will be able to find some. ABC Learning used to be the largest childcare org in Oz and have good reputation, but have gone into receivership recently. Their childcare program are quite good and most parents would go there if they have a choice. Due to the issues they have, some of its centres will close down, some will merge with other centres while others will remain open.

If you are worried can scout around for other childcare, there are plenty around but they are mainly independent.

The teachers in childcare all have suitable qualifications due to the strict laws imposed on the industry. So don't really have to worry in terms of your child not learning just that it may not be suitable for him. But I think kids usually adapt very well in new environments.

If u have any questions just post them, am sure we are all glad to be of help but may take some time
happy.gif
 
Hi Manta,

thanks for your reply. looks like we have to look for a family doc instead.

we will be moving to sydney in end feb and have not done any packing yet. things in australia are pretty ex but we hope we don't have to ship/ dhl too many things.

by the way, is there any baby hyperstore where we can buy reasonably priced baby items like cot, car seat, high chair, etc? something like kiddy palace in singapore? i think shops like mothercare will be rather ex.

also wondering if dumex mamil gold is available in supermarkets? and of so, how much is a tin?

i am thinking of buying a few tins to bring over but australia has very strict regulations with regards to bringing in food so i am not sure if milk powder i forbidden.
 
Hi Everyone,
Seem I haven't reply on the confinement issue for a while, my apology.
I am afraid my MIL would not do it, and I have to ask my mom if they have anyone she might know, but she will be back after CNY.
I am currently in Sydney for a 3 more weeks for holiday, just wondering if mummies here know whats worth buying here now the SIN and AUD almost 1 to 1.
There's no baby Hyperstore, but many shops will have special on old model stuff, place like Babies Galore, Target, KMart, ToysRUs all sell nursery stuff.
Lately I also find the some online stores selling cheap nursery items.
Milk Powder is allowed to certain amount I think.
There's online discount Pharmacy who might sell them at cheaper price.
 
Hi Marylou

i just moved to sydney and brought 2 1.8kg tins of similac over along with some baby snacks...custom just let me thru after i declare. didnt even open luggage to check. it depends on individual custom officer i thk.
 
Hi Peachy,

thanks for the infor. ya, some custom officers may be very picky. i am worried that i may not find the same type of formula that my baby is taking in sydney. then got to start him on another type which may take a while.

how old is your baby? did it take long for you to settle your baby down and get the neccessary baby items?

Hi Lia,

thanks for the infor on baby stores. i checked the website of babies galore and it seems they do have a wide range. and i also managed to find stores like baby kingdom and baby on a budget. there are so many things to buy all over again!
 
my boy is 22 mths, almost a toddler so no issues over changing over to fresh milk. he gulped it all up! in fact...the milk here taste very creamy and yummy. and i bought the cheapest coles brand. theres pura fresh milk for kids above 12 mths. otherwise for milk powder, nt much selection. theres Karicare, S26, Nan from what i remembered. i bought a can of karicare to take over the night and morn feeding once his similac runs out. nt becoz he dosent like fresh bt becoz too lazy to heat up the milk in the morn, so rather just make powdered milk, less trouble.

hes pretty ok so far, theres soooo many parks and playgrounds for him to play, i thk he prefers it here. sometimes out of the blue he will say "go home" when hes already at home and we just tell him this is home. he will accept it. otherwise, i dun see major differences in his attitude or behavior.

oh..be warned, the diapers here are super ex! huggies here sells at ard $35 for a box of 64.

how old is your baby?
 
marylou, your boy only a toddler, should be ok, should be able to adapt easily as long as there is familar people around, will be easy to pacify and children forget very fast too.

As for milk, yah, there are not many brands around, just take 1 or 2 tins of milk he's currently taking, to standby or why not try giving your boy some fresh milk, like peachy did, see if he will take it. If he does, then he most likely will have no problem adjusting to different products.
 
hi

i'm new here on this forum and in OZ. Good to see so many sporean mums Down Under. I've just moved to Melbourne in Nov 08.. We are still settling down here... my husband still looking for a job... he was in accounting and tot that the job is in demand but it appears that they all want local exp..


I have 3 kids - 3 yrs, 2yrs(both girls) and 2 mths baby boy born in Melbourne. We flew my MIL over and she helped out for a while .. She just went back early Mar.. dint really have much of a confinement.. guess was just grateful for the extra hands ard to do cooking.

I am still adjusting to life here.. esp having to drive ard as i havent been driving since i got my licence 10 yrs ago!

Feel lonely here sometimes .. good to meet other mums in OZ esp Melbourne. So who's in Melbourne? good to be able to meet up if its not too inconvenient.

Ok chat again soon!
 
hello,

I'm so happy that I'll be heading back to Sydney for a short holiday to see family and friends in September this year!

Mummies in Sydney, we could do a quick meet up and talk all singlish for a change! hahahah
 
Hi melgirl,
I live in Melbourne. Currently in S'pore for hol, but will be back at the end of this month.
PM me, and we can arrange to meet up when I get back.
Chat soon!
 
Hi Ladies,

I'm so glad to find this thread! I am moving to Sydney permanently in 2 weeks' time and I will be 20 weeks pregnant at that time. I understand I have to book a hospital for the birth. Can anyone advise if it is a straightforward process, i.e. I'll get a place if I book it? I'm just worried about how long they will get back to us and then to tell us there's no place left!

I'd like to share a chat!
 
Hi SH Chong,

I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant. I can give you some info but not sure how much help I can be...

Hmmm do you know where in Sydney you will be? If it's North Shore region, and you want to go private, I know the choice is only between Mater or North Shore Private. I was seeing a private gyne and she only delivers in North Shore Pte, so that's where I will be going.

Yes, spaces are quite tight. When I learnt I was pregnant, I called up my gyne and she said that my 2nd call will have to be North Shore Pte immediately after. I'm not sure whether you call up the hospital directly if you don't have a obgyn. I believe they asked me who my doctor was and so on. When I booked in, I was around 5 weeks then and pretty straightforward.

Also, to see the private gyne or obgyn, you have to see a GP first (for a pregnancy test) and they give you a reference letter to see the obgyn.

So for me, it was a few steps you needed to go through before booking into the hospital. But if you choose to go public, the whole procedure might be different.
 
Hi Peng,

Thank you for replying. I will be living in Erskineville, near the city centre. We are going public, most probably at the RPA. I can only apply for medicare once I arrive in Sydney. However, I do have an obstetrician who is willing to see me although he is at St. George. I hope by having an OB already, I would have no problem getting a hospital.

How long did it tak for the GP to refer you? Thanks!
 
Hi Chong,

RPA? Oh, someone I met with recently went to the RPA too. She was staying in Newtown. She was there 2 years ago for a delivery, was told by the hospital that she might be turned away on that day if the hospital was too busy. So there was a degree of risk there though everything ended up well for her.

The GP referal was very fast. Just need to go down, do a urine test and he will write a letter of referal.
 
I see. My case is a bit special because my baby will have to be delivered by C-section, so the hospital wouldn't turn me away! But yes, it is scary not knowing if you have a hospital bed ready on the day of the labour! Not long to go for you now, you must be excited.
 
Hi, Chong

Since you already have an OB, I'm suspecting your OB is probably private as majority of OB are in private pratice. If you have OB, private hospital will definitely have a bed for you.

If you go public, you are actually attended by midwives or the duty MO for pregnancy maintenance. Public hospital also advocate natural birth over c-section as such if the hospital is busy, you may be turned away as what Peng mentioned. Don't worry now, not all people are that bad luck. If I'm not wrong only private patients get to choose birthing method up-front. But if you have good reason, it should be ok at the public hospital.

Your case is abit different, since you are in the middle of your pregnancy. If you do not have private insurance, hospitalisation is going to cost you even if your OB is private.

Health care here is abit complex. The best is to see your GP first and let him know that you wanted public and reason for c-section and see what his advice is.

I went to North Shore Pte too and have no regrets as the care I received during then was tops !

Peng,

Am sure you will enjoy your stay there and yes, congrats on the little bundle, feel excited for you to be seeing your little one soon !
 
Peng, manta: im a mummy staying in north shore area as well (and am contemplating NSP or Mater), is it a must to go thru the GP to get an OB? and can u share the cost of the whole pregnancy? i read in the oz forum that it can be as high as au$14k. eeps! im currently 5 wks pregger and having a dilemma over whether to go back spore or stay in syd to deliver the bb.
 
Hi Peachy,

From what I know it is a must to get a referral from GP to a private OB. I remember my first call to the OB and their instructions to me, to book at North Shore Pte and to get referral from GP.

Cost of the whole pregnancy? Oh.... if you are not on medicare and not on a Health Fund it would cost you quite a bit. I am currently 37+ weeks and have paid something like 7K right now with just OB visits and ultrasounds. I haven't added the multiple pathodology tests (blood, glucose and urine tests). I'm not sure how much the hospital costs will be, but I understand that it'll be covered by my Health Fund. I've got quite an extensive Health Fund cover...

Manta will probably be clearer on the hospital cost. And I'm sure with the hospital stuff, variations will be based on the type of delivery you are having.

Let me know if I can help with any other questions!
 
Hi peng

7K!! woah!! that is soo ex! *faintz* so it can reallie go up to 10K. geez...dosent sound like a good idea to have a bb here if u r not well covered by insurance.

ok..i will wait for Manta to shed some light on the hospital cost and get ready to faint again.

Can u recommend your OB? so i can choose my OB and get the GP to refer me to him/her rite? rite now i have a recomendation for an OB in Mater bt i dun thk she delivers in NSP.

having a major headache now, cost will be high if i stay on here. bt gg back to spore to deliver will mean i have to fly back to syd with a toddler and a few wks old nb.
 
thanks peng, will take note of them. hopefully will get to see the GP by this week. heard that OBs can get booked pretty fast..
 
Hi, Peachy

If you live in the north shore area, just go to the GP, they usually have alot of contact with the OB in the same area. Am sure they are all good, but sometimes just depends whether you like working with the OB or not. Just tell the the GP your criteria, like if you want female OB or which hospital you want to deliver etc. they will find for you. Get a few names so you can visit a few to see if you like them on you first visit. Oh, yes, female OB gets booked out very fast, so you need to act fast.

Regarding hospital cost, I'm not sure how much it will be, as with Peng, mine is also covered by private health fund. So if you have private health fund, it makes sense to go private since you only need to pay OB cost and if PR you can claim some amount back from medicare. You do not need to worry about hospital cost(depending on level of coverage) for whatever delivery method. These are all cost variants.

If you do not have private insurance nor PR, go public but may be cheaper since most regular visits are managed by the midmives. But I think they treat you as a private patient in a public hospital. I'm not sure if this still applies due to the squeeze in the public health care system. Check with the GP as health care laws do change and he can advice you accordingly.

The 14K you mentioned is not unreasonable here, depending on the method of delivery and neo-natal care required.

Have a chat with the OB you selected or even the GP, they will be able to tell you roughly the cost.

Well, I guess, your first stop is to go to the GP, am sure you will be able to get most of your questions answered.

I wish you a pleasant 9 mths ahead !
 
Hi Manta!

Thanks for the info!

Looks like i better act fast and go GP and work out the cost. IM not in favor of the public hospital coz of the bad reports from RNSH. gosh...did u read abt the miscarriages there?? freak me out totally.
 


oh..and how was your experience at NSP? Did your OB did the delivery for you or the midwife? Did you had epidural? And i heard that after birth, u have to take care of bb straightaway, irregardless whether u can walk or not.
 
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