Thank-you so much everyone for your replies.
It is just so helpful to know that I am in the same boat as most of you.
The good news is I spoke to my health fund and I have no out-of-pockets for my hospital stay, just my $250 - $400 excess.

With everyone's replies I have noticed a big difference in out-of-pockets cost for obsetricians especially for those who (I assume) first saw one before 1 January 2005 and after.

The one thing my GP stressed was that I had to get booked into an obsetrician REALLY early in my pregnancy. I turns out that a lot of them have gotten out of the game because of public liability insurance costs, (well in Victoria anyway). I actually wasn't too concerned about the obsetricians fees because of this, but I was upset to get a bill for blood tests for $90 when I was lead to believe they were bulk-billed. Then I asked a girl who went through the public system and she said she didn't pay a cent for her bloods or ultrasounds.

To be honest although it is expensive I am a little hesitant to go public when I have private health insurance.

Oh, by the way Nixie I have a letter from my obsetrician saying my out-of-pockets ARE claimable through Medicare (if you are registered for the safety net), so yours should be too.

One thing I am definately going to be asking is the future costs for my blood tests before I have them. In fact I am going to be asking about everything so I don't get any rude shocks again. I might even enquire if I can be bulk-billed in future, well for my bloods at least.

Well I better go water my money tree!
Thanks again for all your answers
Corr