Karina,

To be quite frank, the only thing private health insurance is good for with regard to obstetrics is the ability to choose your doctor. If you go public, you will just have to have whoever is on duty, but that said, the public hospital system in this country is fantastic. If you are in a private hospital and, God forbid, you or your baby have a complication, you may end up being brought to the nearest major public hospital anyway simply because they have all the facilities on site that you are ever likely to need.

I know many people who have had their babies in a public hospital and they have no complaints. On the other hand, I have heard many gripes about others who have paid top insurance cover and gone private, only to walk away with bills of almost $10,000 for out of pocket expenses.

Seems ridiculous, doesn't it?