When and how do i book into hospital for our birth??

Hey!
I have just read that women are booking into hospital for birth as early as 5 weeks pregnant....

So far i have seen 3 different doctors and no one has mantioned any of this to me??? Im currently nearly 11 weeks along and im not booked in anywhere.

I had a dating scan at 6.5 weeks and im booked in for another scan at 12 weeks but no one has mentioned about booking the hospital for the birth, or given me a referral to do this?

Do i phone the hospital myself once I have the referral, OR does my GP or OB organize the hospital for me? ( if so i wont stress as i have my first OB appointment on the 25th)

This is my first pregnancy so i wish one of the doctors told me about this process?? :)

I rang the hospy myself. It's early days but I'd ring now so you don't miss out, especially if you're going private, I'd assume they book out more quickly. Once I'd seen a heartbeat I rang and booked an appointment for the hospital.

My GP writes me a referal to the hospital I want to attend. I then need to ring my hospital and they send me out the booking in forms which I need to send back with my referal.
Hospitals do book out very quickly, however, if you show up in labour they wont send you away :-)

You can choose where you'd like to go, and book yourself in. You can 'shop around'. There are 4 hospitals in our area, all with varying services. One has a birth centre - but you need to book in early. It depends on your vision for birth. You can visit maternity wards to ask questions (ring first, you might need to have an appointment). Some hospitals are baby friendly BFHI AUSTRALIA HOME PAGE if that is important. You don't need to wait for permission. It is your birth. You need to go where you are most comfortable.

I just got my referral @ 13 weeks.

Mind you - I have an idiot of a dr and the hospital told me if i left it much longer they wouldnt have been able to fit me in.

If you are going private I'd probably get the ball rolling asap, also would for public (we're going public)

ETA - I just realised I didnt answer ur question LOL - The dr gave me a referral

I have an OB for a private hospital and I filled in the paperwork for the hospital at my first appointment at 9 weeks. In my OB/hospital case once you are in with the OB a bed at the hospital is automatic. If you are using an OB I would ring the receptionist and check with them.

Thank you so much everyone this is really helpful info ... I will call my OB's office tomorrow as I suspect when I see him it will hopefully mean I have a bed at either RPA Randwick or RHW as his name Is listed with these hospitals? If not I will call them myself and book in
Many thanks

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Is it a private Ob? Don't they have an allocated hospital or something you have to go to?

I called the hospital myself and got myself onto the birth centre list the week I found out I was pg (4 weeks)

Def try and look now and get the ball rolling.
With my first pregnancy I found out @ 7 weeks and my doctor told me to start looking and book ASAP
I didnt believe him, I wouldnt have expected anyone to book before 12 weeks, I wanted to just make it that far first!
Then about 10 weeks I started calling a few places so I could have the same hospital for my 12 week scan and the top 3 places I wanted were FULL! I couldnt get in at all!
I ended up having to go to a certain hospital due to my blood disorder so in the end it all worked out ok anyway ;)

Thanks for the replies girls... My Ob booked me in at RPA...I wa really happy with him and baby is growing big and strong ! It was moving around a lot with a big head! Very cute!