All women ordinarily resident in Ireland are entitled to free maternity care. Up to 1 January, 2005, most expats chose to give birth here because any child born in Ireland was entitled to Irish citizenship. This is no longer the case, but it is still a top choice for many women.

While pregnant, and up until the new baby is six weeks old, you are entitled to six free GP visits. Your GP can give you the necessary claim form, which you should return, completed to your local health board.

Maternity care is usually divided between your GP and the hospital where you intend to give birth. As a public patient, antenatal care will be provided by the antenatal clinic in the hospital, and you may or may not deal with the same doctor on each visit. Midwives will deliver the baby (unless there is a complication) and your stay in hospital will be on a public ward. It is essential to book the hospital well in advance but your GP will go through this with you.

Antenatal care for semi-private patients is provided either by a semi-private antenatal clinic or by a consultant. You will deal with the consultant or a member of their team throughout your pregnancy, including during delivery. After the baby is born you will stay in a semi-private ward with three to five others.

Private patients are appointed a consultant, who you will see throughout the pregnancy (although they may not deliver the baby) and, subject to availability; you will be given a private room. Be warned that most health insurance policies only cover maternity care after you’ve been signed up for a minimum period (often one year) and not all policies will cover the extra costs that come with private care such as ultrasounds and delivery fees.

If you have a gynaecologist and you’d prefer that they oversee your pregnancy, you should discuss this with them and find out how it affects your options for hospital care.

Your hospital will also run antenatal classes. Independent classes, such as antenatal yoga and pilates, have recently become popular, and are an excellent way to meet other expectant mums.

Epidurals, pethidine, TENS and ethanox masks, as well as natural breathing and relaxation techniques are all common pain relief methods. Elective caesarean sections are rare, but are a possibility. Your antenatal health care provider should discuss all of these options with you.

Most hospitals allow only one person in the delivery room with the expectant mum at any time, so you may not be able to have a doula and the baby’s father present together. It is advisable to ask about delivery room procedures as early as possible so you can make your birth plan.

Your baby’s birth will be registered by the hospital. After registration you will need to obtain a copy of the baby’s birth certificate, which you can do by post.

After the birth, a paediatrician will examine your baby and several tests will be carried out, including the heel prick test and the Apgar Score to check everything is as it should be. The baby’s first follow-up visit is usually with the family doctor, and hospital check-ups are carried out after six weeks, and then 12 weeks. Breastfeeding is very common and is widely accepted.