Genesis, Midwives and Gynaes - Oh my! Please help!

Hi ladies

@ jmz I gave birth to my first baby in 201 at Genesis. I used Sis Xoli Makabane and at the time my back up gynae was Dr. Elemva who consults from Sandton Medi Clinic.

I'm expecting my 2nd now and I'm going back to Genesis, still seeing Xoli. I love her. I love her honesty and how she never got tired of me asking questions upon questions - sometimes the same questions over again! She is very patient and knowledgeable. I also quite liked the post postpartum visits at home to check on both mommy and baby.

My challenge now is that Dr. Elemva no longer works at Genesis. He still works very well with Sis Xoli but he only practices at Sandton Mediclinic

I'm still seeing him now - My challenge right now, is do I continue to see him and have another gynae who works at Genesis see to me in case of emergency or do him for the last time in 2 weeks for my 20 weeks consultation and then switch to a Genesis gynae?

A part of me feels like I can stick with him and pray and hope I dont need a gynae because seeing a new gynae once is also not that comforting but maybe once is better than never? Decisions decisions...

But all in all, Genesis is great - yes it's all I know but I had a beautiful birth the first time around and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love the freedom they give us. I really feel like I owned my birth. My body, my baby, my birth

Thanks for all the great & useful info NewMommy2b! I've contacted the hypnobirthing practitioner in Sandton and she's going to send me more info this weekend.

Thanks Vendah! Please keep me updated as to how your doing! Would love to hear about your delivery experience once you've delivered and settle down with bub.

Hi Jmaz:)

This is the hypnobirthing page of practitioners- there is one in Sandton and one in Pretoria. www.beautifullyborn.co.za/our-practitioners.html

So, on to spinals - I did not want to go into it, as there are many moms who were quite happy with their spinal anaesthetic / epidurals and would prefer to have it with every birth - to those mothers, I am not knocking your choices, and I fully support whatever makes you comfortable and enabled you to have the birth you always envisioned. I am only sharing what I have learnt with jmaz, that is all.

My research has shown that with spinals, the advantage is obviously No Pain - which is the biggest reason why women have been choosing this for ages.

On the disadvantage side, there are many:

Most Common
Positioning: Epidurals mean that you cannot walk around or help gravity or your body during birth - you have to lie supine, and be consistently monitored.
Drugs: As you cannot feel any contractions, often your brain switches the whole natural contraction cycle to off-mode, which means that you will need to be assisted with oxytocin augmentation to the labour. This means that your fetus/baby cannot recover fully between contractions and sometimes results in fetal distress and c/section.
Delivery: As you cannot feel any contractions, you will need to be assisted with expulsive efforts for your baby - this means the application of forceps and/or vacuum extractors to be applied to the babies scalp to extract the baby from the birth canal. If applied by an inexperienced practitioner, it can result in birth injury - but hopefully most gynaes are 'old hands' at this technique. Failed extraction means c/section.
Failed epidurals: Sometimes the medication does not work as it is supposed to, and only one side becomes deadened - your midwife will try to change your position to combat this
On the clock birth: Since you have the epidural in, you will need to dilate at a certain level for each hour, and failing to do this will result in a c/sec (even with drug free natural this is the case, but at least you can walk to help your body)


More rarely:
Spinal Headache: A 'post dural puncture' is where mothers will experience massive headache for days after an epidural and need to lie flat on their back for 24 hours after delivery.

Other places online, I have read about the struggle to breastfeed after an epidural, because the oxytocin augmentation interferes with natural oxytocin, struggles to bond, and others - although I think that is more personal and differs from person to person.

Again, I want to say that, for some moms, epidurals are the best choice, just not for me. No matter what you decide, Jmaz, you will still be a mother at the end of the day, and you have my full support no matter what you decide.

xx
NewMommy

Hey

I am planning a water birth and it's my first bby, so I have no idea how contractions feel like, bt have decided not to scare myself with the unknown.

They offer hypnobirthing at Genisis contact theoni@consciousbirth.co.za . I never attended the class as it was too pricy for me R2100 so I bought the book instead bt if u can afford it attend the class.

Thanks NewMommy2b! Your info is super helpful!

I've started hearing about these hypnobirthing classes - it definitely sounds like a great idea.

I've been such a anxious preggie lady for the first half of my pregnancy - as I have a tendency towards in general - and am finally finding my groove and feeling much more relaxed/positive these past few weeks. (Feeling our bub dancing around in there has probably helped a lot )

Actually I'm totally interested in the advantages/disadvantages of spinal anaesthetic. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to write it here.

Genesis definitely has an operating theater for emergency-C's so that makes me feel comfortable. They transfer baby to another hospital's NICU after stabilizing should they need to.

I'm totally someone who's comforted by lots of info! I'm also all about recommendations.

Jmaz, I think you should try the hypnobirthing classes. They teach you how to deal with your birth and encourage positive thinking. There is a practitioner in JhB.

I have a no clue about Genesis, and I can only speak through the choices and research I have made for my upcoming birth - but all of the choice rests with you, as your birth is your special moment in your life.

So, after the disclaimer, this is what I have found and chosen: I found out that walking epidurals are not done in South Africa, in general. Lying down, immobile, during labour, does not help gravity or your body with birthing so I have personally chosen to take an epidural off the page. A water birth with epidural is out of the question - as health providers prefer you to be able to feel and move your lower body when you are in water, so that you can move to a bed if you do have complications after birth. Spinal anaesthetic has its own set of advantages, but they also come with disadvantages as well, which I wont bore you with, as you have to decide what is best for your body and your baby.

I do know that Genesis has an operating theatre so they can do a c/section in the event of any emergency occurring on the premises, and I doubt that you will need transfer. I hope it still is the same, but other mommies can correct me.

Lastly, I want to urge you to remain positive, and trust your body to do what it is made to do. Trust your instinct to make the right choices for you, and I wish you a very safe move, and a happy pregnancy and delivery.