Advice needed Please :-)

Thanks Leintije!

I am due 1 Feb...so have already passed the half way mark I think I must be mad to move during my first pregnancy but I think I'll just feign ignorance and take it as it comes

I am going to try and give Dr Truter a try and see if he has availability. Otherwise I will try Dr Deale, will keep you posted. So thanks for the tips!!!

I'd love to know more about baby factory shopping I need to buy absolutley EVERYTHING!! Which I am looking forward too!!!

Really appreciate the advice, as I was feeling really daunted a few days ago. But this forum is great!

Thanks again!!
Bubs

Hi Bubs!

You are very brave to emigrate while pregnant! When is your due date?

Hospitals in the area that I would recommend are Durbanville Medi-Clinic, Louis Leipoldt and Panorama

Most of the really good doctors are usually quite full, so you might have to huntaround a bit for someone that would take on a new pregnant patient.

I'm with Dr Deale in Durbanville. I don't know what his c-section rate is, but he was very supportive of natural birth. I unfortunately had to have an emergency c-sec due to severe pre-eclampsia. He is very experienced and I would highly recommend him. A lot of my friends are with him as well.
Furthermore there's Dr Esterhuizen (Panorama) and Dr Truter (Durbanville) that I would recommend

Merle Townsend did our antenatal classes, she's very good and I enjoyed the classeswith her. She's very pro-natural and pro-breastfeeding. She does them from her home in Durbell

As for shopping...

Clothes - Woolworths, Ackermanns, Pick 'n Pay Clothing, PEP, Edgars (which you will find in most shoppingmalls) or for something more special Keedo and Naartjie (both in Tygervalley shopping centre)

Toiletries - Clicks (most malls) and Dischem (Willowbridge) - both with loyalty programs

Prams, Car seats, etc - BabyCity, BabyBoom, Reggies and Toys r Us

In the High Street shopping area in Bellville there are a Baby City, Treehouse (for furniture and decor), Kids Emporium, Pregeez (boutique maternity wear) all close together.

Right next to the N1 highway at the Durban road exit there is a Toys R Us and a M-Kem 24hour pharmacy (they also do vaccinations, baby and breastfeeding advice, etc)

If you are interested, there's also a number of factory outlets in the area - let me know if you want the details.

Good luck with the move and ask if you need anything else. Quite a number of the ladies on this forum lives in the area

Thanks so much JoyBaby!!

I was starting to panic a bit as there is so much to organise here and I don't know where to start especially as we are moving to an area where we do not know anyone! We are moving from Australia where you can find everything you cna think of and more on the internet...

I have thought about home birth...but my placenta is currently low lying to will have to see. 90% chance it moves so am being positive and really focussing on the natural birth route. Ideally I would like natural at a hospital...but geesh 75% c-section is huge!

Thanks again for the advice!!

Hi Bubs and welcome.
Sorry we've taken so long to reply but rest assured you'll be getting more replies soon

With regards to hospitals / dr's in Durbanville / Bellville - I cant actually tell you who is entirely pro natural delivery. Dr Lizette White was wonderful but relocated to Stellenbosch this year.
As you may have read, csec rates in SA are the highest in the world at 75% or something crazy like that. And I can only tell you of one other Dr in Western Cape - Dr Dumbrill who delivers at Vincent Polati in Southern Suburbs (close to M5 freeway) that I'm aware of who supports natural birth.

If you would like a 'guarantee' of natural birth, then I would suggest contacting Mowbray Maternity Centre and go the midwife route. You will have 2 scans with gynae's or fetal specialists (Dr Linnie Miller at Panorama is known as the best, but she has trained up a few others who are equally experienced, I saw Shannon Morris at Claremont Fetal Assessment Centre, and there is another lady I think she's at Louis Leipolt)- I know Dr Dumbrill supports here as back up - and then if for some reason you cant have natural, their government side does csec.
Either way, you'd be home the next day or day after that for csec, and they are all about natural.
You could also consider a home birth? Same midwives above could be contacted?

Regarding postnatal home care - there are a number of clinics who do the vaccinations (Bare in mind the ones that are compulsory before children can be admitted to school, if you dont intend on giving all of them, at least get these done). I used Pro Select in Durbanville. Sr Rika Hoffman. They are in Somerset Crescent just next to the Durbanville Medi Clinic. She does an antenatal class which if I can recall was 5 weeks long, once a week at night (Wednesdays?).
She is also a breastfeeding consultant and really helped me stick to breastfeeding which I managed for 9 months. She does do home calls after hours and weekends but it's pricey. She also does the childrens vaccinations (Last at 18m then again at 6yrs). There are a few of these around. Justine at Panorama is also well known.
And as far as natural birth antenatal classes go I highly recommend Rosemary Gauld. Its been a few years since I attended her class, while I was doula for my friend, but contact Intercare Tygervalley doctor's rooms to find out if she is still giving her antenatal classes there or alternative contact details.

Baby clothes - depends on your budget. Ackermans, Woolworths, Edgars, Jet, Pep, and then there are the boutiques like Naartjie, Keedo (?), etc. The prices and quality varies greatly so it really does depend. Personally I've never bought at a boutique, and will generally shop at Jet, Ackermans, occasionally woolworths (similar to Marcs & spensers?) and when my budget is really tight and I just need a few items to see the season out at Pep stores. Their quality is good enough for one season, but generally cant be reused with next baby if that makes sense. Although some wont buy there at all.
For other baby items like cots, prams, bottles, toiletries etc, baby city, baby boom, toys r us and reggies (most found in shopping malls or centres) are among the bigger places. Dischem (variety pharmacy) and Clicks have good rewards if you shop with them, and mostly I'd say watch for specials.
Formula I find is the same price almost everywhere you go so again watch for specials.

What a mouthful!
Where are you moving from?

Hi Everyone,

I have never posted on a site like this before, but I need information as we willl be new the birthing scene in Cape Town. My fiance and I are moving to South Africa 9 November and we are desperatly trying to find the right doctor and the right hospital to deliver at.

We are planning on living in the Durbanville/Bellville area and have been recommended that we look into Louis Leipoldt Hospital.

We really want a natural birth and doctor that is kind, supportive and people person. We want to be in hospital as short as possible and then off back to our new home.

So I guess I have a few questions:

- Anyone recommend be a good DR that believes in natural birth/ or will support it 100%?
- Is there postnatal home care? Any can you recommend anyone?
- And we need to enrol in antenatal classes ASAP - any recommendations?
- Good place to buy all your baby stuff?

We are really excited to be moving to ZA...there is so much to do!!

Cheerio!