MOWBRAY MATERNITY HOSPITAL

sorry Sweli00, i dont...

Thats Nice Mienkie,

Do you know any semi private hospital here in Pretoria?

Spiral. there is a private side at mowbray as well where midwives are used. i'm not sure if you can book there if you dont live in the correct area but i will try and find out info on it when i go again. i think the payment is R5k. i'll check this out too.

okay - about my appointment on friday...

Mowbray is so nice!! All the nurses were super nice and chatty and called us “sweety pie” and “my darling” and not one was kort-af or rude or unpleasant at all. They sing in the hallways! They really treat the women with utmost respect. The facility is clean and everything was orderly. You know you’re after this one and so it’s not like wat gaan aan – everything goes smoothly even if it does take very long. i got there at 6h30 and was 4th in line (of 7 ladies booking) and i was done with everything at 11h40. i was given a certificate for work to confirm i had been there.

They did mostly the bookings Friday ie. women who were coming there for the first time. But I think they stop at 10 people or so. I don’t recall giving them my name and having an “appointment” but they had a book and my name was in it and so were the 7 other ladies that booked/registered that day. I was amazed at some women who were very far in their pregnancies already and hadnt been to a doctor at all – one lady was 37wks already and another girl was 38weeks but it was the first time they were there! The nurses didn't scold them for going in so late.

On Thursday i found out from a friend that because Mowbray is "semi-private" you pay according to your salary bracket even at the public side. I was worried about this because my husband was retrenched in December so we're living on only my income and his UIF payments (UIF took 5 weeks to pay out btw). I called the Hospital and they confirmed you do pay something. On friday i was asked for my payslip when I went to do the computerised registration and the guy didn’t say anything about payment. He let me sign a page that confirmed my salary but there was no amount of how much to pay on it. I was too anxious about paying to ask on Friday but i really must because i dont want to be shocked later.

I must be there in 2 weeks time for a scan. I think they’re going to do the same spina bifida test that my private gynae (who i have been seeing up until now) is going to do because I must go 13th to Mowbray and 15th to my doc and I’ll be 18 weeks and that test must be done when you’re 18 weeks. I want to cancel my doc because I don’t want to have to pay for having the same test that I got for free.

All in all i had a really nice first experience of the hospital. when i go for my scan i have to be there at 6h30 again and the woman working there assured me i should be out by 8am.

mowbrays active birth unit no longer runs as a private facility and as such they no longer take on patients outside their catchment area - as like all other state facilities. The only way to make use of the facility without residing in the catchment area is to hire your own private midwife - pay abu the facility fee - then it doesn't matter where you live.

This used to be a fabulous "state of the art" maternity unit back in the day. I was born there and my Mother still raves about it. I really hope your experience is a smooth one and that you are treated well.

hello moomies.

i thought i'd put this post up for any other mommies who, like me, are unfortunate enough to have to go government and doesnt know the process.

i called mowbray maternity on 23 january and got an appointment for 3rd feb - not bad, i think. first thing they wanted to know was where do i live. i gave my mother in law's address in woodstock and then they actually checked if that particular street fell under their jurisdiction before telling me to bring along:

1. ID book;
2. Proof of income;
3. Letter from my doctor confirming i'm pregnant (wtf? musnt they then check???);
4. Utility bill confirming address;
5. Marriage Certificate (I think they want this because I said my husband gets letters to that address and not me so they want to confirm we're married).

So i have to be there at 6h30am and sit... and wait... I am hoping i am the only person there when i get there tomorrow but wishful thinking, i know ha ha. i will be armed with a magazine, book, earphones and hope the time whiles away quickly.

i'll post another update after my ordeal, i mean appointment. I'll also find out if the above info and docs are needed if you go private, which i am not.