Pregnancy Concerns

Just to add in about the private hospital and gynae route - You must remember obstetricians/gynae's are specialists - in abnormal births and pregnancies and so they charge and practice accordingly. You are looking in the region of R5500 - R15000 for gynae fees alone plus your hospital bill of about R18000. nevermind the paed - who must see the baby to be discharged...it all adds up really fast. If she ends up needing a cs - then you've got aneasthetist fees, theatre fees....you can find excellent care with a private midwife at a far more affordable rate!

Hi Bobo,
I work with an independent midwife and although she is based in Observatory she will do birth in the greater Cape Town area. You can check out her website at www.spiritualbirth.net
You are looking at R450 for the booking visit plus you then pay the lab for any blood tests.
R250 for routine antenatal visits which are once a month until 28weeks then they are every 2 weeks - these visits are an hour long each.
Her birth is should you birth at home is R7500
Should you want to give birth in hospital, you can make use of the Liesbeeck Active Birth Unit at Mowbray where they have lovely private labour rooms with a double bed and big bath for waterbirths. you then pay the facility R4500 and the midwife R5500.Should she need a csection during the course of labour you still pay her fee and then I think another couple of thousand above the facility fee. (this can be paid off as well)
You can in box me for more info as this midwife is away at the moment and so I am covering her clinic. But she is very experienced and really makes the pregnancy & birth a special occasion for the mother.

Hi Bobo,

Welcome and I hope you will find some good advice here. Thank you for being a good dad-to-be and finding out what is best for your girlfriend and baby, the world can do with more guys like you.

The private route is unfortunately very expensive. I dont know Cape Town gynaes (Im in Jhb) but my baby was born 9 months ago and the hospital and birth alone was about R20000. Apart from that, gynae visits will be done throughoit the pregnancy, every 4 weeks, and in the last 2 months every 2 weeks. Depending on what the specific visit requires (sometimes they do specific scans i.e. at 12 weeks and 20 weeks to check for abnormalities) my appointments cost between R400 to R900.

This is the completely private route. Some gynaes will give you discount if you pay cash though. You can also have a look at getting a midwife as primary carer, with only a few necessary visits to a backup gynae (he will usually also be private). This is a much more affordable option, and quite a few ladies here prefer this for personal reasons as well. I do not have details though, hopefully Hasie or one of the ladies who went this route will chime in and give you more details.

All of the best with the pregnancy! Take it one day at a time, it is scary but not something I would change for the whole world!

Hi All

I just need some serious advice, I am a student and my girlfriend is pregnant and also a student. She does not have medical aid however, I have some savings... R22000 to be exact. Could anyone please tell us where to start, I am looking for affordable solutions for this maternity process. She lives in Brackenfell, where must we start and how does the private public hospital root work like. Is my savings enough for private,if so which private clinic. If not, what are the alternatives to completely public sector. Can I atleast consult a private gynae. Please help, I'm a bit out of my depth. Can anyone also recommend to me some details of not absurdely expensive doctors or institutions in the bellville region for this maternity process.