Destination Kenya - Family / IVF / Prenancy Enquiries
01 August 2011
I have been offered an opportunity to work in Nairobi , Kenya on an expat assignment, and would be going with my wife, and one year old.
My wife had a " high risk pregancy" in that the baby was coming at 33 weeks and had to be stopped and on bed rest before then having a normal pregnancy a few weeks later. We also had IVF to get there. Does Nairobi have a hospital with a NICU (intensive care for newborns).
Also is the IVF facilty of a good standard ? my wife had to use special drugs like lovenox to help get pregnant and wondered if the facilty has the same.
Do you know what kind of activities are available, safely, for the family - ie. parks, play grounds, infant development classes. And are these within gated communities or in the town centre. How many families are there with children that we would interact with ?
Overall how do you rate your experience in Kenya - would you do it all again ?
Looking forward to your help and insight.
A
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Alongside meeting other members and mothers in the area, she can get specific advise about the concerns you have above, as well as get answers to a number of other questions she may have about preschools, playgroups, healthcare, etc...
For all your other questions about Kenya check out our Expat Arrivals Kenya guide.
Hi,
I run the website www.kenyaexpatmums.com and your query was passed onto me. Right, where to begin....
I have a 3 year old, 18 month old and am expecting baby number 3 in September. My pregnancies have been pretty straight forward. I have had to be induced each time due to Diabetes. My doctor is very good and thorough and the scans are excellent.
The best hospital in Nairobi is the Aga Khan. You choose your doctor and the care for a 'normal' pregnancy is very good. My Doctor is Dr Maria Carvelho and she will be able to answer any of your concerns regarding special care. Her email address is: drmariabcarvalho@gmail.com and I am sure she will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.
As far as I am aware there isn't a specialised NICU. Again, for the facilities of new born care you might like to email my pediatrician: I have 2 email addresses for him, and I am not sure which one is current. Try nesbittpaed@nbi.ispkenya.com or snesbitt@gerties.org. If any/all of these email addresses do not work, then just let me know and I will find current ones for you.
As far as I am aware there is no provision for IVF in this country. I know friends that have needed it and have traveled to Mauritius.
Sorry I could not be any more help, but I hope the doctors will be able to give you the detailed information you require.
There are plenty of families with young children in Nairobi. People tend to stay quite local to the area in which they live, as the traffic is pretty bad. I live over Muthaiga/Gigiri/Runda. I run a playgroup, go to a mother and toddler/baby group at an international school (www.Braeburn.com - Garden Estate) which is run by another mother. We then organise walks in the local forest and swimming at a heated outdoor pool at a nearby hotel. There is also a group called 'Monkeynastix' which is from SA - they do half hour 'gym' classes for children once they are walking. These are usually held at someones house. They also run classes at the international schools, once the child is at the school.
There aren't any 'parks' or 'playgrounds' as such. Shopping centers tend to have outdoor and indoor play areas which are nice and safe. Have a look at my website for information on these. It can be a bit of a challenge finding things to do, but combining the play areas, with a few play groups and play-dates we find we are kept pretty busy!
There are a mixture of small gated communities and then larger housing estates where people live. However, it is pretty easy getting out and about and people do not tend to stay within their residential area.
I hope this was of help. If you need to know anything else then just ask.
Judith Kelmanson
Nairobi has an IVF clinic check here is the website www.nairobiivf.com hope that helps
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