Having a Baby in Cape Town

Pre natal classes
Most of the private hospitals in Cape Town offer anti-natal classes which you will be expected to pay for. Devora offers amusing evening classes for mothers and fathers-to-be in Milnerton or at the Kingsbury Hospital in Claremont. (Devora 0834638114). Alternatively, contact your nearest baby clinic or contact the hospital where you are having your baby.
 
Maternity Hospitals
All the main private hospitals in Cape Town have maternity units. Medical Aid schemes cover the cost of pregnancy and birth to varying degrees so it is important to check your policy. Many policies will not pay pre-natal or birth costs until you have been a member for 10 months.

 

Tel: 21 464 5500

Tel: 021 670 4000

Tel: 21 799 2911

Tel: 021 506 5111

All of these have excellent reputations, and offer exceptionally high standards of maternity care. One’s choice is often determined by where one’s gynaecologist is based, and how close the hospital is to one’s home. Most hospitals organise tours of their maternity unit on a regular basis so you may want to book onto one of these before making your choice.
 
Gynaecologists
There are two main options open to you when having a baby in Cape Town: midwife or gynaecologist. Whichever you choose, your midwife or gynaecologist will remain the person in charge of you and your baby's care throughout the pregnancy and will be present at the birth so there is very reassuring continuity of care.

 

If you choose to go with a gynae, you will be seen on a roughly 6 to 8 week basis until the final stages of your pregnancy and scanned at each visit. If you choose to go the midwife route, you will be seen as regularly but they do not have the equipment for scans. You will be referred to a gynae for you 12 and 22 week scan and if the midwife has any concerns.

 

Both the gynaecologists and midwives are affiliated to hospitals so you might decide to choose which hospital you want to have the baby in and then find out about the gynaes and midwives at that hospital.

Dr Aneen Van der Merwe and Dr Veronique Eeckhout Cape Town Medi Clinic, and Dr Paula Penkin at the Kingsbury Hospital all come highly recommended, as do the midwives at Birth Options in Wynberg (Tel: 021 683 4568).
 
Maternity Nurse
The trend for maternity nurses is becoming much more popular in South Africa and is far cheaper than in the UK for example. Many of the nurses who work on the Maternity wards work as maternity nurses when off-duty. Either contact the hospital where you are having the baby or one of the baby clinics listed below.
 
Final words…

Once your baby is born, you will be assigned a Paediatrician in the hospital who they recommended to visit over the first few years but you will make regular visits to the baby clinic of your choice where the baby will be weighed, measured and receive its immunisations. They also offer help and support to parents and are able to answer numerous questions and offer advice when needed on everything related to babies and small children.

 

By Annabelle Dare, November 2009