To anyone, not South African let's just say the state hospitals are not the 'uh greatest' but with no medical aid, you don't have much of a choice unless you can cough up the cash.
Hey, Britzie's in this post I share with you my reasons for going to a state hospital to deliver my baby and my personal experience. Happy reading.
My fellow South Africans need no explanation about our state hospitals but to anyone, not South African let's just say the state hospitals are not the 'uh greatest' but with no medical aid, you don't have much of a choice unless you can cough up the cash.
My reasons for using the state hospital:
From the above statement, I'm pretty sure you could guess that I had no medical aid when I fell pregnant. To cut a long story short I was supposed to switch medical aids but I had decided to cancel my existing medical aid since I was hardly ever sick and I could use that money for other things before getting covered by the new medical aid. As we all know life happens and I just never made the time to sort out my medical aid, to be honest, I had completely forgotten about it. Well, that was until I fell pregnant, for weeks after I literally trolled the internet looking for a decent medical aid that would cover the birth of my baby. I eventually gave up looking because it seriously stressed me out and I had developed an anxiety issue so I often had panic attacks, needless to say, the extra stress did not help.
My baby’s wellbeing was my number one concern so I just started going to the state clinic just until I found another doctor and figured things out. During this time, I did my research on the different birth methods and private birthing facilities available in Johannesburg. I knew that I wanted to have a natural birth so when I came across genesis maternity clinic I was overjoyed, to say the least. The clinic also accommodates non-medical aid clients so I definitely felt like it was a win for me. After reviewing the fee structure my husband and I decided that it was do-able and that we should start saving up for it.
A few weeks before I was due, I had to make some serious financial decisions. We were in a rather complicated situation that we really wanted to get out of and forking out that money was just not an option, we were also still short of our goal amount so I felt like the decision was made for us, we were going to the state clinic! Looking back at it all now I feel like we made the best decision for us and I feel like everything worked out as it was meant to.
My experience, personal opinions, and advice:
The clinic was not that bad you just have to get used to the super early mornings and the waiting around for hours on really uncomfortable benches. There were a few downsides though, one of these downsides was that they can't really pick up issues that aren't very obvious. This happened to me, I was going for my regular clinic checks but when I went for my ultrasound and check-up with my doctor, she picked up that I had a swollen uterus and that I was at risk of going into pre-term labor. The other downside is that you have to pretty much go through everything alone because your partner is not really allowed in anywhere. I guess I can understand why but I was just not prepared for it and since I was having a hard time emotionally, being alone made it a little harder.
I can definitely say that my experience at the hospital was much better but I think that is mainly because I had set my expectations really low. The one thing both facilities have in common is all the waiting and a few unnecessarily rude nurses. I had the joy of encountering a few of them but I tried to be understanding of their situations. It can't be easy working such long shifts and then having to deal with new moms and their emotions. The doctors, on the other hand, are amazing! If you read my birth story you would know that during my birth, I had the support of not one but two amazing doctors and a wonderful male midwife.
Stories about state facilities especially the hospital can be extremely daunting and some ladies have had really terrible experiences. My experience was not the greatest but it was honestly not that bad. The best advice I can give to anyone in a similar situation is to do your homework about the hospital and find one you're most comfortable with even if it means driving further. Most importantly remember that you are using the state facilities so do not expect five-star treatment. Try and be patient and respectful. Trust me the nurses will go that extra mile for you if you do. At the end of the day you all have the same goal and that is to bring your beautiful little baby safely into this world and believe me once you're holding that little baby nothing else matters.
Much love my Britzie’s XOXO
Comentários