FINDING A MIDWIFE & BOOKING A HOSPITAL

“Ensure your midwife is equipped to deal with any emergency,” midwife Heather Pieterse advises. If she’s a nurse, check she has full South African Nursing Council registration and also good medical indemnity cover, and she should be up to date with her neonatal resuscitation training. Word of mouth is always the best way to find a suitable midwife – there’s nothing to beat a personal referral from a happy mom who’s had a positive home-birth experience. “Midwives are prohibited by the South African Nursing Council from advertising, so we rely on women making choices, researching, talking to one another and referring,” says Heather, who adds that using social media to find a midwife is also an option. Securing the services of a midwife is, however, only half the equation: you must also book a place at a hospital (in case something goes wrong) and, if you’re using a private establishment, you must meet the doctor. Although your midwife will guide and assist you with all these preparations, “this is your birth, so you need to assume full responsibility for it and do your homework,” Heather says.