Birthing Center
Welcome to the Stellar-Med Birth House.
We specialize in providing midwife lead maternity care to women with normal low risk pregnancies.
The home away from home atmosphere has been created to provide women with an alternative place to birth their babies. The environment allows the parents to feel comfortable and confident during the birth. We believe in normal active births where women can respond naturally to their bodies and make the appropriate choices for their births. We believe in freedom of movement and listening to your body during the birthing process. (Please note that we are not a hospital or a clinic but a home birth house with limited resources.)
Antenatal visits
- We recommend regular antenatal care with your doctor from 8 weeks until 20 weeks, we would then start to see you for regular antenatal consultations from 24 weeks. (we can see you as early as 16 weeks if preferred)
- We must see you for the following visits: Monthly visits from 24 weeks until 30 weeks Every two weeks from 30 weeks until 36 weeksWeekly visits from 37 weeks until birth or 41 weeks.
- A visit to your doctor/gynecologist at 36 weeks is compulsory. (this is for your account)
Antenatal consultations will be done at Stellar-Med, by appointment only.
Please contact Elizabeth on 083 388 4424 to schedule an appointment. - If private health care is available to you, then we will need you to supply us with a letter of confirmation from your gynecologist, who would be willing to assist in an emergency. This must be at a hospital close by.
- As this is a birth house we do not have the facilities to do a caesarian section or accommodate a sick baby. We do however have the services of an ambulance company to help transport mom and/or baby to the nearest hospital should an emergency arise during the labour and birth, for either a caesarian section or neonatal care.
- Should you wish to use private health care for your baby instead of a government facility, please register your baby with a medical aid before the birth and provide us with the details.
Fees (cash payments are preferable)
Please contact us for the latest fee’s (011 837 1607)
All fees must be paid in full by 36 weeks, before you may use any of the Stellar-Med services
Additional fees of approximately R 3 000 may be incurred if additional procedures are performed. (See below for details)
The birth fee includes the following:
• The support of the midwife to help you throughout labour and birth (telephonically in the early stages of labour and full support on admission to the birth house)
• Monitoring of the labour in accordance with medical protocols
• Assistance with the birth (normal / water/ vacuum if necessary)
• Regular monitoring and care in the six hours after birth to ensure that the post birth period is well managed (i.e. stitching, blood loss monitoring, and breastfeeding support)
• One postnatal checkup at between 3-5 days after the birth, at the birth house, to check mom and baby’s well being
The following are not included in the fees listed above: (but will be charged if utilized)
• The call out fee for our gynecologist in the event of an emergency
• Kiwi vacuum pump for an assisted birth (approximately R1500)
• Additional medications for a complicated birth (approximately R 3000)
• Pathology services (Hamadi Labs,Mullah, Lancet or Ampath Laboratories)
• Ambulance transport fee to the hospital
• Hospital or neonatal costs
Banking details
Capitec Bank
Branch code 470010
Savings account 137 546 1786 – in the name of Marilyn Sher
Please use your name and surname as the reference
Baby check up
We will do a general baby check after the birth, but it is important that a thorough medical check is done by a doctor or pediatrician within the first week of birth. This is for your account.
Food
This facility unfortunately does not have the resources to provide meals. We urge you to please make your own arrangements. We will however provide you with liquid refreshments (ie. tea and coffee)
Non stress test
This is a monitoring that is done to check the wellbeing of your baby. Your midwife will advise if this becomes necessary. The cost of the test is R200 and takes approximately 30 minutes.
Admission criteria
The following criteria needs to be met to ensure the safety of mother and baby at our birth house:
• Regular antenatal visits with our midwife
• An uncomplicated pregnancy (no medical issues)
• No medical problems that may have resulted from the pregnancy (eg. high bp, bleeding, decreased fetal movement, prematurity or any other condition that we feel is not safe)
• You must be exactly 37 weeks or more pregnant to give birth at the birth house
• No previous caesarian births
• No major abdominal surgery or illness
If any of the following occur before or during labour, you will have to be admitted to a hospital to give birth:
• If you go into labour before 37 weeks
• If you need an epidural or meds for pain relief
• If your waters break and the colour is green/brown
• If your waters break and you do not go into labour. You will need an induction.
• If your baby shows any signs of distress
• If you go past your due date and need to be induced
• If your labour is not progressing at any time
• If the midwife feels that you or your baby are in any kind of danger
All these criteria are necessary to protect both mother and baby. They do not happen very often but it is essential that you are aware of these conditions.