To be eligible for a home birth, clients must be low-risk mothers without pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or hypertension, be at least 16 years old, have a singleton pregnancy, and the baby must be in a head-down position by 36 weeks. During your initial visit, your midwife will conduct a screening to determine if you meet the criteria.

While we support VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean), regulations prohibit midwives from performing VBACs in a home setting. We can conduct antenatal visits for mothers with previous c-sections, but will refer them to a high-risk clinic at 36 weeks gestation.

Honesty is crucial in our relationship with clients to ensure the best possible care. If the risks outweigh the benefits, we will make the decision to refer you to a higher level of care to prioritise the safety of both you and your baby.

We serve the following areas: Somerset West, Strand, Stellenbosch, and Gordon’s Bay for home births (enquire if your city could be an additional area).

For births at our birthing facility, we do the above mentioned areas plus we extend our services to Cape Town and surrounding cities.

We love meeting new moms! Usually from your second last missed period you can contact us.

Important – We take in limited clients:

Explore your options sooner rather than later! We have limited birthing spaces per month.

It’s important to establish care at Natural Birth as soon as possible during your pregnancy so you can get the care that is right for you.

Contact us to see if we are still accepting moms who are due the month of your due date.

Antenatal visits are conducted at our consultation facility in Somerset West, at 8 Anreith Street.

Postnatal visits at day 1, 3 and 7 will be done at home if staying in the Helderberg Basin area. Please note that transport fees would apply when outside of Somerset West.

Postnatal follow up visits on Day 10 can be done at home or at our office, as you prefer.

There are no restrictions on movement. Movement is encouraged and I will work around you, whatever your position happens to be!

We use non-pharmacological forms of pain relief. Breathing, visualising, aromatherapy, homeopathic remedies, water, warm compressions, etc are some natural pain relievers used during labour that I encourage moms to use. First time moms are encouraged to get a doula and if possible attend antenatal classes. Doulas are amazing ladies that will assist in any way they can to help get you through! Their hand on support includes massage therapies, assistance with breathing techniques, meditation, visualization, aromatherapy, pressure points, and getting your partner involved in assisting.

We have had patients traveling from cities two hours or more away such as Robertson, Montagu and cities around Cape Town to birth at our birth room. If you have family in Somerset West or nearby cities, you can stay with them awaiting your birth. Discuss your situation with us.

In the event of an emergency we would call the backup gynecologist in Somerset West. If you do not have a backup doctor we will refer you to Helderberg Hospital in Somerset West as our back-up facility. At Natural Birth we are professionally trained and possess the required experience, to identify potential problems and manage emergencies. If and when required, we will quickly arrange a calm transfer to hospital. We are fully trained and skilled to provide immediate response to an emergency situation.

Our birth room is 5 min away from Helderberg Hospital and 8 minutes away from Medi Clinic Vergelegen.

Throughout your labor, the lead midwife will stay in touch with your backup doctor (as discussed beforehand). When needed, you will be transported to the hospital alongside your midwife.

Once at the hospital, the midwife will help to settle you in and pass on your care to the labor ward staff, who will assist in preparing you for the procedure. At this point, the Natural Birth midwife will step back so that the hospital team can resume your care with their expertise and support. We understand this transition can feel challenging, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

In our practice we require upfront payment for antenatal and postnatal visits and births. Upon completion of each service, we will provide you with an invoice for reimbursement from your medical aid.

Please be advised that you are responsible for determining the coverage provided by your medical aid for the birth and subsequent visits.

Yes, we currently work alongside a medical loan company called Mediwallet. They assist clients with medical bills and you can pay them in instalments even after the procedure. See Below:

http://www.mediwallet.co.za/ This is our profile at Mediwallet: https://www.mediwallet.co.za/medicalfinance/natural-birth-5025

Clients with blood group RH Negative will be subject to an additional fee for the Rhogham injection after delivery.

Transportation expenses: An additional charge will apply for all areas outside of Somerset West (ranging from R200 to R1000 per visit, depending on the area) and are not included in other costs.

If you would like a water birth we do have portable birth pools (which include pool liner, tap adapters, pump and big kettle) available to hire. Contact us to enquire fees.

Research suggest that having a water birth decreases considerably labour pain.

Latest studies and personal accounts suggest that giving birth in water offers numerous advantages: 

– Eases pain 

– Promotes relaxation 

– Provides buoyancy, making women feel more weightless 

– Eases the ability to change positions 

– Lowers stress hormones that heighten pain 

– Being in water can lessen feelings of anxiety 

– Lowers the chance of needing an episiotomy or tearing 

– Can support the foetal ejection reflex instead of obstructing it 

– Promotes relaxation of the pelvic muscles 

– Eases feelings of inhibition and stress by offering a sense of privacy, allowing a mother to trust her natural birthing process and work in harmony with her body 

– Facilitates a smoother arrival and transition for the baby 

– By aiding in movement, privacy, and both emotional and physical relaxation, water birthing can shorten the duration of labor by helping to release hormones that encourage labor. 

– Decreases the likelihood of medical procedures.

Indeed, it is our standard protocol to commence immediate skin-to-skin contact and permit delayed cord clamping. However, there may be instances where this is not feasible, such as in emergency situations necessitating immediate attention to either the mother or the infant.

Should you be presently under the care of someone else and wish to switch to our services, you need to supply your previous medical records for our review: This is a straightforward request for the exchange of medical records through email or by physical document from the previous provider to our office.

Please have in mind that giving birth up to two weeks before and two weeks after are still considered normal. From 36 weeks of gestation we will guide you about what to expect.

Please have in mind that giving birth up to two weeks before and two weeks after are still considered normal. 

Statistical data indicates that pregnancies that extend beyond two weeks after the estimated due date (40 weeks), as determined by an ultrasound performed around the 12th week of gestation, are associated with a (minimal) increase in infant morbidity, referring to health issues affecting the baby. Additionally, there is a corresponding rise in the number of births necessitating medical intervention. Consequently, it is a common practice among obstetricians to advise expectant mothers to prevent their pregnancies from progressing beyond the two-week post-estimated due date. Once your pregnancy has reached 41 weeks you will be asked to contact your backup gynae for an appointment to perform an ultrasound and check that all is good to continue for another week. A following appointment will be schedule with dr for week 42, if baby hasn’t arrived, and care will be handle over. 

Most pregnancies will go into spontaneous labour before the 42 weeks so stay calm. First time moms tend to deliver their babies just after 41 weeks.