Your Body, Your Pick

What are the choices that are open to you when giving birth in the UAE? Midwife Nikki Oliver shares her best advice…

Words: Nikki Oliver

From the moment you find out you’re pregnant there are so many choices in front of you. Which pram to buy, when to take your maternity leave, pacifier or no pacifier. But there are three major decisions you need to make first: Who will be your doctor? What kind of birth experience do you want to have? And where will you birth your baby?

These three are all inextricably linked. Mums-to-be in the UAE are now becoming more empowered than ever before and they want to explore every option available to them for the birth of their babies. And rightly so. The past five years has seen a rise in the number of midwives working in the UAE. This role has facilitated a rise in women-centred care. So let’s take a look at how to ensure you have the most positive birth experience you can...

Choosing your Doctor

This is perhaps the most important choice. Midwives are not allowed to deliver babies here – it’s very much physician led. It’s so important to find a doctor you trust and who truly understands your wishes. Shop around! One of the many benefits of private healthcare means that you have this luxury. Your doctor will be attending your delivery (though will most likely not be present until pushing… this is what we midwives are for). Ask your doctor questions. Do they have experience in the type of birth you would like? Sit with them and talk through your birth plan, understand each other’s expectations and there will be fewer surprises in your labour. And remember to ask around for recommendations. While I strongly discourage you from listening to every story on Facebook, other mums have been through it and their feelings towards doctors are a great resource.

Choosing your hospital

Choosing a hospital to deliver in is next on the list. Firstly, does your doctor have privileges here? Does your insurance cover this facility? Do they have midwives on the labour ward? Can they provide options for waterbirth, active birth, a NICU? I can wholeheartedly promise you that if you pick a hospital based on the VIP room then you will be neglecting other very important aspects.

Women in the UAE have so much choice for hospitals now (note that homebirth is illegal here). We know that Abu Dhabi boasts a strong maternity unit in The Corniche. In Dubai we have Mediclinic, Saudi German Hospital, American Hospital Dubai and Al Zahra offering multiple services. But what is perhaps most exciting (and, yes, I’m a little biased) is the much-anticipated London’s King’s College Hospital (KCH) is set to open its first branch outside the UK in Dubai in early 2019. It will bring state-of-theart facilities, including a specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology, which is planned to have a focus on supporting natural birth practices. (And I can confirm the midwives are fabulous…)

THE PAST FIVE YEARS HAS SEEN A RISE IN THE NUMBER OF MIDWIVES WORKING IN THE UAE”

Your birth experience

Perhaps the easiest question to answer, right? You want a safe experience. A positive one. On my blog I always advocate for positive birth experiences. It really doesn’t matter what your mode of birthing your baby is as long as you’re comfortable, happy and informed. So these are the birth options you can explore...

• WATERBIRTH: Birth in a pool filled with warm water. It is effectively like a giant bath. Water makes you more buoyant, allowing easy mobilisation. It encourages your skin to stretch and can reduce perineal trauma. And, anecdotally, babies born in water are generally pretty chilled.

• VAGINAL BIRTH: I can’t make this one much clearer. I use the term vaginal birth because if your baby comes out of there assisted (forceps or ventouse/suction) or unassisted… it still comes out. Sometimes babies need a little encouragement and that doesn’t distract from your efforts!

• NATURAL CAESAREAN SECTION: This is not nearly as terrifying as it sounds. A “natural caesarean” mimics natural birth as much as possible, allowing the parents to watch the birth as active participants. It allows for a gentle birth, reducing the need for resuscitation of the newborn, and allows for the baby to be transferred to the mother’s chest immediately, for early skin-to-skin contact. I can count the doctors who can do this on one hand. But investigate! You won’t be disappointed.

• DOULAS: Not many places advocate the use of doulas. I think professionals who are not confident find them somewhat intimidating or troublesome. Me… I love them! They are women who are kind and gentle and support birthing families to achieve the birth they want. More often than not your doula will be trained in hypnobirthing, too, which provides emotional and mental tools for coping in labour!

One final word: always, always remember: “No decision about me, without me!”

Nikki Oliver is a midwife at King’s College Hospital, Dubai. For more great advice and information on birthing in the UAE, check out her blog; thefitmidwife.com