First Dubai Pregnancy - Help!!

the biggest thing is to find a doctor you're comfortable with, and then find out where he/she delivers and do a tour of the facilities to make sure you're familiar and comfortable. many doctors deliver at a few places so you have options. follow you're gut when you make a decision about the doctor and about the hospital. it's not just the doctor doing the delivery you have to consider but the quality of the pediatrics department for your baby once they're born.

Congratulations! I am an FTM also and currently 15 weeks. I am seeing a Doc at City hospital who is amazing but is sadly leaving Dubai so I have to choose another. I like City as I have a blood disorder and my haematologist is also there and so all records in one place. It is also direct billing with my insurance company. I have heard that American is slightly quieter at the moment compared to City and there are not enough doctors at City to cope at the moment. Al Zahra has a good reputation also but as the other ladies said get it covered on insurance of you could be paying a lot if a C section or if something goes slightly not in the right direction. xx

Hi and Congrats!! If you are still looking for a midwife there is a great clinic in JLT that will send a licensed one to your house for a pretty low price. Name of the clinic is healthcall, they also have an obgyn and a couple pediatric drs. healthcall.ae

Hi, Cograts for the news. I live in sharjah and had 3 babies here all at Al Zahra hospital sharjah. My friend lives in the springs and chose Al Zahra hospital which is in barsha. She had an Indian female doctor that she was very comfortable with as she has been a gyni for about 20 years. She went with Al Zahra hospital because she had a terrible experience at the American hospital around garhoud area. And she went to an American doctor. Both cover insurance. Private hospitals are expensive if u don't have insurance. With my 3rd pregnancy I finally decided to buy the maternity package (around 5000dirham) covered most screen test blood test ultrasounds then we paid another 10 000dirhams for overnight care and natural delivery. just be warned c-sections can cost almost 20 000 dirhams without insurance. Good luck!

First of all, congratulations! :) You have a couple of options to consider. You can register yourself for a maternity/prenatal package with a government (recommend Latifa) or private (American, City, Zahra, Medcare) hospital. This will include screenings as well as doctors appointments and a normal delivery. Many of these hospitals (and their associated doctors) have been discussed on the forum so you will get lots of up to date information about the hospital facilities, as well as the OBs at those hospitals. In any case, it's always a good idea to go and have a tour so that you can decide what you are comfortable with. Traffic is usually a consideration in choosing a hospital as most people want something closer to home in case there needs to be a mad dash! The government hospital (Latifa) has an excellent reputation and is probably a bit cheaper than the private ones. It is also the "go to" hospital in case of severe complications as it is fully equipped to handle all sorts of antenatal issues. I'm not sure if you need to have a government health card to register with them. City hospital seems to be the preferred choice if you're going private. The second option is to choose an OB first and then check with them where they deliver. Most of them will deliver at City, Medcare, Zahra, Garhoud Private, etc. There are also lots of OBs to choose from and they have their own clinics. Some offer packages but most don't so you will pay for every appointment, ultrasound, blood test, etc. separately. Also check which insurance they accept as some don't accept any for direct billing. There are lots of recommendations on the forum and choosing an OB is ultimately down to your personal preference. Some ladies like a "no nonsense/matter of fact" approach, while others prefer a more "hands on/involved/sensitive" approach. In any case, most OBs will provide you with their personal mobile number so that you can contact them in case of emergencies or problems. Something to keep in mind if you go with this option is that you will pay the OB separately for delivery (normal delivery is usually around Dhs 5,000 but can vary) and you will pay the hospital separately (for the room, facilities, medications, epidural, etc.) If you do a search on the forum, you will find lots of feedback and discussions about both of the above options, as well as doctors and hospitals. Good luck with your decision and all the best with your pregnancy!