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ewmoda

Just found out i'm pregnant and need advice/help!

51

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 21:47

Hi all,

I have just found out i'm pregnant with my first baby and now I need as much help and advice as possible!

So far I have just done the home test and now need to know what I do next. I have only been in Dubai for 1 year and am not even registered with a Dr out here. Can anyone recommend any good ones (preferably English or western origin and female).

Although this baby is very much planned it has all happened ALOT quicker than expected (must have been within days of deciding to try and thought it was going to take months and months).

So now I really need peoples help/ideas/advice on everything baby related. I also do not have any health insurance (stupid I know) and need advice on any good ones which do cover pregnancy without having to be insured for 2 years first.

Would also be good to hear from anyone in the same position as myself so I can share the joy, excitement, terror and panic!

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5

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 25 April 2011 - 16:44

You should be able to get special pregnancy supplements with folic acid, e.g. Pregnacare - no idea if you could get that brand here though which contains 400mcg folic acid as the recommended daily dose. Be careful NOT to take vitamin A though amongst your vitamins. Oh and get some good books like What to Expect When Expecting. edited by Sugarbeach on 04/04/2011 hi kts and sugarbeach, just saw your post and thought i would add something that might be of interest. During your pregnancy (mainly throughout the 2nd and 3rd trimester) your body and your baby need more vitamin A, which is very important for the light-dark adaptation of the eyes and for the growth of skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin A comes in 2 different kinds: Retinol and Beta-carotene. Both are important during pregnancy. But an excessive intake of retinol can also harm your baby. Good sources of retinol are egg yolk, butter or margarine and milk. Liver is very rich in retinol and therefore you should refrain from eating liver during the first trimester. Good sources for beta-carotene are papayas, carrots, sweet potatoes, papaya, oranges and green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, spring vegetables and kale. that means you should try to avoid a high intake of retinol, while beta-carotene is fine.

nicecuppatea29533

20

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 April 2011 - 15:59

Hi kts congratulations!! I'm 12 weeks pregnant and although we waited for a while it still seems like a bit of a shock! I've been getting ms all day too and found that those accupuncture travel sickness wrist bands really help - you can get them in pharmacies. Also I got some ice lolly moulds in Crate & Barrel and have been making lollies with orange juice - staves off the sick feeling for a while. We are hoping to go with City Hospital too - see you there! x

Anonymous (not verified)

0

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 20 April 2011 - 09:44

ginger! and i loved home made fruit smoothies with of course added ginger... also i just bought my baby one of those baltic amber necklaces, it seems to be working, so i am going to get myself one too, i read it helps with bloating and inflammation, which causes allergies... so, do check that out, i would love to hear if it works on a pregnant woman, that would be great i want it for allergies.

51

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 April 2011 - 18:24

Thanks everyone. I have decided to go with the City Hospital Package rather than with Daman insurance. The hospital is very similar to charge to daman except with Daman my husband has to be on the policy too - he already has insurance through his work so that is pointless. Had a bit of a scare this week as i had a bleed but thankfully all is ok- had a blood test, urine test and ultra sound which showed the baby already has a heartbeat :) so nothing to worry about - phew. Starting to feel quite sick now and have the feeling ALL day :( have been eating biscuits or dry food which seems to help, however i suffer from IBS so am not supposed to eat wheat. Was wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what can help me feel a bit better that does not contain wheat as this is not helping with the already bloated feeling I have!!

1

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 17 April 2011 - 12:11

Hey congratulations!! You should get one of those pregnancy calendars which help you record dates and appointments as well as your personal thoughts. I loved it! And it cost only 99dhs!!!

199

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 17 April 2011 - 07:41

Congrats! Wonderful news! Regarding insurance, Daman will insure you. Call their office at Healthcare city and ask for Adham-he is brilliant, fast quick, and got me insured at 4 months. :) Its not cheap, it comes out to what you would pay out of pocket for a hospital stay and c-section-about 25k. But, it includes coverage for all your prenatal, your tests, your scans, the baby from birth, and of course any emergency situation. The plan i got was the better regional plan-so it is more expensive (25k as stated above) but it includes the best private hospitals, like City and American and its direct billing at 100%, so its super easy. I do remember that it has to be a family plan-so your husband needs to be insured with you as well. But thats just another 4k. Good luck!

Anonymous (not verified)

0

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 17 April 2011 - 01:29

just take good care of your wonderful self, get your protein and iron in addition to the prenatas oohhhh and that fish oil!!! a good book is the dr sears baby book" and even check out the dr sears web site. i thought it was really great, i went back home to have my daughter and had a home birth, i so would do it all over again mainly cause of having a midwife there to encourage me through my last rimester+ i say if you can look into finding a nice doula i hear liz here in dubai is excellent, i think she is with dubai doulas, i actually talked to her when i first found out i was pregnant, i got really excited and scared right away. just remember through it all never listen to bad birth stories, always trust your intuition, and believe in yourself! yaaay! congrats, my daughter is now 4 months and it already feels like she is a year... enjoy your pregnancy!!!

51

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 07 April 2011 - 19:17

Thanks everyone for your advice. I have now been to Dubai London Clinic and had a blood test which confirms I am 4-5 weeks pregnant :) Now looking into insurance :( Will hopefully be sorted soon. I really appreciate all your help - Thank you.

225

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 05 April 2011 - 16:26

congratulations KTC, hope Damac will insure you. If not - the best option would be Al Wasl (they are not free anymore) or Medcare. Their packages are very similar (it is worth to opt for a prental package instead of individual visits). You dont have to be registered with GP to get ob-gyn appointment. You can head to the private clinic or hospital of your choice. Good luck x

308

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 05 April 2011 - 09:35

Congrats kts! I had my first 4 months ago, and i saw Dr Nicola at Dubai London Clinic in Festival City. I much preferred being seen by her as it was so much less of a faff than trying to see my OB in hospital every time (who was often called away as someone was having an emergency/giving birth etc) In the UK i wouldnt have seen an OB every month, so i was really comfortable just staying with my GP, and meeting my OB for 21 & 34 week checks (This is the minimum i think) Obviously you have to make sure you register with an OB way before that though! So its up to you really what way you want to go. I had a simple uncomplicated pregnancy so i was fine to stay with my GP. Cant help with insurance as im on my DH's - although one thing i will say is look out for your maternity allowance limit! I had no idea there even was a limit and got stung for 7k on leaving hospital as id used up most of my allowance over the course of the pregnancy on scans, check ups, blood tests etc! My own fault of course, but just something to be aware of. And most of all, good luck and congratulations!!

92

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 05 April 2011 - 06:51

Hi kts - Congrats on the pregnancy! I was in your exact position recently and started a thread on here asking all the same questions because I too was clueless and it was a planned surprise. I went straight to Dubai London Clinic to go have my blood test done and have a consultation with Dr Anna who confirmed the pregnancy. From there you don't usually see anyone after that until at least 8 weeks. How far are you? I also didn't have insurance but Daman were the only company willing to insure me whilst I was already pregnant. I can't quite remember the time delay before you can start using the insurance but I think it was 6 months so you'd be covered for the birth which is the most expensive bit. Take prenatal as hello kitty said - I used Puritans Pride which was easy to keep down and had everything in it. I think the first step is to go confirm you are pregnant and then take your time deciding on a OBGYN and hospital - visit a few like City, American, Al Wasl etc. I was with Dr EkAterina for A while but she recently left City hospitAl so I'm waiting to meet her replacement Dr Aziz which will be all new for me ! I'm now nearly 16 weeks and feeling great. Let me know if you have any other specific questions and I'll try my best to help xx

Hello.Again.Kitty

1861

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 22:50

Thank you hello.again.kitty. Some very valuable info and you have helped to make me feel less worried and I will get onto the insurance asap. Any advice on finding a good gp? hehe - no, not really! I don't hold ob/gyns here in high regard when it comes to modern childbirth philosophy, but you'll be needing an OB/gyn more than a GP (although GPs are useful too!). I use Dr Nicholas & Asp in the Marina, because I'm based here. Others will be able to recommend OB/gyns - some are hospital-based, others clinic-based. The trick is to shop around, so to speak, and find one that shares your outlook, is understanding of your needs and concerns and that you connect with. If the one you choose doesn't tick those boxes, walk away. It's so, so very important to be able to trust your medical professionals to respect your wishes when push comes to shove.

51

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 22:38

Thank you hello.again.kitty. Some very valuable info and you have helped to make me feel less worried and I will get onto the insurance asap. Any advice on finding a good gp?

Hello.Again.Kitty

1861

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 22:25

Look into the insurance asap, but don't hold out for it, because you now have a "pre-existing condition" (nice, I know)... you'll need to have access to around 12k (normal birth, no complications or extras) to 25k+ (c-section with the works)... BUT don't panic. Don't stress or worry. It's the most natural thing in the world and you have 9 months to appear to get organised... I say that, because no matter how much stressing, preparing, rushing around, buying, washing, ironing and sorting you may do in advance, [b'>nothing[/b'> will prepare you fully for the wonder that is motherhood! So long and short is that you may as well wing it and enjoy the ride - as long as you and bubs are safe and healthy, that's all that matters. Also take the "do this, don't do that" with a pinch of salt. Many of the food-related things are common sense (basically avoiding things that are know to be prone to harmful bugs - this doesn't mean to say, though that as soon as you have a prawn, you're going to keel over... the risk of catching these things is exactly the same as when you weren't pregnant, it's just the consequences that can be more harmful). Blue cheese is, for example, a case in point. The danger is listeria, but the risk of getting listeria is something really small like 1 in a million, BUT the risk of listeria having severe consequences on your baby *if* you were to get it are something like 20%. As with everything to do with pregnancy and birth, inform yourself. If you're worried or not happy, inform yourself and be confident in your capacity to know what is right for you and your baby... because you do know, already, deep down.

51

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 22:11

oooh thanks for that - just checked and it does not have Vitamin A in. Had no idea Vitamin A was bad!?! I have soooooo much to learn!

Sugarbeach23383

1566

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 22:06

You should be able to get special pregnancy supplements with folic acid, e.g. Pregnacare - no idea if you could get that brand here though which contains 400mcg folic acid as the recommended daily dose. Be careful NOT to take vitamin A though amongst your vitamins. Oh and get some good books like What to Expect When Expecting. <em>edited by Sugarbeach on 04/04/2011</em>

51

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 21:55

Hi Sugarbeach, Yeah I have been taking some vitamins which contain folic acid. Started taking the day we decided to start trying. It says it is 100% of the daily recommended dose at 400mcg but is this right or should you take more if you are pregnant?

Sugarbeach23383

1566

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 21:50

Congrats kts. Are you taking folic acid yet? If not, get some and do so ASAP.

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