High risk pregnancy riyadh

Hi X, congrats on the pregnancy! 

I'm sorry I'm not able to help you with your questions--I sure hope somebody has the information you need.

Thanks.

It was a longshot posting here. But I cannot find anything useful elsewhere on the web. And everyone I can talk to is male and will say "it was great here" (re: their wife's birth), but they cannot answer simple questions about the care so I don't exactly put much weight in their opinion.

I'm going to go back to Asia anyway, there are too many uncomfortable variables here and at least I know I will be well cared for there.

Hi Xenolol,

I can answer some of your questions.

1. From what I remember, we went for the first ultrasound when she was about 2 months pregnant.  We didn't have to go, it was just to confirm that she was pregnant.  She already knew from the pregnancy test, but confirmation is always good.

2. My wife ended up going to her home country to give birth (for citizenship purposes), so I don't know.  But initially when she was planning on giving birth here, that was one of my biggest concerns also, and I would have literally fought for it had they said no.  Having said that, my daughter came 3 weeks early so I missed the birth!

3. First appointment just an ultrasound, no blood or urine.

4. As long as you are healthy and it is not a high risk pregnancy (advanced age, previous miscarriages, etc), you don't really have to go a lot, typically every 2-3 months just to make sure things are going OK, but they recommend going every month for the last 3 months.  We went around every 6 weeks from the beginning because we were shopping for a good doctor in Jeddah, but in the end she decided to go deliver in her home country.  We also went twice for a 3D scan for the novelty of it, and to see our daughter's face in 3D... it was great to see facial features in 3D in real time and watch her move her limbs!  Although we caught glimpses of her face, she had her hands hiding her face most of the time!

5. Sorry don't know about this.

6.

7. Yes, they do pap smears.  If the gynecologist is a female, it makes things a lot more relaxed and easier.  In case pap smear or examination is necessary, it is best to wear a long dress instead of trousers.  Abaya is no problem, it can also be pulled up with the dress, or can be taken off in the doctor's office.  And yes, some of the male doctors we went to, completely ignored her and talked to me, even though they were talking about her.  Quite aggravating, and I wanted to tell them off, but we knew it wouldn't accomplish anything.  Needless to say, we didn't go back to such doctors again.

One thing you should ask about and be firm about if you plan on giving birth here:

One of my wife's colleagues gave birth here in Erfan Hospital, and she said that immediately after delivery, instead of giving the baby to the mother, they took the baby away to another room and gave her formula milk without the mother's consent, bringing her back after an hour.  There is absolutely no need for an immediate feed, let alone a formula feed, and it is cruel also to take the baby away for an hour without giving the mother chance to hold her baby.  The baby should always be given to the mother at birth.

You must put your foot down regarding this and make them agree to give you the baby immediately at birth, assuming that's what you want.

Thankfully, my wife did not deliver here, because if she had, and if they had taken the baby away, I would have physically stopped them.

The terrible customer service in this country extends even to maternity wards, unfortunately.

Let me know if you have more questions!

Hello,

Thank you so very much for all of the information!

We are trying for a female doctor and hope to have an appointment made for next week, the Hajj break has kept us from seeing anyone. The male doctors I have seen here have been quite rude.

The customer service is horrid here. Another reason I plan on going back to Asia for the actual birth. Unfortunately, a lot can happen between now and May and I could find myself stuck here.

Once again, thank you very much for all the information!

There are Facebook clubs for Ladies of Riyadh and ladies ask similar questions and get quick and satisfactory replies. If u need to know more , i can share the links

@Xenolol

Sorry to hear about the miscarriages... I guess the cause is the clotting disorder?  I hope this pregnancy goes to term smoothly and without complications.

But since you have the disorder, I guess a blood test would be required.  Why are you going to military hospitals?  Do you have medical insurance that covers most private hospitals?  If so, go to a private hospital, and get recommendations for good doctors from here and from the FB groups that Fidgety Soul has offered to share with you.

Whether you give birth here or back home, I hope it works out well and progresses [relatively] hassle-free.