It was to be the usual pregnancy to birth ritual, starting with finding a gynaecologist and then having her baby at a private clinic, but then Zenzile Hlongwane was introduced to a midwife. She instantly "clicked" with her and then made a visit to Genesis Clinic in Joburg.
The decision was made. Zenzile would try for a natural birth, with her newfound midwife present. As it turned out, she had a water birth at Genesis Clinic, "a most wonderful, empowering experience".
Zenzile was actually two weeks overdue and had to have her 14-hour labour induced. "It didn't feel so long, though because the clinic is like home from home. I brought my pillows, my oils, my CDs and birthing ball. I walked around in the garden and had meals and tea brought in, and my midwife and husband were there supporting me. When I climbed into the bath, I felt so soothed I decided to stay in the water for the birth," she says.
Baby Kiel, now five months, was born at a large 3.37kg. Zenzile was injected once throughout the labour with Pethidine, but received no other pain relief. "The warmth of the water helped me manage the pain," she says. "It really exceeded my expectations."
Natural and water birthing is what Genesis Clinic is all about, and evidently they enjoy a growing following.
"The rate of Caesarean births in South Africa's private clinics is unacceptably high at 80 percent, 30 percent of these being elective Caesars," says Jude Polack, the founder and director of Genesis Clinic.
"Too often, mothers-to-be in a hospital environment are persuaded to accept medical intervention when it isn't needed, and women are increasingly questioning what they're being told.
"We have grown steadily, and at the moment we're delivering around 60 babies a month. To date, we've delivered more than 300 babies."
The clinic opened its doors last June in a converted old Saxonwold home, which retains some of its original pressed ceilings and wooden floors.
Its founding principle is that every woman has the right to play an active role in the birth of her baby, and that if women were to labour in a relaxing, secure environment with good support and the freedom to move around, most would know instinctively what to do. Most women, says Polack, can give birth naturally.
In cases of emergency, Genesis has a fully equipped theatre, and has a list of gynaecologists and obstetricians it works with, as well as a short-term ICU facility for newborns if they need to be stabilised. Before going home, each baby is checked by a paediatrician, but should long-term ICU treatment be required, the baby is transferred to the Park Lane Clinic, which has happened only three times to date.
It's the midwife, though, who plays the most active role here, and all the nurses are trained in midwifery. "The midwife is the primary caregiver, though we also offer a doula (person trained to give physical and emotional support through the birth process), who can give acupuncture and massage therapy," says Polack.
Only two epidurals (anaesthetic injections numbing from the waist down) have been administered so far, with Pethidine the preferred pain control option. And half of the births at the clinic to date have been water births.
"Research shows that if you take away fear, a natural reaction in a hospital environment, the pain is manageable," Polack says.
Birthing rooms at Genesis Clinic resemble spacious hotel rooms - with a wide, comfortable bed and, in some, a custom-built bath wide enough for a pregnant woman to move around, a roomy shower and toilet, and a door out to the garden so it's easy to walk around.
Earthy colours have been used throughout, and the only sign of medical equipment is the nurse buzzer next to the bed. Kitchen staff discreetly bring in meals on order. The feeling is one of complete privacy in a safe space.
Support is available throughout the pregnancy too. Aside from regular meetings with your midwife, Genesis Clinic features a large meeting room where all manner of services and classes take place, including water birth classes, hypnobirth (where you undergo hypnosis), preggie yoga (Kundalini), breastfeeding, belly dancing, reflexology, craniosacral therapy, baby clinic, chiropractor, 4D scans and new mom's support tea. Post-natal care, with home visits by your midwife or doula, is also part of the service.
Women on a comprehensive medical aid scheme are able to claim back for their stay in the clinic for the birth, as well as any gynae or obstetrician fees, though only some medical aids agree to covering midwife fees.
On average, they stay over for 24 hours after delivery, but with a Caesar, it can be up to three days. "Only 12 percent of the births here have been emergency Caesars," says Polack.
Formerly in the publishing world, Polack decided, with the support of her husband, to provide this intimate service to women after the birth of her second son in a private hospital, an unpleasant experience compared to the birth of her first son in Linkwood, a Netcare hospital in Linksfield West that also caters to natural birthing.
"I had natural births in both cases, but my first experience was so wonderful and life-changing compared to the second, which was horrible. None of the staff would come near me. It was very alienating," she recalls.
It took two years battling with Department of Health bureaucracy before she got a licence to run the clinic, and she admits that had she known how stressful it would be she would not have done it.
"But now that it's running, I'm glad I did, because it's definitely meeting a need out there, and it's across the cultural and racial spectrum. Muslim and Jewish women are particularly interested in a private birthing experience in a respectful environment."
Recently, Polack received a licence to open a Genesis Clinic in Cape Town, and from there she plans to expand to other parts of the country. "Yes, there's an element of feminism about Genesis. What I'm doing is reclaiming the birth process for the women who, at the end of the day, are the ones going through the experience."
- Genesis Clinic : Tel 011 646 3923 or 011 486 4632 or visit www.genesisclinic.co.za
- Linkwood Clinic: Tel: 011 647 3400 or visit www.netcare.co.za