Pregnancy in Egypt

Hi Lonka1 and welcome to Expat.com!

Congratulation for the baby.

Hope that other members will share their experience with you soon.

Harmonie.

Hi, I had a friend who was in the same situation as you, they went to a hospital in Sharm El Sheikh and had scans done there and took everything back to England when she went home. I don't know how much you would have to pay but can't imagine it being too much with you being married to an Egyptian. I'm sure you will find somewhere decent too
Good Luck with everything x

ultrasound scan is very cheap in egypt
and yo will do it in private clinic
where exactly are you living in egypt and i can recommend some good medical clinics for you

i`m a pharmacist and most of my friends are pharmacist and physician so i`m familiar with your request

my local no. in egypt is +201069127189 please feel free to call m anytime

Thank you so much everyone for your help.

I feel better now about going back and feeling comfortable whilst pregnant in Egypt .

Asalamu Alaykom,

Mabrook!

My knowledge on pregnancy in Egypt is limited but I can give you some thoughts. 

Just as the socio-economic levels differ greatly, so does the medical care.  You can find the best of care at a clean facility with every modern diagnostic device (ultrasounds with 3D imaging included).  You can also find a really nice doctora (female doctor) with a small office and antiquated machines.  I'm not sure what monetary level you're on but talk to your friends here or get numbers of your husband's friend's wives or sisters-in-law to get recommendations.  I don't do anything in Egypt without recommendations.  Also, I'd be checking and re-checking any pregnancy info online. 

One thing I was told is that there's a strict viable date for premie babies born in Egypt.  If a baby is born before the date (and I'm sorry I don't remember which week it is) then the hospital will NOT work to save the baby.  Find that out.

Be careful about when you fly back to England.  Most airlines have a time limit when they will no longer take you.  Find that out too and travel well before that date.

Dear Lonka,
Congrats on your pregnancy
I am an Egyptian woman having 2 boys one is 2 years old and the other 4 years.
Regarding your questions and concerns.. I honestly assure you that doctors in Egypt are very qualified and can surely meet your requirements.. The scanning became available almost in each clinic and hospital nowdays.. also 4D is available too .. My doctor gave me pics for my kids printed out in colors instantly from the 3D scanning and gave me also a CD containing these pics for Souvenir )) I love them.
the prices are not high and is average if you don't have a health insurance (almost EGP 200 - 300 for the doctor visit + 3D Scan) you can contact me and I ll give you the names of some good doctors.
all you have to do is relaxxxxx ) and have some night sleeeeeep just to be ready for some sleepless days )))

Regards,
Marwa

You can find every thing exactly as in England

I not reccommend any women to born baby in Egypt, first of all- to be pregnant there!
why?
firstly- they not keep international, european standards!
the not make blood tests as often as in European countries, nd other kind of pregnancy tests and genetic baby tests like in Europe, then- they not check sugar level, nd for sure- pregnancy diabetes! /as I had  undiagnosed pregnancy diabetes in Egypt!/, and the cholestasis of pregnancy!, also some other tests they not check as well- thyriod, mononukleosis, cytomegaly, sepsis, lamblia, etc. and not check ur vaginal swab, and women during pregnancy /most of women/ r getting vaginal nd intimate organs infections !, it's all so serious and danerous  , especially for you future baby!, but most basic tests r- check pregnancy diabetes, cholestasis of pegnancy, then do vaginal swab tests every 2 weks or every month!, as well as do pee tests, blood tests, etc. not only blood count tests but also for anemia, and check teh level of all minerals,  vitamin, microelements, OB, etc. so to know- what u r especially misisng in ur balanced pregnancy diet.
In Egypt the only thing they can do is- the ultrasound every 2 week or every month, whcih is not good for ur future baby
maybe for an egyptian women that's  fine,  enough, but not for me. and british, american standards so european 1 r different

also here if u have any kind of pain or worries, even high blood pressure, bally, stomach pain, etc - u go to hospital, but not in Egypt....

any way- as i said so, they didnt check my sugar level, nd didnt diagnosed the pregnancy diabetes, same way- cholestasis of pregnancy, and they ignored my itch..., which was the cholestasis of pregnancy..., same my vaginal serious advanced infections, they ignored too...nd my belly pain, liver, stomach...

and many other bad symptoms...

they said - "its' normal, it has to be this way"
and in 12 weeks of my pregnancy they said to me - it's too early to check nd know the gender of ur baby...
and they told me- to know te gender u can only in 7 months, earlier, nd for that u need to go nd pay in 3 , 4 D scan- ultrasound nd they give me the address nd they wnated there over 500 le for that 3/4 D...

they also never were asking my height, weight....not brewed, measured me..how many kilo i am , i was before pregnancy, etc, same my pregnancy water, belly etc...which is basic for pregnant ladies according to european standards....

so after i came back to my country, I went to gynecologist there, She put me to a hospital immediately, nd they diagnosed nd checked all  there, was of course- un diagnosed in Egypt...

for ex.- my pregnancy diabetes, cholestasis, vaginal infections, etc

and the doctor and hospital i was going in Cairo was famous, expensive, private...
doctor was young, 30+..., a lady...

and I know , read, that in Egypt all doctros nd standards r same, no matter where u go...
sorry to say,,

so in my country they saved my life nd my un born baby..

as i said - maybe for egyptian women, who used to this standards- nd i guess-  dnt have that sensitive body as me nd european women- egyptian doctors r fine...but not for me...for sure..

not to mention, the new born care nd babies - is not same as in europe...
about premature babies - not to mention even...
like they dnt have free incubators, nd premature baby free medical care, etc.
they even dnt have as much incubators like in every hospital in europe, even in european small village...
and the 1 they do have in Egypt- r for money, so if u be por- u baby simply can die ...

and after u born ur baby in Egypt- they dnt check them like they dnt do to them - screening, hearing screening, genetic tests, blood group tests, blood tests, rare diseases tests, genetic diseases tests, etc. even  neonatal jaundice..

not check them height, weight, etc
so measure them as do in Europe...

check them  vision...
give them vitamin D and K. Omega Me for babies etc

I haven't been pregnant here but have friends who have been pregnant here - egyptian - and I do agree whole heartedly that the testing regime is not the same.
no regular appointment schedule, no urine testing or blood pressure tests - only when my friend wasn't feeling well.
no testing for gestational diabetes obviously - as they don't do the regular urine tests.
neither do they pick up protein in the urine - indicative of pre eclampsia - again no urine testing (which if I had had my first baby here could have proved fatal for either one or both of us)

I was totally horrified at what wasn't done. But doubly horrified at the advice given to my friend - I spend hours on the net for her pulling off info - and info on tests she should ask for.

neo natal care for prem babies is absolutely not the same in the west. Neither are the routine tests carried out on babies - they just don't do them.

if I was to have another baby - I wouldn't go through the pregnancy or deliver here.

the whole emphasis is on having scan after scan after dcan - which is not good for mother or baby.

I have been pregnant  and delivered in Egypt - twice, one of them caesarian. Each pregnancy I have changed the doctor as I was not comfortable with him fir different reasons. But I have been tested for a lot of things I don't even remember. Sure it was several urine tests, diabetes test, several blood pictures, genetic test... They did weigh me, measured bloodpressure
And for the newborn they did the apgar test, thyroid test, gave them vitamin k... And I went for to post partum checkups, at 6 weeks and 3 month.
I agree hospital standards are NOT european at all and natural delivery is a challenge. But there are good doctors but it may take some time to find them.
But good doctors are expensive and I wouldn't like to be poor here in Egypt. The wife of our bawab had a cesarian and a PDA, and since that time she is limping. Don't know exactly what happened but it should not happen!

Caty

They do test for alot of thingd - not all of which are necessary.
I have been amazed what my egyptian friends have been tested for - tests that are not necessary - but the basics ignored.

but simple tests that are very effective and catch a number of conditions - very very serious conditions- early enough to monitor them are not done on a regular basis.
urine tests -which are very simple and cheap to perform should be done every time you visit the doctor - initially on a monthly basis and then more regularly.

If it had been me here with my first baby - pre eclampsia - picked up by urine tests and then very closely monitored with an emergency delivery.

here I am sure one of us would have died due to the testing regime being good enough.

or my other 2 pregnancies - gestational diabetes - again picked up by urine test, followed up by fasting tests then followed by a diabetes specialist.

We would have been in great trouble.

What you get from your doctor here is very hit and miss

I have just tried to contact this person as I am in holiday and he did not understand me at all which was not helpful at all

hi sorry to say this but u dont have to born the baby in egypt, he is not going to leave the baby from that country, try to born it in ur country and sorry for that