Birth & Baby - Advice You Can Trust

Welcome and thank you for listening! Nompumelelo Maponya is an Advanced Midwife and Neonatal Specialist, who is passionate about mother and child care, especially breastfeeding. She is currently a doctoral student enrolled at the University of Johannesburg. Her journey of nursing started at the North West University, Pukke, where she completed her undergraduate Bachelor's degree in Nursing Science...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Dr. Howard Manyonga is the founder of Network One Health (Pty) Ltd a health management company that establishes and operates Integrated Maternity Practices. These are multidisciplinary teams with a presence in the community and strong linkages to referral hospitals. Howard has extensive experience as an independent Ob Gyn and has held senior management position...

Welcome and thank you for listening! In this episode we interviewed Amy, who chose an Elective C-Section for the birth of her firstborn. Amy lives in Jeffreys Bay and is married to Silvino. She is a professional wedding photographer and loves people, pizza and romantic movies. Amy had a planned C-section that went well, but not long afterwards her little boy ended up having a lung problem. Her lit...

Welcome and thank you for listening! In this episode we talked with Birthing Doula Beverley Chigwanda. As a Birthing Doula Bev's utmost aim is to give families, who have given her the honor to be part of their journey, a positive, memorable and dignified birth experience. She does not replace the partner she equips him/her to be an active participant in the process of ushering this long awaited pr...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Epidural fact-file   There's good and bad news, and there are points to ponder…   Epidurals are the most common form of pain relief in private South African hospitals. You'll lie curled on your side or sitting on the edge of the bed, when an epidural is administered. The anesthetist will numb your skin, carefully guide a needle into your lower back, thread a ca...

Welcome and thank you for listening! In the next episode of the 'Birth Options Series' we will be talking about giving birth in a Government Hospital. For many women this is the only option available for them, and it really can be a good experience. The better prepared and empowered you are, the better you can 'own' your birth and have a positive experience. Our special guest is Kirsti Steenekamp,...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Danielle (37) is wife to Cordy (39) and homeschooling mom to 4 children. Naomi (11) is adopted, Lucas (9) was born in the hospital, Lisa (6) & Noah (4 months) were both born at home. She is passionate about God's Word, family life, music, home education and home birth. Noah was born in the bathtub, delivered by midwives Margreet & Lisa. Labour started with seve...

Welcome and thank you for listening! ​​Ruwaida trained as a General, Community, midwifery & Psychiatric nurse at Coronationville Nursing College and later did advanced Midwifery & neonatology and Nursing Education at the University of Johannesburg. Ruwaida, mother of two, has been practising midwifery since 1999, working in various provincial and private hospitals, clinics and maternity units. Wit...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Inge Burger is a new mom with a 5 month baby girl, Lika - she lives in Jeffreys Bay with her husband Tabu. Inge is a stay at home mom at the moment.  After trying to fall pregnant for quite some time, Inge had a natural (vaginal) birth in August 2021 at St Georges hospital in PE - she had a very good experience. Not all vaginal births are equal Many midwives an...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Ian Wheeler is a Homeopathic Pharmacist and founder of the well-known Pegasus Homeopathics range. He grew his own group of retail pharmacies over 33 years, but was always intuitively drawn to natural medicine. Ian expanded all his pharmacies to incorporate a health section until in 1994, he completed a three-year Classical Homeopathy course which culminated in...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Marishka is a digital marketing manager, surfer and follower of Jesus. She recently gave birth to her first child and shares her experience with us in this interview. Home birth   A home birth follows the more age-old traditional way of birthing a baby; taking place in your home, assisted by a competent and caring midwife. Many women choose a home birth because...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Many expectant couples have questions about what birth options they have and which will be the best for them. This will depend on your pregnancy, how labour unfolds, the health of Mom and Baby, where you live, and what birth facilities are available in your area.  I like to say there are three 'types' of birth: Normal birth – a vaginal delivery in the hospital...

Welcome and thank you for listening! While pregnancy is a natural process and not an illness, regular check-ups are important. Whether you go to a state pregnancy clinic, consult your doctor throughout your pregnancy, or prefer to see a private midwife, you should see a practitioner regularly, and you will be offered a host of tests. Here's what to expect: Put these check-ups in your calendar It's...

Welcome and thank you for listening! How much do you know about Cord Blood? Why is Cord Blood so important? The stem cells in Baby's Cord Blood are incredibly valuable and can be used to help treat over 80 blood-related diseases and are an alternative source of stem cells for a stem cell transplant. Education around Cord Blood however is sparse. Companies such as Next Biosciences preserve stem cel...

Welcome and thank you for listening! "We are all just walking each other home" - Ram Dass For Mental Health Awareness month we spoke with Keshnie Mathi about all things mental health, self regulation, self awareness and loss. Keshnie Mathi is a passionate entrepreneur who is a wife, and mother to two earth children, one heaven baby and two fur babies. Keshnie is an internationally accredited skill...

Health is everyone's right and their responsibility! Hormonal health is an integral part of our wellbeing as these powerful messengers regulate all body systems. This week's special guest is Dr Eseza Nambassi. Together we tackled: - What are hormones and why are they so important? - What happens if our hormones are out of balance? - What are the biggest threats to our hormone health? - How does it...

Take a listen to this very insightful conversation about Monja's journey, the importance of connection with yourself and therefore, your (unborn) baby and child. Additional resources: www.hambabambafunda.org www.beautifulmind.co.za Please leave us a review or give us a rating. And don't forget to subscribe! We'd love to stay in touch and keep you updated with all our latest content. If you're a mi...

Welcome and thank you for listening! It feels as if COVID-19 has taken over our lives this past year, and we're currently in the midst of the vaccine roll out. How does one navigate through this turbulent time? Well let's talk about it... We are all somehow shy, possibly even careful to share our vaccine opinions on public platforms - we may be scared to be labelled, to lose face etc. But ALL of u...

Welcome and thank you for listening! In celebration of World Breastfeeding Awareness Week, Dr Margreet Wibbelink addresses all breastfeeding related questions and concerns sent through by mom's prior to the show. These include your most frequently asked, as well as the more nitty gritty stuff! Enjoy this special episode. Want to learn more about Breastfeeding? Sign up for the Sister Lilian Centre...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Sarah Clark is a Fertility Coach - her coaching system is based on the principles of functional medicine and dramatically improves the chances of a successful pregnancy. When Sarah was 28 years old, she received a diagnosis of premature ovarian failure. She accepted the diagnosis and had both her children through in vitro fertilization. Years later she realized...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Dr Eseza Nambassi, guest of this episode, graduated from medical school in 1985. She focused much of her medical career on HIV, and is passionate about the role of lifestyle (especially nutrition) on health or disease outcomes. Dr Eseza Nambassi is keen to inform and educate the youth, as she believes they are the key to ending the trend of chronic diseases. Ne...

Welcome and thank you for listening! Midwives Exclusive is a team midwifery practice in Pretoria. It was started by Heather Pieterse who originally became an independent midwife working for the Sister Lilian Centre before going it alone way back in the late 1990s. Heather states: 'Without this opportunity, in all likelihood I would never have found the courage to go into independent midwifery. Eve...