Pregnancy in Dominica

[shutterbugmd]

Are the medical facilities in Dominica good enough for a prenatal care - up to delivery?

[homerbrave]

Are the medical facilities in Dominica good enough for a prenatal care - up to delivery?

Are you pregnant or your spouse? Hopefully, it's ur spouse?

Either way, I would discourage anyone with a pregnancy living in Dominica although there is an OB clinic in Rosseau at Princess Margaret hospital.

[Cuando2]

Are the medical facilities in Dominica good enough for a prenatal care - up to delivery?

Not recommended. Since you have the luxury of being a US citizen, you are entitled to use its fine medical facilities to ensure your child's birth is not complicated. I think you would be far more comfortable having the baby back in the US anyway (I dont even think the hospital has A/C unless you're post-op or something).

[NaggingWife]

I got preggers in Dominica and stayed up til the last minute. I went back to the states to have the baby and my husband sceduled time off to be home. (we have C-sections) he kept up with his school work and didnt miss anything. With American Airlines you can only fly up until 30 some odd weeks, so you should check into that. (I think I left at 36 weeks.) I would NOT have the baby at princess margaret. Oh...they dont have A/C there.

[braincoral]

I wonder how the dominican women have babies???? I am sure they do fine. You first worlders.

[braincoral]

I am sure the dominican women do fine in their local hospital, you first worlders. sigh.

[NaggingWife]

I am sure the dominican women do fine in their local hospital, you first worlders. sigh.

99% of the dominican women have their babies at home, they can't afford the hospital, so all you "first worlders" if you plan on having any problems or possible death to you or your baby I would go to the states.

[MitchDC]

I agree with Nagging Wife. I think the facilities in Dominica are adequate for a delivery but why take any chances? Deliver in the US. However, I think the facilities in Dominica are just fine for early and mid PRENATAL CARE which is mostly just counseling, measuring, and labs. If you experience a lot of pain, cramping, bleeding, etc then consult the campus health clinic and they will probably recommend that you get back home.

Like Nagging Wife said, there are births in Dominica every day and many of them at home. IN the US we take so many precautions that really aren't necessary but sure make us (the parents) feel better.

Best of luck!

M

Are the medical facilities in Dominica good enough for a prenatal care - up to delivery?

[lswiltshire]

All the Dominicans who have babies take AA to theUSA to have thier babies.

[Dru]

My kid did a rotation at Princess Marg. It is VERY primative care there. No air conditioning except in the OR suite. No pulse oxymetry monitoring in the OR during surgeries. No ICU or monitoring equipment on the floors. Patients are expected to provide their own bed linens. Families are expected to cook the meals and bring them in to the patients. The only mammography machine on the island is broken, and there's no ultrasound available. Countries have been willing to donate a new/old mammo-machine, but the President still has not lifted the tariff for incoming shipments of stuff, so the donor would have to pay a customs tax to donate used usable stuff.

We're talking THIRD WORLD, here. Have the baby in the US.

[MDJack]

If this is your first baby, go back to the US. Dominica has good prenatal care with a few good OB/GYN docs but it may be too primitive to handle complicated births. Given that, many Dominican women and foreigners, ie. my wife many yrs ago, gave birth to healthy babies in that country. We had our 2nd baby there in Portsmouth, not even Roseau. You will not have time to go there when in labor !! If you feel that the pregnancy is going well and trust the RN midwife in Portsmouth, then stay. Good luck.

[NaggingWife]

The Roseau OB does have and ultrasound machine. You also have to bring your own toilet paper to the hospital. Did I mention the Portsmouth clinic doesnt even have screens on their windows. So not only do you sweat to death, but you get eaten alive as well. Bottom line as most people have said, go home to have your baby. Good luck

[FRNC]

Are the medical facilities in Dominica good enough for a prenatal care - up to delivery?

When my wife was pregnant with our kid, (now a Ross 4th yr clinical student), we were determined to deliver at a hosp with a state-of-the-art NICU. Both my wife and I had worked with premies in NICUs. My wife was an expert at premie resucitation and intubation. Although our pregnancy was perfectly healthy we were taking absolutely NO CHANCES. I raced by 4 community hospitals to get to the level III trauma center with the nationally renowned NICU..LOL..she had an uncomplicated normal "Bradley Method" (no drugs at all) delivery. We probably could have done it at home. But especially, if you are aware of the many things that can go wrong.......why take a chance?

Best wishes for success.
FRNC

[MommyDearest]

I would agree with an earlier poster--early to mid pregnancy would be fine to be here, but get back to the states a few months before delivering and have the baby there. That's what I would to if I were to have gotten pregnant here and because I've already have a few babies.

If this is your first baby, you might just want to stay in the states the whole time, just to be sure everything is okay. Like others have said--why take the chance? And I will also back up the known fact that there is an ultrasound machine in Roseau.