Expat pregnancy in the Seychelles

Expat pregnancy in Seychelles

 

As I’m days away from entering the third trimester in my second pregnancy, both of which have been while living in the Seychelles, I thought I’d write a little bit about what Expat pregnancy in the Seychelles is like!!

So let’s start at the beginning…. You think you might be pregnant and you want to take a test!  Where to go?
Well, you can pick up a pregnancy test in a pharmacy.  They are pretty small though and if you don’t already know where they are you’ll need to either ask someone or you can go to a doctors!

I’ve never seen a digital test or anything fancy, just really basic ones.  I think they cost around 100scr each (about £5)

Antenatal care
Once you have found out your pregnant (yay!) then you can get registered for your Antenatal care!

As an expat, you have to pay for the Antenatal package.  That costs 5000scr (about £250) the price has been the same for both of my pregnancies, but obviously that could change in the future
This price includes:
All of your Antenatal check ups (monthly from 12-26 weeks pregnant, they then become fortnightly from then until the last few weeks when they are weekly).  This includes all your blood tests and the always lovely Glucose test.
All of your scans (12, 20 and 32 weeks as standard but no extra cost if more scans are needed for any reason) *
Dental check up (usually expats pay for the dentist)
*with your scans if you don’t want to know the sex of your baby, be sure to let the sonographer know as they tend to just tell you since everyone here finds out!

Day to day in pregnancy.
I guess is the same wherever you are in the world!
Obviously here, it’s hot, really hot so that can be kinda hard some days. Especially if you’re pregnant in March/April time which is the hottest time of year!
Also there’s not really any maternity clothes around. Shopping here in general is pretty limited.  Although I do think that you can get some maternity wear in Victoria on Mahe there’s not a lot of choice like you would expect elsewhere in the world so you might want to get some sent out!!

I’ve always found people to be very friendly and smiley here while I’ve been pregnant.  People will always ask if you’re having a boy or a girl.  There is a strong gender preference for girls here!

Planning for the birth.
If this is your first baby, or you’re having a Caesarian you have to go to Victoria Hospital on Mahe to deliver.

It is not standard here to do a hospital visit like it is in other places.  However you can arrange this if you want to!  We did a visit in my first pregnancy, it was quite surreal.  

If you don’t live on Mahe, like me, that means sorting out somewhere to stay.  Prices of this vary depending on where you choose!  We chose a self catering apartment near Beau Vallon.  That’s not really close to the hospital but we wanted somewhere nice and quiet and to make a bit of a holiday out of being on Mahe before the baby arrived.

We were also a little cheeky and asked around places if they would consider giving a resident discount.  Surprisingly there were lots of places that offered it to us, particularly as we were going there to have a baby!

We were told for a natural birth that we would have to be on Mahe from when I was 37 weeks pregnant. So we booked somewhere to stay from that time for 6 weeks.

In the end it turned out I would have to have a Caesarian because Arthur was breach, so really could have spent less time but that’s the downside of having to book somewhere to stay in advance!  For our first baby though, it didn’t matter we could enjoy being in our little bubble before getting back to life!

This time around we know in advance I’ll be having another Caesarian so we can book to stay less time on Mahe.  It is more important for us to minimise our time on Mahe as we now have Arthur to think about too and we think it will be easier for him to be in “normal” life as much as possible!!

So all that’s left now is to have your baby!!
I’ll have another post on that soon for you!

Seychelles Mama
Maternity Matters~ Ghostwritermummy


23 thoughts on “Expat pregnancy in the Seychelles”

  • They have so many check ups towards the end don’t they? I think i have one every two months and feels like the midwife isn’t that interested second time round. I can’t believe you’ll be in the last trimester soon already!!
    Notmyyearoff recently posted…Silent Sunday & Project 52 – Week 21My Profile

    • It’s really sad to hear that midwives don’t seem that interested second time around in the UK. Sarah from tobygoesbananas said exactly the same thing to me and that she’s hardly seen her midwife at all!!

  • Lots of similarities to my first pregnancy in Jamaica apart from the biggest difference in that I returned to the UK for the birth .. Heat? Tick! Lack of maternity clothes? Tick! Breech baby resulting in cesarean? Tick!
    Enjoy your last semester.. I know it’s hard when you’re big and uncomfortable but there is something very special about being pregnant 🙂

    • How amazing that there really were so many similarities!! At what point did you have to fly back to the UK?
      X

  • There are lots of things that are so different – I’ve only seen the midwife twice this pregnancy and I’m 30 weeks already! It seems here that if you’ve had one pregnancy without complications they just leave you to it the second time around! It must be hard having to stay away from home for the birth too, although at least you know when it’s going to be and can plan it!
    Sarah recently posted…Review: Britax Dualfix car seatMy Profile

  • Sounds like people are happy to talk to you about your pregnancy and interested in what you’re having. I wonder why there is a strong preference for girls? In my experience here in England, people seem to prefer boys – especially first. I hope it all goes well. #MyExpatFamily

  • It’s interesting that you have to go to another island and organise somewhere to stay. Is there a hospital on your island if there was an emergency? How far is Mahe from where you live and what did your working husband do during the 6 weeks away from home last time? Sorry, I have too many questions which you won’t have time to answer. It’s just fascinating, really! Good luck with the last trimester, at least the hottest time of the year is over…small blessings.
    Phoebe @ Lou Messugo recently posted…Radio FG and the use of an English swear word in FrenchMy Profile

    • Hello Phoebe 🙂 haha no problem about lots of questions!! There is a hospital here, they don’t do caesarians (I’m not sure what would happen in case of an emergency for that!!!) the reason people have to go to Mahe is that on Praslin there isn’t a doctor available at all times like there is there!!
      Mahe is only a 15 minute inter island flight away(or an hour on the boat but that is a horrible journey!!)
      Last time I had my mum and dad with me and mark came at weekends! When Arthur was born he took two weeks paternity and then it was summer holidays (good planning right ) xx

  • Thank you lovely 🙂 it’s true and you know what it wasn’t until I wrote this post and started chatting more about it with people from the UK that I realised there are so many differences! X

  • Wow the differences are really interesting, particularly about the need to be close to the hospital by 37 weeks, and having to literally move to do so! What about work etc? Also, no maternity clothes choice would floor me!! Haha! So exciting you’re nearing the end, I cannot wait to hear your happy news!
    Thanks for linking up to #MaternityMatters x x x
    ghostwritermummy recently posted…We need to talk about HGMy Profile

  • So interesting to read about the pregnancy experience in a different country! I tend to think there are a lot of similarities between the US (where I’m from) and the UK. Obviously there are differences but there are enough similarities that it doesn’t feel like it’s totally “out there”. I would also imagine the island living is just a bit different all around for everything! #myexpatfamily
    Apparently Awkward recently posted…June is CDH Awareness Month!My Profile

  • This was really interesting to read, so different! You certainly seem to see the midwife a lot more, I think for me it was every six weeks, then towards the end every fortnight… Funny how you forget…! Not long now, exciting 🙂
    Sara | mumturnedmom recently posted…The Prompt 70My Profile

  • This is so interesting! I’ve only ever been pregnant in Italy so I don’t have a clear idea of how all this would compare to the UK, but funnily enough a lot of it sounds similar to what I experienced in Milan. Monthly then fortnightly check-ups, three scans. Although obviously having to go to another island to give birth is just a wee bit different 😉 Hope it all goes well, not too long to go now!
    Eline @ Pasta & Patchwork recently posted…Air Travel with a Baby – what to take (and what to leave behind)My Profile

  • Love reading the differences. So glad I had my first in the UK where things are actually explained to you and your given a standard set of maternity notes to refer to, the UAE I have been checked, poked proded, tested waaaay more (for a third) but you never knew what they’d want you to do next! I thought the idea of travelling over an hour down the freeway to Dubai to deliver was too much (I ended up going into labour very fast with J and had him in Abu Dhabi) but I think knowing I had to get a plane or boat in an emergency would scare me a little more! Great read
    Keri recently posted…What it is to be BritishMy Profile

  • It does sound very different, especially having to stay far from home for 6 weeks! Quite daunting, I think. Here in Mexico I also had monthly checkups, then more frequently towards the end of the pregnancy, although here the difference is that you don’t see a midwife, always a gynecologist. Midwives are kind of considered old-fashioned and primitive, I’m not sure if there are any practising nowadays in Mexico, but they wouldn’t have the kind of training that midwives in the UK have. Oh and no free dental treatment! :(. #MyExpatFamily
    Ruth recently posted…A Moving Story…My Profile

  • Please do you have an idea of a complete package for a foreigner married to a registered seychellois. I am planning on having my baby in Seychelles. My husband is ready to make the trip with me and spend 4months over there…pls advise. Thanks

    • Hi Sandra, I BELIEVE you shouldn’t have to pay at all. If you’re married to a Seychellois. It may be different if you don’t live here though, I’ll see if I can find out with any more certainty for you though!

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