Gave birth by myself at home, the treats people like ***s. Prefers coloured and Muslim like them.

**My Traumatic Experience Giving Birth at [Facility Name]**

When I first visited this facility, I was already in my second trimester. My doctor referred me there, and my initial visit seemed normal. The facility is predominantly Muslim and Coloured, but I saw no issue with that and decided to go ahead with my delivery there. I started making payments for the birth, which was estimated for the second week of December by both my doctor and the staff at the facility.

Throughout my checkups, everything seemed fine—until my baby decided to come early at **36 weeks**. Early in the morning, I contacted the centre, and they referred me to the midwife. I messaged her, explaining my pain, and she advised me to relax, take a painkiller, and have a warm bath. If there was no improvement, she said I should come in at **12 PM** for a checkup. She assured me that it was likely **false labour** rather than real contractions. Trusting her as a medical professional, I followed her advice.

At 12 PM, I went for my checkup, and the doctor confirmed that my pains were **not labour**—just **Braxton Hicks contractions**—because I was only **1 cm dilated**. Again, trusting their medical expertise, I believed them. I paid for the checkup and went back home.

As the day went on, the pain worsened, and I continued communicating with the midwife. She told me to wait until the contractions were **less than five minutes apart** before coming in. This was extremely concerning because I live nearly **20 km away** from the centre, meaning if I waited that long, I would likely **give birth in the car**.

And then, the worst happened. I ended up **giving birth at home** because the midwife only told me to come in after my **water broke**. Within minutes of my water breaking, my baby was born—**right in front of my toddler and her father**. It was a **traumatic** experience for all of us.

I immediately informed the midwife, and only then did she tell me to come in. Still in shock, with the placenta inside me and blood everywhere, we **drove to the centre**. When my baby was born, the **umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck**—a terrifying and dangerous situation. Anything could have happened, and I shudder to think what might have gone wrong if we hadn’t acted quickly.

When we arrived at the facility, there was **no apology**—just the midwife and an assistant nurse. They took me to the labour room, removed the placenta, and stitched me up.

I was then taken to a room to rest. Before leaving, **Sister Veron**, who had been assisting, told me that her shift started at **5 AM**, but she wouldn’t be on time to relieve the nurse watching over me. That meant that when the **night nurse left, I would be left alone with my newborn and a security guard**—who obviously was not medically trained. And that’s exactly what happened. **From the time the nurse left until 6:30 AM, my baby and I were completely alone in the hospital, with only a security guard.** If anything had happened, I would have had no medical help.

To make things worse, **I was not even given a painkiller** until I had to **request one from another nurse**. I was kept in the resting room **all day** for no apparent reason. I had to **ask for food** or order something from outside because they didn’t provide any. And this is the **expensive service I had paid for?**

I was finally **discharged at 6 PM**. As soon as I left, I **requested an invoice** to understand what I was being charged for and what I was entitled to as a refund—since I **hadn’t even given birth at their facility**. I had to follow up for **two weeks** before they finally sent the invoice, and to my shock, **they refused to issue any refund**.

I called to question this, and they agreed to **meet with me** to discuss it. But the meeting was **a complete waste of time**—my concerns were dismissed.

It became clear to me that **they treat Coloured and Muslim patients better than others**. I was **hung up on multiple times** when trying to reach them.

To top it all off, they later **sent my child’s confidential birth file via Uber**, without my consent. When I confronted them about it, they ********, saying it was a mistake. But it was obvious they were just cutting ties with me.

I have since learned that **I am not the only one who has experienced this treatment**. Many women have **complained** that they only **call you in at the last possible moment**, giving false information about your labour to **minimize the work they have to do**.

This facility is a ********—overcharging for services **they don’t even provide**, practicing **racial and religious ****************, and **neglecting their patients**. I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone.