Shilaj was once a village on the city's western edge. Past Thaltej, it has grown into an area of bungalows and apartment schemes. Families who have moved in recently often look for one hospital to stay with, from the pregnancy test to the delivery.
Shilaj, Thaltej, S.G. Highway: The Way to Gota
Drive from Shilaj into Thaltej and get onto S.G. Highway there. Stay northbound past Sola until you reach Gota, then take the service road to Athena Avenue, which you will find near Eulogia Hotel, behind the Jaguar showroom. The journey generally takes about 20–25 minutes in a car, more at busy hours.
New to Shilaj? One Doctor from the Pregnancy Test to the Delivery
Moving house in the middle of a pregnancy, or just before one, usually means starting again with a new doctor. If you decide to have your care with me, the aim is that the same person sees you throughout. That means the early scan, the antenatal visits and the delivery, with every report kept in one file.
At the opening visit I go through your history from scratch: earlier pregnancies, any surgery, long-term conditions and medicines. Please bring whatever records you have from your previous doctor or city, even if they seem old, because a past caesarean note or a thyroid report can change the plan. Then we set out the visit and scan schedule for the months ahead, so you know in advance which days need the drive to Gota.
Normal Delivery, Caesarean and Pain Relief: Planning the Birth from Shilaj
Birth planning comes up at almost every visit with women from Shilaj. I raise it early in pregnancy and we return to it in the third trimester, when the baby's position and growth are clearer.
For most healthy women, normal delivery is a realistic aim. A caesarean may be advised in specific situations. Examples are a baby in a breech position near term, a placenta lying low over the cervix, or more than one previous caesarean. It may also be needed when labour stops progressing or the baby shows signs of not coping. After one earlier caesarean, VBAC is often possible, and we weigh it carefully together.
For pain in labour, the choices include an epidural, water birth, and simpler measures such as moving around and breathing techniques. None of these has to be decided early; you can change your mind as the date approaches.
Gynec Hospital in Shilaj or Gota? Thinking Through Where to Give Birth
I deliver babies at Divine Women's Hospital in Gota, not in Shilaj, so for women from Shilaj the question is really about the journey. From Shilaj it is about 20–25 minutes by car; at night the roads are usually quieter.
A few practical questions are worth asking about any maternity hospital before you decide. Is there a team for labour and emergencies at every hour? Can an anaesthetist give an epidural? Is there an operation theatre ready for an urgent caesarean? Is a doctor for the newborn available? At Divine Women's Hospital, which is NABH-certified, hospital staff are present 24 × 7 for labour and obstetric emergencies, and newborns are seen by the hospital's neonatologist. If you would like to see the labour rooms beforehand, ask at one of your routine visits.
Gynecology Care Beyond Pregnancy for Women from Shilaj
Not every visit from Shilaj is about a baby. Women also come to me with periods that are heavy, painful or irregular, PCOS, vaginal infections, contraception questions, or symptoms around the menopause.
A gynecology consultation usually starts with your history and an examination, often with an ultrasound on the same day. Many of these problems settle with medicines or lifestyle changes. When surgery is the better route for a fibroid, an ovarian cyst or endometriosis, I perform it by laparoscopy at Divine Women's Hospital. I do not perform open surgery, and I refer you if it is needed.
My Areas of Care for Women Living in Shilaj
Here is the full list of what I look after. Each item has its own page with more detail.
- High-risk pregnancya pregnancy with raised BP or diabetes, thyroid or autoimmune disease, an earlier loss, or a placenta that has to be watched.
- Fetal medicine & scansgrowth and Doppler scans, the level II anomaly scan, the NT scan, and fetal echocardiography where it is called for.
- Amniocentesis & CVStests that confirm or rule out genetic and chromosomal conditions; fetal reduction and intrauterine transfusion are also performed.
- Twin & multiple pregnancychorionicity worked out early, scans each fortnight for monochorionic twins, and a planned delivery.
- Recurrent pregnancy lossinvestigating repeated miscarriage one step at a time, then watching the next pregnancy more closely.
- Pregnancy care & deliveryantenatal visits and birth: normal, VBAC or caesarean, with epidural pain relief and water birth as options.
- Laparoscopic surgerykeyhole hysterectomy and laparoscopy for endometriosis, fibroids, cysts on the ovary and ectopic pregnancy.
- Gynecology clinicperiod problems, PCOS, infections, birth control, menopause, and a check-up before you plan a pregnancy.
Hebatpur, Ambli and Thaltej: The Shilaj Side of the City
Apart from Shilaj itself, this page is meant for women living in Hebatpur, Ambli and Thaltej. From all of them, the way to Gota is up S.G. Highway.
Questions I Hear from Shilaj Families
Does Dr. Devang Patel hold an OPD in Shilaj?
I don't. I consult at Divine Women's Hospital, 3rd Floor, Athena Avenue, Gota – Jagatpur, on S.G. Highway, Ahmedabad 382481. From Shilaj, drive to Thaltej, join S.G. Highway and keep going north past Sola to the service road at Gota.
We have recently moved to Shilaj. Should I send my old records before the visit?
Yes, that helps a great deal. WhatsApp earlier scans, blood reports and any discharge summaries to +91 90545 74829. They are generally read ahead of the appointment, so that, where possible, a scan you need happens the same day instead of after another 20–25 minute drive.
What if labour begins at night while we are at home in Shilaj?
Phone +91 90545 74829 and start for Divine Women's Hospital in Gota; hospital staff cover labour and obstetric emergencies 24 × 7. Go via Thaltej onto S.G. Highway and north past Sola.
Pages for Other Neighbourhoods
Ahmedabad areas: Gota · Jagatpur · Chandlodia · Sola · Thaltej · Chandkheda · Ghatlodia · Ranip · Vastrapur · Bodakdev · Science City · Motera · Sabarmati · Naranpura · Vaishnodevi Circle.
Towns outside the city: Gandhinagar · Kalol · Adalaj · Sanand.