Dr. Adeléne Esterhuizen – Obstetrician and Gynaecologist – Resilience

Womanity - Women in Unity

In this episode of Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks to Dr. Adeléne Esterhuizen, an obstetrician and gynaecologist. Dr. Esterhuizen shares her 16-year path to specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, revealing the grit, resilience, and self-belief required to navigate one of the most demanding fields in medicine. A self-described nature lover with roots in the bushveld and a background shaped by financial hardship, Dr. Esterhuizen shares how childhood curiosity, parental sacrifice, academic pressure, and deeply personal struggles — including battling anorexia and depression — carved her into the tenacious healer she is today.

She demystifies her field for listeners by explaining the delicate interplay between obstetrics (caring for women and babies during pregnancy and childbirth) and gynaecology (treating a wide range of reproductive health issues). Her patient-centred approach champions conservative treatment before surgery and emphasizes dignity, empathy, and quality of life for every woman who walks through her doors.

From delivering babies and managing high-risk pregnancies to treating conditions like endometriosis, pelvic organ prolapse, and infertility, Dr. Esterhuizen reveals the multifaceted world of women’s reproductive health. She opens up about the often overlooked realities of conditions that many women silently endure, explaining how education, access to care, and destigmatization are crucial to better health outcomes.

On fertility, Dr. Esterhuizen unpacks the challenges facing today’s women, from delayed motherhood to rising infertility rates caused by age, lifestyle, and environmental factors. She underscores the role of education in empowering women to make informed choices about their reproductive health and points out the urgent need to reach women in under-resourced communities who may suffer in silence, unaware that their symptoms are treatable and their experiences not normal.

Dr. Esterhuizen acknowledges the mentors who helped her rise when she was close to giving up — professors and peers who believed in her potential when she had lost sight of it herself. Her story is not only about medical achievement but about human perseverance, spiritual grace, and the strength found in community.

Whether discussing the isolation of rural practice or the joy of bringing life into the world, Dr. Esterhuizen’s words resonate with passion, purpose, and humility. She ends with an empowering message to young women: “Don’t give up. You can always do more than you think you can.”

Tune in for more…