Is the husband obligated to cover the medical expenses for his pregnant wife who visited a gynecologist without his knowledge or consent, given the availability of a female doctor, and that the husband would have borne all expenses had she obeyed him or gone to a Muslim female doctor?

It is not permissible for a woman to seek treatment from a male doctor unless there is a necessity, and there is no necessity if a female doctor is available. This is because a man treating a woman involves Sharia (definition) prohibitions concerning touching, looking, and being in seclusion. Furthermore, it is not permissible for a woman to leave her home without her husband's permission. Therefore, a wife going for pregnancy follow-up with a male doctor and without her husband's permission constitutes two violations, and the husband must explain to his wife the unlawfulness of this. As for the husband bearing the costs of his wife's treatment, there is a difference of opinion among scholars on this matter. However, the expenses for a pregnant woman's treatment are less [problematic] than a wife's treatment in general. If a pregnant wife is disobedient (nashiz), her maintenance does not fall if we say that the maintenance is for the pregnancy, not for the pregnant woman herself. The husband is advised to pay for his wife's treatment expenses.