Over the past 24 hours, I have tried finding the words to describe what I experienced yesterday. In our home stay there are a 2 other American ladies who work in a different clinic. This is their second time to Kenya (supporting the clinic) and they have seen so many different things. We talk for hours a day and share stories.
Yesterday (Wednesday), we were walking to Fremo’s for a meeting about this weekend (free medical camp) when I got a call from Jenny – an American lady from Dr George’s clinic and she casually said ‘we’ve just had a mother come in about to give birth if you would like to come and observe. Dr George says it’s about 30 min before she has the baby.’ I just about walked into the traffic. OMG! We rushed to Fremo’s explained our news, re-arranged our meeting and shot over to Dr George’s (2km or so away).
Fremo’s prides itself in having a good maternity ward (a room with a birthing table and bed for her to rest) One thing Cim and I have been waiting for is to see a baby being born. Here in Kenya, the experience is very different to that I have heard of at home. They also encourage us to be in the room and close to the action. They completely understood our desire to shoot off and see what we had worked up to be a much anticipated event.
We arrived hot from walking so fast and the mother started giving birth less than 10 min after we got there.
The most amazing experience! All mothers go cold turkey here – no drugs whatsoever. Once again, Cim and I were literally 2 feet from the action. The mother was pushing, but with trouble. A nurse was also pushing on her stomach to urge the baby out, it looked painful. After a short while, and identifying there was a problem, Dr George then also pressed her stomach and pushed on it so damn hard the baby shot out at quiet a speed. Unfortunately the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck which is why the mother was finding it so very difficult. The baby wasn’t breathing when it first arrived, but with a few knocks to the back it got a little whale happening. The ONLY thing the mother said was ‘Jesus’ at the point when she couldn’t push past the head. With no ultra sounds or mod cons of any sort, it’s very difficult for the team. Early in the process Dr George had us put on gloves. He clamped the cord, and then asked me to cut it, me! Brilliant! This monstrous boy was a healthy 8 pound 8 ounces. It was quite a shock when the mother didn’t want to see the baby – but common. All mothers rest first, then, when they are ready, look at their baby and the sex for the first time. They still don’t hold the child. After the baby, she then had to deliver the placenta; Dr George inspected it while explaining bits and pieces to us then showed us how to locate the tight uterus in her stomach and massaged it to help it relax. There simply are no words. A very different experience from the circumcision last week.
Completely elated, we skipped home; I washed a few clothes and went for a beer with a friend to celebrate.
It’s been an exceptional week.
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