First Word 4

EDITOR’S WORD

HI♦                                                                                                                                                                                Some time back an auntie I loved very much passed on. The death was a tragedy because she died at childbirth while I was pregnant with my second child. She had been my pregnancy soulmate with whom I shared very personal experiences.

Early in her pregnancy she developed complications.
She was expecting her third child and was worried because the pregnancy had come too soon, just over a year, after a Caesarian section to deliver her second child.

During the third trimester more problems emerged. As her expected due date approached, an ultrasound scan showed that the baby’s umbilical cord had entangled his neck. My auntie was admitted at a city hospital and later discharged. However, the problem with the umbilical cord was not resolved.
Just two months to her expected due date, my husband and I took her to the hospital where she was due for clinic.
We felt apprehensive about her pregnancy problems and wondered why the baby could not be removed. After seeing the doctor she told us she was fine even though she looked worried.

It was therefore a great relief for me when two weeks later I called her phone and her sister-in-law told me that my auntie had been admitted for delivery. Later that afternoon my husband called Mum to find out the visiting hours. While they talked I hurried to the washroom, which was a frequent occurence as I was in my third trimester. After I returned, however, my husband was ready with the shocking news: ‘Sorry honey, she didn’t make it!’

It never became clear how she died. We were told that she had a C-section the previous night and experienced postpartum haemorrhage. The baby survived—our only consolation. I keep asking myself, was it because she got pregnant too soon after a C-section? Or was it the complication with the umbilical cord? Maybe it was the excessive bleeding after delivery.
Or maybe not.

But one thing is clear—there were so many people around her, including myself, who could have done more. When you have a relative or friend who is pregnant, listen carefully to what they tell you. Watch with keen interest how they are progressing. Most of all do whatever you can to ensure they are making the right decisions and getting the best attention.
Take care.

END: PG4/1