My prematurely-born baby survived!

Though every pregnant woman’s dream is to see her pregnancy to full term, premature births do happen. Hottenshiah Wanjiru was forced to have her baby delivered at the fifth and half month of her pregnancy due to distress; her baby’s umbilical cord had wound itself around the baby’s neck. She gives Elizabeth Ombati more detail.

I did not know I was pregnant until the fourth month. My friends would tell me that I looked pregnant but I would blatantly refuse. There was a funny sensation of something playing in my tummy but I did not give it much thought.

I confided in my friend about this issue. Though agreeing that it could be nothing but assumption, she advised me to take a pregnancy test. I cannot forget the doctor’s reaction on hearing why I had paid him a visit. He gave me a hearty smile and without conducting any tests congratulated me on my pregnancy. Indeed to prove this as true he carried tests which confirmed that I was pregnant.

Scans showed that my baby was in good condition and was four months old. Strange that I could take that long to discover a pregnancy! After a month and some weeks had passed, I made a journey together with my partner to his rural home in Murang’a. Later I wished I had never embarked on that journey as the road was very bumpy. On our way back, I felt as though my baby would come out because of the discomfort. Back at our home, I had intense stomach pains and the little kicks I always felt seemed to have quieted. I was alarmed. Then I noticed that I was letting out a brown discharge taking more peace away from me. I could not sleep at all in the night: I hoped that things would improve in the morning, but this was not the case. I decided to go to hospital.

Immediately, a scan was done. The doctors noted that my baby was in distress—the umbilical cord was tightening around my baby’s neck and we were both at risk.

I had to go to theatre immediately but not before signing the consent forms. I saw death. I could not sign the forms. It took the pleading of my partner to have me sign them.

Not once did l lose my consciousness even with the sedatives that had been administered on me. I could not stop talking as the doctors were starting the operation. They had to put a surgical gum over my mouth to keep me silent. I felt every single happening as my five and half month old baby, Olivia was being delivered, including the cluttering surgical paraphernalia and the animated voices of the doctors. After the surgery, I finally managed to fall asleep.

When I came to, I had somehow lost my memory. I did not know where or what was going on. There were all these people surrounding me with sad faces. I was wheeled to the nursery to see a baby in an incubator, through glass. But I did not know why I was being shown the tiny being in the incubator.

My relatives had to leave to let me rest but my partner stayed behind to watch over me till morning. It is then that things started to take shape, with him helping me to remember all that had happened. I could only see my baby through glass. I was introduced to a prematurely-born-babies specialist who assured that my baby had all her body parts developed and would survive. It is only the nails and toes that had not been well formed. In their piece were pieces of delicate flesh. Everything seemed surreal to me but I decided to remain positive.

I held my girl after twelve days. I remember how I cried at the sight. It hurt so much to see such a tiny, helpless being. I hoped against all hope that she would survive. I needed her so much. The hospital bill was increasing as the days progressed. It seemed the best option was to leave the hospital since the specialist had assured me that if I was in a position to take good care of the baby, then it would be alright to leave the hospital, though staying would have been the best option. I used to hold Olivia in my arms and train her to suck my breast even though nothing was coming out: I was training her to breastfeed. After two weeks we were back home. I could not bring myself to clean my baby let alone sleep with her. I feared that I may sleep on her and hurt her. My sister used to help me do this. We hired an elderly nanny who acted like my baby’s mother. Olivia did not have any complications at all though she used to sleep a lot. She would do with almost 24 hours of continuous sleep. Many a time I was scared that she may have passed on in her sleep but my neighbour often helped to wake her up and feed and change her.

I weaned her at three months, and would give her mashed pumpkin, followed by porridge and other mashed foods. I started sleeping with her after her third month. I notice that she is a slow learner and she was late in getting to milestones like talking and walking. She refused to breastfeed at six months, a time when I now had lots of breast milk. This forced me to take medication that would stop the production of the milk.

My daughter is now six years old and will soon join class one. She has given me fulfillment in life and I am really glad to have had her.

END: PG19/30-31