Flower Children

Gladys, Rose and I ... postpartum.

  ...and so it goes. I have inadvertently become the Bestower-of-Names around here.

I spent yesterday digging a flower garden and seeding it with some seeds I found in the storage room. Under the African sun (not Tuscan!), with kids pointing and laughing at the white woman with the hoe, I turned over the earth, fenced it with some old bamboo and planted what – I hope to be - a beautiful mixed flower garden in a few months. It is the rainy season so maybe sooner? Martin, the 17 yo grounds man, was such a big help. Together we created a masterpiece! Him, with his panga (machete) cutting twine, showing me how to chop bamboo and till the earth (no tillers here!) with the hoe, I could feel my green thumbs were growing greener by the second. Loved it!

Martin & I so proud of our work!

In honor of my connection that day with birthing and flower gardening, I decided to ride the flower theme and name "my" second child “Rose”. Poppy then Rose … and I’m already thinking of naming the next Daisy…if I am asked again.

Earlier that morning, about 7 am, Gladys arrived on the back of a boda boda (motorcycle) along with 2 others sandwiching her, the driver and her attendant. Every mom brings with her a family member, usually the mother-in-law, to be with her during and after labor to cook and clean and simply be available so that the mom can rest. They bring with them clothes, buckets, blankets, food, firewood, soap, clothes …. All stuffed into a round pan tied with a blanket by the four corners. It is pretty impressive.

Gladys was clearly in active labor and was a complete champ to have ridden on the back of a motorcycle with strong contractions. Can you imagine?? It is just the way of life here and no one complains. We are so coddled at home!

I had just woken up and was coming out of the (composting!) latrine when she wheeled up to the birth center. Grabbing my sarong to throw on as a skirt over my T-shirt  that I had slept in, I rushed over in time to help her off the back of the bike and get her inside. She had that *look* that I’ve come to be familiar with … the look of a completely dilated cervix and low head. The baby was coming.

Within 20 minutes the baby was skin to skin on her chest and she was laid back breathing heavy with eyes closed. She had escaped to “Labor Land”, as one of my professors called it. For those of you who have never witnessed or experienced childbirth, there is this special moment between baby being born and mother closing her eyes and coming back to the present moment. It is a helluva lot of hard work and the mom’s body and mind just need a quick rest before engaging with the infant. I imagine what it must feel like to summit a mountain and require a few moments of leaning over resting hands on knees taking several deep breaths before savoring the bliss and achievement. Having never birthed a baby myself, I can only assume…but after witnessing the process over and over, most woman drift off before coming back. I have learned to give them their space.

Little Rose was born and she and her Mom slept the rest of the day … while simultaneously having her postpartum hemorrhage managed!…Did you know that postpartum hemorrhage is what kills most woman around the world? This is the heart of the need for more skilled birth attendants around the world. Midwives answer this call. Not that I want to become preachy, but it is important to know that most births and labor are normal; the body knows what it is doing and women’s bodies are born to birth (another blog post maybe on how fascinating this process is and how proud I am to be a woman with this capability!). Midwives are trained to manage normal births as well as normal complications; yes some complications can easily be handled by a skilled attendant. It does not require a hospital, nor a doctor. Obstetricians are trained in surgery and abnormals and, in my opinion, that is what they are good at. The two offer a stark contrast of trainings and mindset surrounding birth. I encourage all of you to read up and research more on your options for your next pregnancy ……. And, of course, I will always be in support of every woman deserving Midwifery care.