In a very
unexpected turn of events, our baby was born in South Africa, at 35 weeks,
while we were on our way to Australia. Here is the story of his birth, it’s a
miracle that he survived and we give all praise and thanks to God for looking
after him and us on that momentous day!
We arrived
in Johannesburg on the afternoon of the 15th Jan and were booked
into a lovely little guesthouse for a night. At around 4am the morning of the
16th I felt my waters break while sleeping in bed and it was such a
quantity of water that I was pretty sure what had happened so woke up my
husband Gody and we just sat in shock up till breakfast time, trying to think
of what to do and what it might mean for our trip. We skyped my Mum to ask her
to call the hospital in Aus to find out what to do and she came back with the advice
to get to a hospital ASAP and NOT to get on the flight (the one thing I was
just longing to do at that moment!) After breakfast I told the owner of the
guesthouse what had happened and she arranged for us to go to a nearby private
hospital to get checked out. I was only having some dull pain by this stage.
At the
hospital they seemed more concerned with their payment than with me and told me
by way of feeling my belly that my baby was in a good position and that they
were too full so couldn’t admit me and I wasn’t in labour anyway so wanted to
transfer me by ambulance (which was a wait of up to 2 hrs) to the nearby public
hospital. We decided that we could probably walk there faster and went back to
the guesthouse for some advice on different hospitals, the friendly owner
suggesting she could drive us to a small public hospital about half an hour
away.
On arrival
at the hospital I realised that I was actually having contractions now and had
to start breathing and concentrating on relaxing into them, but they were still
fairly manageable and so I thought I would have quite a while to go yet. This
hospital reminded me of a Tanzanian one, slow in every aspect but friendly
nonetheless. I was finally seen to and a nurse told me what I had been most
fearful of, the baby was breech, his legs facing downwards. The doctor then
appeared and announced I was to have a caesarean right away. Having prepared
all throughout pregnancy reading books, doing exercises, relaxation techniques
etc. I was not just yet willing to let go of my plans for a natural birth and
also was concerned about the level of care for a premature baby at this
hospital if there were any complications, as they had no specific care for
babies born early. So I signed myself out of this hospital and Gody and I
planned on going to the larger public hospital where there was a neo-natal care
section until a man that Gody had happened to befriend outside the hospital
mentioned that we could have a really long wait at this hospital.
My
contractions were now coming harder so that I had to pause and work through
them but I still thought it may be a long way off. The name of a private
hospital recommended to my Mum popped into my head and the fact that she had
said my life and the baby’s life were more important that hospital fees made us
decide to try going there instead.
The friendly
man told us we could get there in two taxis, which confused me till we arrived
where the taxis stopped and I realised he was talking about the SA version of
dalla dallas (local minibus transport). Ok, so I was going to have to get on a
dalla dalla, in labour, not knowing at all where we were going, in a foreign country!
At least people spoke English!!
A lovely
Mama on the dalla dalla said she would help us find our way to the next one and
off we went, me closing my eyes during contractions and trying not to appear
too much in labour for the other passengers sake!
We arrived
at the end of the line and the Mama showed us across a road, through a shopping
centre, up an escalator and into a bus stand. By now I was really worried what
might happen if we got to this next suburb as we still had no idea where the
hospital was, also the fact that none of the dalla dallas there looked like
they’d go anytime soon and so we started asking for a private taxi. Apparently
this was a bit of a foreign concept but we persisted and one man in a car was
asked how much to take us to the hospital, the Mama seemed satisfied with the
price so off we went, now the contractions were really getting there, but I
still thought we were a ways off actual birth.
The driver
soon realised what was happening and increased his speed, getting annoyed at
anyone in the way and when he had to stop for lights. On arrival at the
hospital some 20min later he told us he’d wait for us outside! I told him not
to worry, we wouldn’t be back anytime soon. Heading into emergency I quickly
explained some of the story and they took me up to the labour ward, Gody being
left to fill in the mountains of paperwork at reception.
Up in the
labour ward I was pleased to see a large birth tub, some birth balls and other
things but I was soon hooked up to a monitor and sat on the bed, the nurse
promising to be back in 15min. Contractions were increasing but I didn’t think
this was it as I relaxed and didn’t feel like I couldn’t go on or like I was
dying as I’d read about happens during the transition stage of labour. It wasn’t
until I actually felt a foot come out that I realised perhaps this is it and
yelled for the nurse to return to help me. The nurse rushed in and was soon
followed by a doctor, who examined me and said we needed a caesarean but would
have to wait till the anaesthetist was ready. Meanwhile I had to sign many
different forms authorising this and that and was still hoping it might all
turn out Ok with a natural birth, biding time waiting for the anaesthetist. I’d
heard with skilled doctors that a natural breech birth was possible and when my
body started feeling like it wanted to push I was allowed to do so three times,
managing to get the baby out up to his waist when they turned me over to have
to doctor examine what was going on, he said the baby was in the worst position
and the head wouldn’t make it out so within the next few mins I was rushed into
the theatre, given an epidural, oxygen and the emergency caesarean began.
I was aware
of what was happening, briefly thought how handsome my husband looked in his
scrubs and felt the doctor really pulling and working away down there to get
the baby out. Afterwards he told my Mum that it was one of the hardest he had
ever performed, and he’s done thousands. He cut me open, put in his hand and
couldn’t grasp any part of the baby. Knowing it wouldn’t be like any textbook
operation he then asked for people to push the baby back up while he tried to
get a grip to get him out. After much pushing and pulling out came the baby who
was rushed to the waiting paediatrician for resuscitation.
A nurse told
me later that she was in theatre as this was happening and that everyone held
their breath as the baby came out, wondering if it could possibly be alive
after all the work to get it out. Praise God when we all heard him cry once and
he was shown to Gody and I quickly before being taken to the neo-natal ward.
The more we hear from the doctors and nurses the more we realise what a
complete miracle it is that he is alive and well, he suffered some oxygen
deprivation at birth but shows no effect of this and each day is showing
amazing progress, recovering faster than anyone had predicted.
Afterwards
we just couldn’t believe what had happened and where to go from now! But we
know that many prayers have been said for us and Maika and we have seen God
putting people in our path who have helped us along every step of the way.
There has been much to do and sort out and it was such a blessing that my Mum
arrived two days after Maika was born to help us and I can also thank God that
he gave me a very capable husband who has just coped with this all beautifully
and is already such a good father to Maika.
We want to
thank everyone who has prayed for us and supported us, the doctor predicts that
all going well, Maika may be discharged from the hospital on Tuesday or
Wednesday this week and his travel documents should be ready by the end of the
week so we may be continuing on with our journey as early as next weekend as
long as Maika is cleared to fly. Gody and I can’t think of anything better
right now than arriving with him in Australia and starting our long awaited
holiday, although I know all the parents out there will chuckle at me saying
that it’ll be a holiday when we have a newborn baby!
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