It was a calm friday evening after the busy week (full of emergencies) when she walked into the hospital to complain that her supposed delivery date was past.
A 30 year old widow, uneducated and unemployed, with 7 children (most of whom were not from the late husband). She didnt know her LMP (last menstrual period) and had not registered for antenatal. No routine drugs,ultrasound or medication as she believed that once her labour starts, she will deliver. She had noticed some signs of labour, but couldnt say when and had been to some ‘places’ where her baby couldn’t be delivered, hence, her presentation to our facility.
We were able to initiate labour and her baby was delivered, though her water volume was reduced.
“Glory be to God”, we sighed.
But wait, baby was limp, blue, not crying or making any movement. Another wahala.
Resuscitation was commenced for the baby till he let out a weary cry, then, a better cry with a better color. Not so pink, but…thank God.
While I continued the resuscitation, the midwife went ahead to deliver the placenta. Following the delivery of placenta, blood gushed out, then more blood and more.
First the uterus was not contracting despite initial uterotonics and we also noticed some genital injuries. The noncontraction of the uterus was corrected and injuries repaired. The bleeding stopped…or so we thought.
The baby on the other hand was breathing noisily, and had a pale pink colour. He needed oxygen but during the whole struggle, our oxygen cylinder fell and the head got broken. We decided to refer the baby to a children’s specialist hospital.
I met some of her relatives and discussed about the need to refer the child, but was shocked when one of them told me that the life of the child was not important to them. That anything could happen to the baby but I should try and save the mother for them. And besides, they don’t have money.
Shocked, I made to walk away when a stranger who was around decided to take responsibility for the child. He volunteered to take the child to the referred hospital with some of the family members.
Back inside, the mother started bleeding again, though not as severe as before. further examinations showed a tear in her cervix, and having lost so much blood, she needed blood transfusion.
While we repaired the tear, I came back to her relatives and begged them to donate blood for her. They started giving excuses why they cannot donate for her. One was bold enough to say that her problem was spiritual and that she has had a similar condition in her previous pregnancy and was made to swear she wouldn’t get pregnant again. And when she finally got pregnant again, she wouldn’t name the man. He concluded the gods she swore before were fighting her.
I sent them out of the hospital as they weren’t serving any good purpose for us, and decided to fight the ‘gods’ holding her ourselves.
We were able to get 2 pints of blood on loan, the repair was done and bleeding arrested. Phew!… at last.
Fast forward to 8 days after the incidence. Mother and child are alive and well, the gods are nowhere close. Only a handful of people have come to see her and the baby.
We had counselled her on the need for family planning, encouraged and helped her work on her mood to avoid depression. We also saw to it that she fed well while she was with us.
Our only hope for her discharge was if she received help from anyone who cared. We had not yet replaced the pints of blood we took on loan for her.
I told her she could stay as long as she wanted in the hospital until help comes. I also prayed she receives help in the form of ‘empowerment’ to get her doing something meaningful to support her 8 children. At least, we are the ones that have her and not the gods.
The last time I saw the one who claimed that the gods were holding her, I told him to go and tell the gods that we saved the one they were supposed to have.
Good news, she has been discharged. Someone came to her aid with the part payment, two other people donated towards the completion of her bills and she had left over cash to support herself and her family.
Indeed, my people perish because of ignorance.
I will make a post on postpartum haemorrhage later.
Dr. Williamdon Adims
Medtrix 