Wild animals have little assistance when they deliver their young and rely only on each other for support. They will find a comfortable spot where they will build themselves a nest of leaves or grass or whatever is at hand so as to have a safe soft area for the babies to be born. Cheetahs or lions will change position depending on the position from which the baby is delivering, leaning up against a wall or reclining, turning and changing position in order to allow the head and body to descend naturally and to birth quickly. Lions will go alone to a den and isolate themselves from the rest o f the pride to have their young. They roar and grunt with a distinctive sound to keep away predators and males from the pride.
This is how it was for us. There was little availability of doctors to assist with the birth of babies. And if a doctor was needed, the lateness of his arrival would generally impend the death of the mother or the infant or both. We were left to rely upon each other.
I am beginning to understand that the big house is the place where anyone who needs medical help will come to see Granny. Very early this morning, when we were all sleeping, there came a heavy banging on the door. Rain pelted the door open, and in came a man carrying a young girl up from the field. She was shaking and sputtering with foam flying from her nose and mouth. We laid her down on the floor. One of the women tried to jam rags into her mouth so she wouldn’t bite her tongue. She flailed her arms and legs and her whole body shook with tremors. She didn’t answer when we called her name.
Finally, she stopped shaking but was still asleep. We took her clothes off, and I could see she had a small swelling at the bottom of her belly. She was bleeding and then from between her legs, we could see the head of the baby. The girl baby passed easily. She was quiet and blue, but she was still alive for a few minutes. She fit into the palms of my two hands. I put my hand over my belly and felt my own baby flutter and kick.
In a few more minutes, the young girl awakened. She took her dead baby in her arms, crying out. We helped her wash the baby, and we wrapped her up so she wouldn’t be cold in the grave. This morning, one of the men dug a hole and we buried the baby in the ground behind the house. We marked the grave site with a stone. The mother will rest another day here in the house, and then she’ll go back to her work in the fields.
I am beginning to understand that the big house is the place where anyone who needs medical help will come to see Granny. Very early this morning, when we were all sleeping, there came a heavy banging on the door. Rain pelted the door open, and in came a man carrying a young girl up from the field. She was shaking and sputtering with foam flying from her nose and mouth. We laid her down on the floor. One of the women tried to jam rags into her mouth so she wouldn’t bite her tongue. She flailed her arms and legs and her whole body shook with tremors. She didn’t answer when we called her name.
Finally, she stopped shaking but was still asleep. We took her clothes off, and I could see she had a small swelling at the bottom of her belly. She was bleeding and then from between her legs, we could see the head of the baby. The girl baby passed easily. She was quiet and blue, but she was still alive for a few minutes. She fit into the palms of my two hands. I put my hand over my belly and felt my own baby flutter and kick.
In a few more minutes, the young girl awakened. She took her dead baby in her arms, crying out. We helped her wash the baby, and we wrapped her up so she wouldn’t be cold in the grave. This morning, one of the men dug a hole and we buried the baby in the ground behind the house. We marked the grave site with a stone. The mother will rest another day here in the house, and then she’ll go back to her work in the fields.
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