Global Birth Club: Meet Norah

We’re excited to be starting the month by introducing our newest member of the Global Birth Club — Norah.

My name is Kobusingye Norah, aged 24 years, married and staying in Uganda, Kamwenge District, Kamwenge Town Council, Kamwenge Ward, Karambi LC 1. To tell you more about Kamwenge district, we host one of the largest game parks in Uganda, but also one of the largest resettlement camps for people displaced from other countries like DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). That tells you, we are a hospitable community. We are mothers giving birth to children, and the district is ‘mothering’ many people from outside the country.

My pregnancy is now approximately 16 weeks and it’s the third pregnancy of my life. Unfortunately only one child aged 2 years is alive. I lost the other child after severe diarrhea.

I am a housewife with no professional work. Early in the morning I take my child to school, prepare and take him his lunch and pick him at 4:00pm. Otherwise I do my simple house chores like washing and cleaning utensils.

It is amazing how I came to know soon I will be a mother again. I missed my menstrual periods for three consecutive months that made me suspect pregnancy. Most times in the rural community like mine, you know you are pregnant after missing the periods. I became excited and told my husband, Wilber and he too became happy. Together we planned to start attending antenatal care visits at Padre Pio HC III.

How have you been feeling physically? Were you sick in the first trimester? How have you changed your daily routine and eating habits since you’ve been pregnant?

I feel weaker physically than when I was not pregnant and even weaker than in the first two months. I no longer do all the things I used to do. I experienced vomiting and was also admitted due to Bruccellosis [a bacterial infection that often comes from exposure to farm animals or their meat or feces] that has now cleared. I had abdominal pain in the third month, but was given medicine at Padre Pio Health Center III and stabilized. My appetite has been affected and if I eat before my time, I vomit whatever I ate or drank. Apparently I cannot eat meat and fish ever since I had Brucellosis. I am now used to eating only once a day mainly in morning and that takes me up to the next day. My clothes no longer fit me well. They are tight on me and some cannot be used anymore. Another amazing thing is that my baby has already started kicking inside the stomach.

I delivered my other baby at Padre Pio HC III and had no complications other than the usual contractions. The Health workers cared for me well and I had a healthy baby. I encourage and recommend that all mothers should go for antenatal visits and deliver in health units.

Was this a planned pregnancy? Do you plan to have more children? If you have other children: Where did you deliver your other child(ren)? Did you experience complications? Would you recommend that experience to a friend or family member?

I delivered my other baby at Padre Pio Health Center III and had no complications. The Health workers cared for me well and I had a normal delivery to a healthy baby. I did not make any particular plans to bear this pregnancy. I just saw myself miss menstrual cycles and became suspicious. However, immediately I thanked God for the replacement as I had earlier lost a child. Of now I have only one child and this will be a second one [in addition to the baby that died at one month old from diarrhea]. The plan with my husband is at least four children. We are not sure of their spacing ahead, as children are a blessing from God. I encourage and recommend that all mothers should go for antenatal visits and deliver in health units. I recommend to all women in reproductive age to take every pregnancy as special and unique, seek medical care in time and follow directives up to delivery. We all love healthy pregnancy and baby.

Have you been receiving prenatal care? How many visits? How many weeks into your pregnancy did you first see a physician/health care worker/etc.? What are you most excited about with this baby? Who will be responsible for naming the baby? Is there a name picked out yet?

I have already started receiving ANC at Padre Pio HC III in Kamwenge District Uganda. So far I have had two (2) visits and the next visit date is June 11, 2013. My first visit was at 16 weeks when I went for my 1st ANC check. The health workers told me that I was fine, and my baby. This pregnancy so far has not given me any stress, not fallen sick at all, though my breasts are bringing out milk and was told that I have a syphilis infection that I am treating now.

I normally walk to the facility since it’s near my home. They normally take us through health education first before they do medical checkups and subsequent treatment. At times it takes four to five hours depending on the facility schedules. It’s a blessing to be pregnant. It feels so nice when the baby is fine and that gives me joy when I know that. Being healthy and eating well makes me happy knowing that our baby is okay and this makes me a confident mother.

The baby we are expecting is not yet named. The grandmother is responsible for naming all our children once they are born and as parents we respect their choice.

For fathers: How did your partner share the news of pregnancy with you? For father and mother: What are your dreams/hopes for your child? How do fathers prepare for the birth of a child? In the US they might take childbirth education classes with their partner, attend doctor’s appointments with them, sometimes take on extra chores so that mom can rest. Anything like that where you live?

Norah’s husband: She told me when she was about one month pregnant and after she had missed her monthly periods. I then told her to go at the facility to do a pregnancy/HCG test to find out whether she was really pregnant despite the other signs on the body. This was finally proved true.

My dreams for my children don’t change but it looks like this baby may have a lot of blessings since the mother has never fallen sick. As a father I would love to see my child growing up to old age with good health. I am determined to provide and support the family when as I live to ensure a bright future.

Preparations start with the care during pregnancy. When she’s left with two months, at seven months, that’s when I will be more conscious for real delivery. Am saving small moneys as a way of supporting my wife in case she gets any complications, I will be able to support in case of anything.

I also have money to buy her any foods that she may like to support her breastfeeding. She’s able to feed on goats’ stew, fresh beans and avocado. I will buy baby clothes and other requirements that will be needed at the facility.

In Uganda we do not have programs/places for lessons on childbirth. Men and their wives are encouraged to go together for ANC (antenatal care.) Contrary to the expected; the women here are the ones that go for ANCs since we don’t have time. My wife goes and she comes back and educates me on what the health workers taught. I have only been able to attend once ANC with her because am always busy at work.

How many weeks into your pregnancy are you now? Where do you plan to deliver your baby? What family or friends if any do you plan to have with you? What are you doing to get ready for your baby’s arrival? How do pregnant women typically prepare for baby’s arrival? Do people give presents?

I have just come from the health facility for my third antenatal visit. I am so happy for up to this date my expected baby is okay. I have fully completed my seventh month, or 28 weeks, of this pregnancy.

I plan to deliver at Padre Pio HC III where I normally go for ante-natal care and had previous deliveries. The facility is near my home. When it’s time for delivery, my mother-in-law is notified and comes in advance to escort me with my lovely husband. If it takes some time to deliver, my husband keeps going back home to bring whatever is required to support us.

For readiness I am doing all that is possible in our means to prepare and receive our baby as a family. My husband and I have started saving money since the delivery will be at a private facility and other requirements or in case of complications [a need for a] referral. Like pregnant women do, I have already bought polythene for putting on delivery bed, bed sheets for the baby and next will be clothes. In Uganda, when one delivers normally the husband slaughters a goat. Other friends give money, clothes and varying presents to share the joy of the newborn.

August: How many weeks into your pregnancy are you now? How close are you to where you’ll deliver your baby? How do you plan to get there? Are you finding it hard to keep up your routine?

(From our friend Isaac at Baylor Uganda): I met Norah after being discharged from Padre Pio HC III, and she was so excited after God answering her prayers. She said a baby girl was a blessing to her since the older one was a boy. Norah said she had normal contractions but did not inform the husband until when they were unbearable. The contractions had started at around 8:00pm of the evening of August 16 but she did not tell her husband until the next day. At around 9:30am after she had fetched water and started washing clothes, as Her husband was at work, she was taken to the health facility. By 10:00am Norah had delivered her baby girl vaginally. The baby was a girl with 3.1 kg with no problem. According to the mother, Judith is breastfeeding well and doing the basic nutrition.

The fact that the Grandmother and Grandfather were around (in Uganda the grandparents choose a baby’s name) meant immediately the child was named — Arinda Judith (meaning ‘God protects Judith’), though the baptism in church has not been done.

The only elder brother was hostile to the newborn as nothing was discussed prior to the delivery thinking that he was too young. The brother has not asked anything but at the beginning he rejected the mother as attention was no longer to him. Of now things have changed as he has become protective to the sister from neighbors, wants to sleep with the baby and attend when crying.

Norah said the midwife discussed contraception but they still want more children. (Family planning services are free in the government health facilities, but the majority of the couples in this area of Uganda want at least four children and they currently only have two.) Norah being a housewife is healthy doing her home chores and taking care of the new family member.

Click here to read the stories of all our Global Birth Club members.

Written by Norah