NEWEST ANGEL

So last week, my very good friend calls me up, she is thirty five weeks and tells me she is not feeling her baby kicking well.... For those of you following me on my blog know that that has been my nightmare and i am forgiven kindly for feeling my heart sink down to my toes in that very instant!! I quickly call her and ask her calmly but inside am almost losing it...whether she has gone to see her doc. She calmly tells me a long and short story of how her obstetrician sent her for an urgent scan but because she got got up in the queue at the radiology unit, she decided to take the report next day. I ask her to read out the report for me. Scan says theres a single loop of cord around the neck, theres reduced amniotic fluid, fetal movements and heart rate are good plus the doppler blood flow is satisfactory.

So we agree that first thing in the morning she goes to see her doc. Next day am unable to let it go so I accompany her to the Obstetrician's clinic and we gossip, talk about shoes etc (girls you know what I mean) to while away time. She sees the daktari who "prescribes" a csection. So she comes out, and is to be admitted first thing in the morning for an immediate section. Am abit tense, 35 weeks the baby's lungs are well matured but haven't we had cases of babies at 37 weeks with respiratory problems? Do we buy a little time to forgo this? 20% of babies are born with cord around the neck, out of these only 2% have complications...( One of my lecturers had jokingly told us that he tells radiologist not to report cord around the neck unless it is significantly tight as it just causes undue stress on both the mother and her doctor....), so is this justification enough. On the other hand she has reduced fetal movements....which is the better angel or lesser devil??

She goes home and I tell her to have a fetal kick chart and I will call her after a few hours we see if its satisfactory. 6hours later I make the call and she reports only 3 measly movements. Not to seemed too alarmed I tell her to keep checking but she should call her doctor and arrange for an immediate section, this doesn't sound good. I have never had such a long night, I kept thinking can morning come, God please take care of my friend and her baby, please God, Please....

The long and the short of it is that she is a very proud mother as we speak, baby weighed over 2 and a half kilos. he joined the mother on the second day and he is breastfeeding away at home, no sign of any compromise on his breathing.

Lesson of the day, a happy and wide smile for all of us. And am asking God for strength and wisdom like our lovely ever so wonderful Obstetrician for making the right call.