April 2021

I spoke to mummy No 23, a German lady with a Sri Lankan husband for the first time in her 35^th week of her pregnancy and she was well aware of her rights and what her wishes were with a 4 paged birth Plan. Her doctor gave her my number as she was hoping for a waterbirth.

I met both of them in a coffee shop in her 37th week and we discussed the Sri Lankan system, the way she hoped to birth her baby boy and how to manage her expectations within the private health system here. They live a long way from Colombo on the other side of the island and were making that long journey at exactly 39 weeks, with the view of being admitted the next day to see, what is happening.  

The labour was starting and stopping and I was called to be with them in hospital at that point, enduring another antigen test, which was negative. She was getting tired with each hour passing and after 24 hours in hospital the doctor stepped in and suggested to speed up the process with an induction. Another 12 hours in the labour room followed with me supporting (massage, aromatherapy, positive affirmation, king coconut water) and despite all this and the long labour, we had time for music and dancing, fairy lights and a coffee with cinnamon buns from my favourite coffee shop!  She did an amazing job and a baby boy was born with the assistance of the doctor at 18:03 and I witnessed yet another special moment when a new family was born.

When new daddy sent me a picture of being reunited with his son Rahmi the next day, the joy and happiness was tangible. They were driven by their friend back to their place in paradise after a 4-day hospital stay and the new mum was over the moon with her baby boy.  He was doing really well and the whole family was overjoyed with them arriving back home. Life for them is just one big happiness, quietly enjoying their little family away from people and civilization in their tropical paradise by the sea. Mummy is German and daddy is Tamil and from a family with deep cultural roots, but I know they are a modern family within the community they are living. 

Rennie