October 2020

Mother number nine is a friend of mother number 6. A strong-willed Sri Lankan woman, who lost her mum when she was young, she was sent to a boarding school in England and didn\’t return to Sri Lanka until afterwards when she started her own business.

She contacted me at 34 weeks and I met her shortly after that, discussing her pregnancy journey so far and helping prepare her for birth – hopefully vaginally and not a caesarean section like the first time. She said to me: “If I am going to have a chance of normal birth, I have to have you with me.” I was committed to her and was hoping to be able to support her.

The day she went into labour spontaneously at 3pm was 6 days after the Covid positive case in our apartment tower and I was told by the hospital that I would need to have a negative PCR test if I wanted to support her.  Her labour progressed so fast (I knew it would) that I was unable to get the test done in time and thus unable to be with her during her labour.  I was bitterly disappointed and sad that I was letting her down, but it was out of my control.  I kept leaving her voice messages of encouragement that evening and could not sleep.  Letting someone down affects my mental health greatly and it didn\’t feel good not being able to keep my promise.

Her husband texted me before midnight to say that they were taking her for an emergency caesarean section due to baby\’s compromised position. When I spoke to her afterwards, she was very happy with the care she received and said the doctor did everything he could for her to achieve a normal birth, which is the main thing.  I am very happy for her.  She was in a lot of pain the next day, but they must have managed it well with painkillers as she was home on day 2, not even 48 hours after the operation.

Baby Revaan is doing really well and despite Daddy going back to work after only a week at home, Mummy is managing just fine. She does have a great support network at home with two nannies, a cook, a cleaner and a gardener. 

Rennie