In the month of November…

– 9 babies were admitted, including one set of triplets, 4 newborns with critically ill mothers in the ICU, 1 premature baby with a sick mom, and 1 baby whose mother’s milk had dried up completely

– 7 women were admitted, 3 with a recent history of ruptured uterus and hysterectomy, 1 with eclampsia, 2 with severe anemia, and 1 with a severe infection and vaginal fistula

– Nurses visited a total of 136 women and babies

Mother Care Admission Story

Domisa was expecting her third baby. She had two normal deliveries but her third labor was long and difficult, she was ultimately referred from her health center to the district hospital where she was delivered by c-section. Three days later, when she should have returned home with her newborn son, nurses noticed pus oozing from her surgical wound. She returned to the operating table and found that the first surgery was done incorrectly, a lip of her uterus had been sutured to her bladder. At that point the infection was so severe that they removed her uterus, her bladder was damaged in two places and a fistula. Her wound was left open to continue to drain. A month after her labor started she was sent from the first district hospital to a fistula center to await surgery for fistula repair. Joyful Motherhood nurses met her in early November and continued to follow her and her baby once she was discharged home.

Baby Care Admission Story

Joyce was pregnant for the 6th time, she attended her prenatal visits as recommended at the clinic closest to her home. Her belly swelled quickly and about one month before the time she expected to deliver, she started contracting and felt a small pop followed by slowly leaking fluid. She made her way to the district maternity hospital and soon delivered four live but small babies vaginally. She was admitted to the kangaroo ward with her four newborns but within the first week her last baby boy died (the probable cause would be infection contracted from the hospital). She was then referred to Joyful Motherhood. Joyful Motherhood nurses have been visiting Joyce at home and supporting her in the care of her babies since November.