This month 11 babies were admitted to our program (4 orphans (including the above set of twins), 2 babies of mothers with no breast milk, 4 babies of critically ill mothers, 1 baby of mother with postpartum psychosis). Three women were enrolled (1 with severe anemia, 1 with severe abdominal infection, and the mother with postpartum psychosis).
Baby Admission Story. Grace was living abroad in South Africa when she found out she was pregnant for the second time. She attended prenatal care there and delivered first her boy and then her little girl moments later at a hospital in South Africa on the 9th of October. Her family says that at home on the 10th she complained of abdominal pain and chest pain, she went outside to get some fresh air and after 30minutes her husband went to look for her. He found her collapsed on the ground, already deceased. On the 8th of November her body and babies were sent to Malawi. A former client of Joyful Motherhood instructed them to go to our office for support.
Mother Admission Story. At 16 years old Feliya delivered her healthy but small baby boy. The delivery was uncomplicated and the young mom and baby were discharged home soon after delivery. Initially everything seemed to be going well. Feliya was adjusting to motherhood and her baby was breastfeeding well. But then something changed Feliya was frequently agitated, she refused to feed her baby, and family realized that she was experiencing both auditory and visual hallucinations. She was taken back to the hospital Feliya, diagnosed with postpartum psychosis and started on Haldol. The clinicians referred the family to Joyful Motherhood.