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"I had my first baby when I was 21.
The clinic miscalculated my due date - I was told I was due 6 July and if nothing happens I should come back for a C-section on 7 July.
The 7th of July came and nothing happened, but I decided not to go to hospital.
I stayed at home until the 11th, when I suddenly felt like I was in labour.
Mistreatment
The next day I went to the clinic and I was transferred to hospital where I was told I would not be able to deliver naturally, as I was considered as having a "small body".
I was just laying there on the bed, with someone's fingers in my vagina every second, until the night before 13th.
I had blood running down my legs at about 2am that morning. I went to the nurses because I wanted to ask what was wrong with me?
Women had their water breaking, but I had blood! I was so scared and I was never given a chance to ask or say what is going on.
All I got was screaming and shouting, telling to stop making them sick and move away from them.
One of them took me by my dress at the back and pushed me while walking behind me to the maternity ward.
She said I shouldn't bother them as they did not impregnate me.
I was lying on the bed, until it felt as if I needed to go to the toilet.
Just one push
When I put my feet down, I felt something between my legs, it was my baby's head.
I immediately knelt down and with one push, my baby was out, on the floor. I was in tears, I was trying to pick her up, but I couldn't. I was in shock, shaking and felt very weak.
One of them came running in, saying to me what have I done?!
That same night, before I had my baby, a young girl had a baby in the toilet. Unfortunately the baby died because the baby's head hit the pot.
10 years later
Now, 10 years later, I got married.
I fell pregnant and I was so terrified by the thought of having a child again. I thought C-section was the only way, until I met an amazing, life-saving midwife in Bloemfontein.
I had the most amazing birth of my daughter and son. I had confidence in my body and I trusted my body for the first time.
If I decide to have a child again, I would go to my midwife. As women, our bodies are designed to have babies.
Our forefathers used midwives, pregnancy was considered normal and was treated as such. Nowadays, when you fall pregnant, you're considered sick.
Thanks to the good Lord for the miracles of pregnancy and birth.
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