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"I have never felt such joy"

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"Here is the birth story of my daughter Lwazi.

I knew very little of the giving-birth experience, all I knew was about the pain that I would have for a few hours and then it's yippie and you go home.

I went to the maternity ward feeling on top of the world, thinking it’s in and out. It was around 18h30 on a Tuesday in 2008. The nurses told me about the procedure and I changed into my gown. While I sat there waiting, prepared, watching TV till I got bored as there was no action happening, I tried to think of everything I read about giving birth in pregnancy magazines and books to check I would do the right thing.

Around 22h30 I was having mild contractions and slept throughout till around 07h00 on 6 August. They were still mild and I sat around my room reading my magazines. At 09h00 the contractions were getting there but still not hectic. I waited, getting irritated because I wanted the comfort of my home.

Little did I know that there was a lot waiting for me yet. The contractions got hectic around 11h00, but I thought I could manage it – I was practicing yoga as the hours were passing by. I had never felt such pain, I thought I was dying. At about 16h00 I was begging the nurses to induce me as I thought it was end of the world. At that point I realised this is no child’s play like I thought.

The nurses were sweet, assuring me that all would be over in no time. My gynecologist, Dr Mtsi, came to check up on me and all was still perfect. The contractions were coming and going and by around 17h30 they became so hectic that I didn’t know what was happening. All I could do was to walk up and down in my room.

The doctor came back to check me up again and she said I was contracting very slowly and if in 30 minutes nothing was happening, they would need to perform a Caesarian as the baby was getting tired.

I agreed because I could see that I too was getting tired and I wasn't willing to wait for another hour. The doctor went to the theatre to prepare for the C-section and the nurses wheeled me to the theatre.

On our way there, my water broke and the baby was ready to come out. The nurse paged the doctor and she came back and told me to keep on breathing while I was being rerouted to the labour room. I was too tired to do anything. The an aesthetician came in and performed an epidural and suddenly the pain was nowhere to be found. I was so happy that the pain was gone.

The gynae told me to take a deep breath once more and the baby would be out, but I couldn’t. My mouth was so dry. The doctor begged me to push and I did my level best. And voila, there she was!

I sighed with relief. I got to put her on my chest, clinging to her, then she was taken to the Apgar test. Oh, it was the best day of my life. I have never felt so much joy to see her.

Lwazi was born at 19h35. I got sutured and went back to my room. I couldn’t believe that finally she was here. I had a deep sleep and all was over. Lwazi is the best thing that has ever happened in my life, now I don’t know what the world would be like without her.

It was not an easy pregnancy but I was able to pull it through to full term. I thank God for her."

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