‘Don’t keep mothers who lose babies in same ward’
● Ms Lydia Mensah, a mother who lost her baby girl
A 30-year-old mother, Ms Lydia Mensah, who lost her daughter after delivery, has urged hospital authorities to separate ‘unfortunate’ mothers who lose their babies after birth from ‘successful’ mothers.
According to her, that would ease the pain, trauma and heartbreak associated with such situations.
She said watching other mothers breastfeed and take care of their newborn babies remind them of their loss.
Speaking with The Spectator on Monday as part of activities to mark what would have been the fourth birthday of her baby girl this month, Ms Mensah said she found it necessary to use the occasion to appeal to medical professionals to take such mothers to different wards to help them overcome the ordeal.
Ms Mensah narrated how her baby had died from shortness of breath because oxygen was in short supply at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and recalled how staff had replaced hers with that of another baby who was stable.
“After feeding her, I went back to check on her again but when I saw the number of medical staff gathered around her, I got alarmed and went to enquire about what was happening and I was told to go and get oxygen for her.”
“Having just gone through a caesarean-section, I was forced to roam the hospital in search of oxygen to save my daughter.”
The 30-year-old mother said she felt too weak and so she had to call her mother and husband to help get some for her but it was too late.
“What broke my heart was when I went to the wards and saw other mothers feeding their babies,” she said.
She said she had to complain to a doctor who suggested that she should be discharged so that her mother who was a medical person would assist in dressing her wound.
According to her, going back for review was another trauma because she saw many mothers with their babies at the Child Welfare Clinic.
“I was broken and I have never cried like that in my entire life like I did during that period,” she disclosed.
Ms Mensah said though she had a son before she lost her daughter and another son after, she continued to battle with the pain of losing a child.
She appealed to the government to ensure that there was enough oxygen in the various hospitals to supply such babies and urged medical professionals to help under such circumstances.
She said it was also important that mothers who had lost their babies were taken through some form of counselling before they are discharged.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema.
