How I spent three days in labour –A’Ibom mother

A 26-year-old Akwa Ibom lady,Mrs Mmema-Abasi David-Efe, who spent three days in labour before delivering her daughter, tells GODFREY GEORGE about the scary experience and her joy thereafter

What was the experience like for you, having to be in labour for three days?

Prior to my delivery, I had heard about other people’s experiences.  Some were good while others had sad endings. I hoped for smooth delivery, but the story changed when I fell into labour on January 12, 2022, at around 1am.

Since my husband worked in a different city, before my ninth month, I was advised to go stay with my parents, so I would not be alone when labour started. So, I took a break from work and moved in with my parents. It was there that I experienced a very sharp and piercing pain that night. I screamed and called on my mum but there was very little they could do. They encouraged me to manage and hold myself till till daybreak because of the security situation in the country. All through the night, I rolled from one edge of the bed to the other, got up and paced from place to place, just to cope with the pain of the contractions.

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When did you eventually get to the hospital?

I got to the hospital as early as 5am that same morning. We drove down to the hospital. Before we got there, my dad had already informed my husband and he had to come down immediately. My parents and my entire relatives were with me since it was going to be the first grandchild of the family. They were all there to share in my joy. Our expectation was that that very day, the baby would come forth. But that didn’t happen.

I was there in the labour ward for hours and women came in after I did and birthed their babies and left. I heard lots of cries of babies. I couldn’t understand what was going on. The doctors were reassuring me that since it was my first pregnancy, it might take just a few hours and I would be done. I had hope and I was calm.

In the evening of the very day, there was no progress. When the doctors checked me, I was still on two centimetres dilation.

What did the doctors do at that point?

They had to admit me and induce me. They gave me some anaesthesia so I could sleep off and not feel much pain. I slept and woke up but nothing still happened. I was still on two centimetres dilation. At that point, I was already feeling frustrated. I kept saying, “God, this was not what I expected. I am supposed to be holding my baby by now.” Even at that point, I saw another woman and her family carrying their baby out.

On the second day, the doctor on duty had left, and another doctor came in and was reviewing my file. My entire body was shaking but the baby was not coming out. Everybody was scared. They had to give me another dose of inducement. At that point, I was losing strength. I could feel the baby kick inside of me. She was struggling to come out but it was just as though something was holding her in. It was like I was boiling. I didn’t know what to do.

What did the doctors say was causing the delay?

Honestly, they couldn’t say anything was wrong. We, too, couldn’t tell. I kept asking myself, “Is this spiritual or what?” But then again, I decided to trust God. I didn’t know what to attribute it to. Everyone lost hope. The entire hospital was under tension. Everybody was just anticipating. They were just praying that I don’t die because I was already feeling weak. I had not eaten anything as I was not feeling hungry and my body down there was just open. You can imagine how tired the baby was. I prayed as I had never prayed before. Everybody lost hope but I refused to lose hope.

At the expiration second inducement, I remained at the same two centimetres. The doctor looked at me and said, “I am afraid,  ma. This is not how it is supposed to be.” You know whenever a doctor says, “I am afraid,” it is not always good news. I began to panic. I called my dad and they started a prayer team in the hospital. Even the nurses were all rooting for me. Some of them were so scared. You could hear them say things like, “This fine lady! This young lady!” I was alive but it was like they were not seeing me anymore because I looked like a shadow; strength had left me.

The doctor checked the baby’s heartbeat and said her heartbeat was dropping, and he looked like he was not sure if any of us would make it. It was already clear that we might both not make it.

At what point did you opt for a caesarian section?

It was the third day. My sister just said that we should stop wasting time and go for a C-section. I didn’t mind. I couldn’t think. All I wanted was that the baby should just come out and I should have peace. At one point, I was just fighting for my life alone because it seemed like we had lost the baby. You can imagine a baby fighting for more than two days. I threw my phone away. It was like I wanted to run mad. I was crying and it was like I was just so open. I was taken to a separate ward so I wouldn’t  make other expectant mothers scared.

We arranged for the surgery. A surgeon was invited and documents were already exchanging hands to be signed. The doctor went in to arrange the theatre and I was already on a stretcher, being pushed into the operating room. All of a sudden, I felt this sudden kick. It was like my entire body wanted to open up. I shouted, “Doctor, I want to poop!” And, the doctor said, “If you want to poop, then we have to enter the labour ward.” Another doctor suggested that I may be too weak to push the baby, noting that I should be taken to the theatre and operated upon. In the midst of the arguments and chaos, I was shouting. So, one of the nurses asked that they check my dilation level for the last time and they reluctantly did. When they did, they found out that I was fully dilated; I had gone 10cm. When the surgeon came to take me to the theatre for my CS, the nurses said I was in the labour ward because I was fully dilated. He had to join the doctor in the room. When I got into the labour room that time, I passed out. I had not eaten for three whole days; I had to be forced to take water. I couldn’t sleep except I was drugged to do so. I was a mess. It was like I had died. Where was the strength to push after labouring for three days? I could hear the doctors saying, “Young woman, push this baby before you die. If you want to die, please, push this baby out.” At that point, I had to survive. Other doctors were called in. They were many in the room. They had to use an instrument to drag out the baby and she was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit because her heartbeat had slowed down.

How did it feel?

Honestly, I was too tired to feel anything. When my husband came in, he was, at first, not even interested in seeing his daughter. He rushed to the room and hugged me despite the blood. He was almost crying. It was so critical. After everything, I had to go in to be stitched again because the baby tore open my private parts. The instrument they used almost destroyed the area. They had to use double stitching on me but after they thought all was well, I started bleeding again, and they had to go back again to stitch. I almost died from the bleeding. It was a painful-sweet experience. Recounting this story here makes it so surreal. I cannot believe this is me now, standing strong and healthy. This is because the days following the delivery were hell. You can imagine the pain of labour for three days and bleed amidst stitches. But I thank God for everything.

How many days did the baby spend in the ICU?

Due to the prolonged labour, the doctor suggested they placed her on antibiotics, considering the fact that she had consumed a large quantity of amniotic fluid while in the womb. Nothing else was wrong with her. After five days or thereabouts, she was ready to go. She is a big girl now (aughs)!

What has this experience taught you?

Hmmm… I have learnt a lot from this. Until you have tested God, you won’t know what He feels like. I wouldn’t say I have been a deep Christian before the birth of my child. I wouldn’t say my relationship with God has been strong enough but after that experience, I have chosen to hold onto God. My experience has taught me that He doesn’t fail. When God starts a project in one’s life, He will surely complete it. The devil will struggle to steal your joy, but God will show himself strong for you.

Do you have any fears?

Oh well, my only fear is how to be an excellent mum to my beautiful daughter. I wouldn’t want to fail in my motherly role.