BABY AND MOTHER GO TO SEE DOCTOR
Thank you to everyone for your generous donations yesterday! It made it possible for us to take the mother and her baby that I met yesterday to the health clinic for a check up. We told the doctor about the baby’s stomach pains, and he checked the baby. As he put pressure on the baby’s stomach, the baby moved her legs in pain. The doctor said that the baby has stomach pains from too much air in her stomach. This was caused by not properly burping the baby after breastfeeding. For many women with their firstborn, it can be hard to know exactly how to care for their baby, as it’s their first time learning. It makes me thankful that at the Kenswed Maternity & Health Center we will provide education in how to breastfeed, care for the baby, etc. Knowledge and education are such important tools to help the society grow upwards, and benefit future generations to come.
We showed the mother how to properly burp the baby, what she should listen for and that some spit up was okay. The doctor found that both mother and baby were fine, and that the mothers milk is still coming in, and that she should continue to breastfeed as often as possibles, to increase the flow of milk. He prescribed the baby a prescription for infacol, which would help for the pain in the stomach. We went and filled this prescription for them. The baby will need to wait until it is 3 months old to receive vaccinations.
I asked the doctor about the mother not having enough food to eat, and if there was an option for a multi vitamin or not. He said that wouldn’t matter if she doesn’t have enough food to eat in the day. Tomorrow morning we will buy her a stock of healthy food for her, so that she can at least have some healthy food for awhile. After the doctors appointment we all went together to shop for items that the baby and mother need.
Yesterday we managed to raise SEK 2 250:- in donations from very generous people who saw our posts. As they say in Swahili “Asanti” which means thank you. With this donation we were able to buy the prescription for the baby, and pay for items that both the mother and baby both the mother and baby needed.
– New mattress (mother and baby sleep on the floor)
– Pillow for mother (didn’t have a pillow)
– Sanitary pads
– Diapers
– Bathing basin
– Blanket
– Towel for baby
– Clothes for the baby (sleepers, pants, shirts, jacket, socks and caps)
– Toothbrushes and toothpaste for the mom (she didn’t have)
– Baby wipes
– Baby soap
– Laundry detergent
– Baby oil and petroleum jelly for diaper rash
While we were driving in the car back to her home, the aunt and mother were telling us that everyone around them was telling her to abort the baby. Her aunt said not to listen to those people, to keep the baby because “god will provide”. They said that after yesterday when meeting Lööf Foundation, that god had provided. When we brought all of the items inside, everyone crowded around us curious about the items we provided. They thanked us so many times, and said they had a hard time finding the right words to say because they appreciate these items so much. They said they never thought that anyone would ever help them.
Yesterday I came back to the guesthouse after meeting this mother and her tiny baby and cried tears of sadness and sorrow for them and their struggle. Today, after we received the very generous donation from so many that helped this mother and baby, I cry tears of happiness and hope for this mother and child. Thank you to everyone who donated, supported and contributed. Today, we, all together have helped this woman’s life and her baby’s.
Morgan Young
Lööf Foundation representative
