Birth
tales
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Contents
4Tribute
5Introduction
6
Liani - Nothing in my life has ever been so intense…
8
Yashmitha - Two births, many emotions
10Karen - Silver linings
11A collection of birth tales from Nazmiah, Adele
and Nolubabalo
12Palesa - This will be my last born
14Rifqah - An unexpected arrival…
16Bronwyn - When birth dreams come tumbling down
17 The inspirational birth of the House of Zinplex
18A matter of choice
19Ease the pain – photo-feature of labour positions
20You can have a better birth
21Yonda - Always trust your instincts
22Dielda - The moment I became whole
24Clair - Old year, new life!
25Zavannah – On the ball
26Chantelle – An ambassador for natural birth
28Helena – A birth wish fulfilled!
29A collection of birth tales from Washiela, Leanda
and Sherezaan
30Annerie – Reach for the stars
33Kashiefa – The neighbourhood’s baby
34Beaulene – When midwifery is not ‘with women’
35Angelique – A beautiful VBAC
36Maggie – From traumatic to amazing
38Birth hormones - A truly miraculous cocktail
© Sister Lilian Centre 2015
Design by Talia du Plessis, Ultra Design
Birth tales 3
TBribute
irth tales was born to
offer women a platform
to express what giving
birth to their babies meant to
them. Thank you to the mothers
who generously shared their
stories. Please know how
valuable your birth tales will
be to the midwives and other
women into whose hands this
booklet will fall.
The mother featured on the
cover is Cornelia Owens, and
this was her triumphant VBAC
(vaginal birth after C-section),
at home in water. It was also
the moment she learnt for the
first time that her precious baby
was a boy – Baby Jordan!
Thank you for gracing our cover
with all the myriad emotions
a woman feels at a pivotal
moment like this. And to Marysol
Blomerus, who was the ‘midwife’
of this amazing photo – your
singular talent captured every
nuance we could wish for.
In addition, we hope that this
collection of birth stories and
supportive information from
Sister Lilian will help countless
others to claim their birth day
4 Birth tales
with pride and intuition. At the
Sister Lilian Centre we know
how life-changing birth is –
both a good experience, and
a bad one. We believe that the
courageous, generous women
who have shared their stories
here, will bring new perspectives
and hope to countless others.
Some stories will bring a tear
to your eye, others a gentle
smile to your lips. You might
feel a surge of power and
pleasure one moment, and
like you need to hug one of
the women in the very next
moment. This range of emotions
is good, because it means you
are pondering the significance
of birth, way beyond the mere
physical experience. If you are
a midwife, nurse or doctor, we
hope that you too will hear the
message from each of these
brave mothers.
To our generous sponsor,
House of Zinplex, who
made it possible to produce
Birth Tales, our heartfelt
appreciation. Thank you for
honouring and supporting
the mothers of South Africa.
Introduction
G
iving birth is a truly
special experience in
a woman’s life. Once you have been there
and done that, nothing will
ever be quite the same again.
Although it is your baby’s birth
that will be celebrated on that
day, your new life starts on that
day too! Shouldn’t midwives,
obstetricians, birth facilities and
indeed, the couple themselves,
all conspire to make so much
more of the incredible day that
we call ‘birth’?
Of course, uppermost in mind
should be that at the end of this
rite of passage that is birth, both
woman and child should be safe
and well. A good birth does not
only mean a healthy baby and
mother, though. A woman who
feels good about her birth finds
breastfeeding and mothering
easier, and there is less chance
of postnatal depression! From
baby’s perspective it often
means better health and less
need for therapies to assist
milestone development.
Making the most of birth is
about accepting what worked
best on the day in individual
circumstances. A natural birth
in which all went well is the best
outcome, but if either mother or
baby really needed intervention,
like delivery by C-section, then
that will be the best birth for
those involved.
You will feel good about your
birth if you have been informed
and consulted every step of the
way, and if you feel that your
preferences were taken into
account, and that you were
respected as a unique individual.
As long as you do not feel let
down or aren’t left with questions
in the back of your mind as to
whether or not the birth was
handled sensitively and expertly,
you will feel empowered by the
experience. The best birth does
not just fall into your lap though –
you need to think about what you
want, negotiate with your doctors
and midwives, and keep an
open mind if your circumstances
should change.
I hope that Birth Tales will help
all who read it, in whichever way
you may need.
Sister Lilian
Birth tales 5
Mother:
Liani Schütz
Father:
Ulrich
Baby:
Mieka
Liani’s story
N
othing in my life has
ever been so intense…
My whole world just disappeared;
the only thing that existed at that
moment was my baby.
I woke Ulrich up and told him, “She’s coming!
She’s making her way to us”. He jumped out of
bed, almost as if he teleported from one point to
the other, and the next thing I knew, he was on the
phone with our hospital’s maternity department. He
told them how far apart my contractions were, and
they said that they were still too far apart and that I
should go back to bed. When he told me what they
said, I remember thinking, “Is this woman serious?
Go back to bed? Has she ever felt a contraction?”
However, we didn’t have a choice; but as I sat
back down on the bed, I felt something inside my
body changing. Instinctively, I ran to the bathroom
and my waters broke. I called Ulrich; he gave me
one look and was back on the phone with the
maternity ward, not even five minutes after his
previous call! They told him to get me to the hospital
as soon as possible.
Confusion clouds the excitement
It was a Wednesday in March
2013, and Liani and Ulrich
Schütz were counting down the
days to their precious little girl’s
estimated due date of 7 April.
Liani shares her story.
6 Birth tales
T
hat night, we went to sleep, but not for long... At
2am, I woke up feeling sick to my stomach. I locked
myself in the bathroom, where it felt like my stomach
had turned into a washing machine. I’d never been sick
like this before – it felt like my body was draining from all
possible exits. Once my body gave me a break, I ran to
Ulrich, woke him up and told him what had happened. He
comforted me, and told me to try to rest, as stressing isn’t
good for the baby.
At 2:45am I woke up again, this time with really bad
cramps, and realised my baby girl was on her way!
I felt so many emotions – an overload of happiness,
excitement, nervousness, fear and pain. The realisation
that this was actually happening felt so surreal.
When we got there, Ulrich parked in front of the
main door of the hospital instead of the emergency
ward, but the main entrance was closed. At this
stage my contractions were frequent and intense,
so I told Ulrich to get back into the car to drive me
to the emergency entrance. But he was stressing
more than I was, and with a bleak expression on his
face, he yelled “There’s no time, we need to get to
that door there!” Now, as all mommies who have
experienced contractions know, walking fast is not
an option due to the pain levels and contracting
muscles, so I was walking at an absolute snail’s
pace, stopping every few steps!
Ulrich’s stress levels were now sky high. He was
almost running away from me to get to the entrance,
and the more I tried to tell him I couldn’t go faster,
the more he tried to hurry me up. After what felt like
an eternity, the security guard came running out
with a wheelchair, and pushed me all the way to the
maternity ward. Finally, I’d made it!
There, the nurse calmly and politely explained that
they’d only call my obstetrician once I was dilated
enough. She checked, and then hurried off to call
him, as I was already 8cm dilated! She came back
Note to all
husbands –
when your wife
goes into labour,
everything is your
responsibility!
Liani
and asked Ulrich for my
medical card, which the
doctor had repeatedly
told us must be with us
when I went into labour.
Ulrich asked me where it
was, but I just looked at him in
confusion; he was supposed to bring my
suitcase and the documents that were lying on top
of it. Oh dear, my husband’s sky-high stress levels
had now reached outer-space!
By the time my doctor arrived, I was ready to
push. My sister was also there, as she was my
doula; there to keep me calm and hold my
hand, so Ulrich could witness the birth of his
child. The birthing process was so intense and
emotional. No words will ever be able to paint
the beauty of it. I could see the stress draining
from Ulrich’s face, and the absolute joy and
pure, true love filling his eyes when he saw his
little princess.
Meeting Mieka!
I held her tightly, making sure she didn’t slip out of
my hands while my wonderful obstetrician helped
my husband to cut the cord. My doctor handed my
baby girl to me, gently placing her on my chest. I
wrapped my arms around her tiny, fragile little body,
looking at this precious human being.
Our souls had been connected since she was
conceived, and now, after months of waiting, staring
into her eyes for the very first time, I finally got to
meet her. Mieka was born on 28 March 2013 at
4:15am; she weighed 3,275kg and was 51cm long.
The world had never been a better place.
Through all the pain of the
contractions and the stress of
getting Baby out safely, there
has never been a more pure,
beautiful and raw moment in
my life than when my daughter
made her way through the
birth canal and into my arms.
Birth tales 7
Mother:
Yashmitha
Padayachee
Father:
Praven
Babies:
Kivesh and
Thavina
Yashmitha’s story
births,
Two
many emotions
the epidural, and in hindsight, I don’t think I would
have coped without it. The doctor came in after
some time and, when he had taken a proper look at
Baby’s heart rate, wanted a C-section done ASAP.
He left, saying that he’d be back within half an hour,
and that if there was no progress, we would go
ahead with surgery.
At 7:30pm I was nearly fully dilated and Baby
was crowning. The epidural had worn off some time
back, so I could feel the contractions a bit better.
A nurse held one leg up to my ears, while my
husband held the other! By 8:10pm, I was the proud
mummy of a wonderfully healthy baby boy, Kivesh!
As soon as he was out, my doctor pulled open
my hospital gown and placed him against me,
goop and all! It was wonderful!
My daughter’s birth
Yashmitha is happy with her
family now, although she says that
the C-section she had second time
round was a miserable time in
her life. She tells the story
of her two births.
8 Birth tales
W
ith my son’s birth, I started to feel some
tightening and noticed what I thought was
my ‘show’ on a Sunday. I was due for my
antenatal check on the Tuesday, and I could still
feel baby move, so I didn’t stress. On Tuesday,
my doctor did an internal exam and found a lot
of blood on his glove. I was told to go to my
hospital of choice to be induced.
I was induced at about 1pm, and by 5pm was
still not dilating; Baby’s heart rate was struggling,
and I was in a lot of pain. I was advised to take
I was miserably sick for six months of my next
pregnancy, and ate nothing but fruit and veg!
On Thursday, 20 February, I woke up feeling very
tight, with a lot of pressure low down in my torso.
I left work early to see my obstetrician, and was
told to go onto a ‘trace’ at the hospital to determine
if I was in labour. Turns out I wasn’t, but in the two
weeks since my previous visit, my baby had not
gained any weight at all, and I had lost almost 3kg.
This worried my doctor, so he told me that if
nothing happened during the night, I was to report
bright and early to be induced the next morning.
This was a different type of induction to my first;
much more painful and with lots of internal exams.
After a very, very long time, I asked for an epidural,
roughly around 7pm.
The doctor came in shortly after and manually
broke my waters, which were completely tainted
by meconium. An emergency C-section was arranged
and by 7:30pm, I was in theatre. I can honestly say it
was the most horrible experience of my life! I couldn’t
feel my lips, or talk, or move my head. I was crying
and feeling very miserable. The doctors did their best,
and cracked some jokes to lighten my mood.
I vomited and, because I couldn’t move, I choked
a bit too. At 8:10pm, my little girl Thavina was born
without a cry. There was no holding her – the paediatrician
flushed out her tummy and checked her lungs.
I was overwhelmed with a feeling of
loneliness, and emotional detachment.
After they got her breathing and had completed
the tummy wash, she was wrapped and placed on
my chest for a few seconds. I remember thinking,
“So what, I can’t even feel her, there’s tons of material
between us, maybe we’ll always be this apart.”
A frightening, sad time!
My husband followed her to the nursery while
I was sewn up and wheeled to the recovery room.
I had about five of those warm blankets put on
me, and I was still freezing. Eventually, I was
taken up to my room and put into my bed, still
completely immobile.
They brought my sleeping little baby, and the
nurse was wonderful. She held her against me,
and I got to kiss her little face for the first time.
The nurse was concerned about my lack of
movement, so she came by again, re-wrapped
me and comforted me.
I slept a while and, when I woke up, I tried a bit
of my own physiotherapy, wiggling my toes and
fingers to get my blood circulating, and, after a
while, lifting my arms. At roughly 1:30pm, I could
move enough to carry my baby for the first time.
To my relief, the bond was still there. I breastfed
her perfectly and snuggled up together for a bit.
In the middle of Yashmitha’s second
pregnancy hubby Praven was diagnosed
with end stage renal failure. This was a very
stressful and emotional time for the family.
When Baby Thavina was about four months
old they began the procedure to have
Yashmitha tested as a possible donor match
for Praven. Shortly before Thavina’s first
birthday, Praven and Yashmitha underwent
the transplant operation.
Birth tales 9
Karen’s story
S ilver linings
Mother:
Karen Kay
Father:
Lance
Babies:
Connor and
Amelia
Karen’s anxious labours had a good ending
for both her births. She tells us more.
Nazmiah is
married to
Nasief Titus. This
is her story:
decision T he day I gave
TheI’vebest
ever made
breech birth
M
W
ith my son Connor’s birth, my contractions
started around 4:00pm on a Saturday in
May, 2009. Five hours later, the contractions
were about five minutes apart, so Lance and I left
for the maternity ward. By the time we got to the
hospital, I was so scared. The nurses said I was
between 2 and 3cm dilated, but by 3am the
next morning, my contractions had stopped.
They recommended that I have an enema to
bring on contractions, but after an hour, they
stopped again.
At 9am, my doctor arrived. She said I hadn’t
dilated any more and that I could either go home
and wait for labour to start again, or she could
break my waters. I was petrified, but there was no
way I was going home without my baby, so she
went ahead and did it. Contractions came back
with a vengeance!
By early afternoon I was in agony and opted for
an epidural. Half an hour later, the anaesthetist
arrived and the epidural was done. I started to
shake and felt extremely nauseous. At 5pm my
doctor did another internal; I was only 5cm dilated.
She tried to stretch me and gave me medication
to try to help me dilate quicker, but an hour later,
my son went into distress and I needed an
emergency C-section.
I was so scared for my boy.
10 Birth tales
After 28.5 hours of labour, at 8:28pm on Sunday,
3 May, 2009, our gorgeous son Connor Ethan Kay
was born. He weighed 3.39kg and was 53cm long.
He was, and still is, the most beautiful thing I have
ever laid eyes on.
Amelia Ann arrives
Three years later, I was near the end of my next
pregnancy when, on a Sunday just after 5pm, I felt
my waters break. Lance called my doctor, but she
was in Cape Town and I had to use another doctor,
Dr Mthethwa. I was very unhappy to hear that at
the 11th hour! When we arrived at the hospital, I was
only 1cm dilated, and the sister asked if I wanted to
consider a VBAC, but I politely declined. At about
7pm, they wheeled me into the theatre where I met the
doctor, who was lovely, and explained every little detail.
Finally, after what felt like an absolute lifetime,
Dr Mthethwa announced, “It’s a girl!” – the three
most amazing words I have ever heard. I could hear
her crying and my heart just filled with love. I watched
Lance while they were checking her over and fell
more in love with my husband.
It really was such a special moment.
Finally she was handed to me and she was perfect!
She stopped crying immediately and just stared into my
eyes. Amelia Ann Kay was born on 18 November, 2012
at 10:10pm. She weighed 2.7kg and was 47cm long.
Adele and Virgil
Niekerk are one of
few couples who
still experience
a natural breech
birth. Read on:
y second baby was due in February 2015, but,
due to a complication, my obstetrician wanted
to induce labour two weeks early. I had had an
episiotomy and 15 stitches after my first birth, so I
would have preferred a C-section, but my doctor
convinced me to have a natural delivery. Thank
goodness – this was the best decision ever!
As I was wheeled to the delivery ward, I told
myself, "This is where the fun and games begin". I
had the best midwife possible; she checked up on
me every 10 minutes! At 7:30am, the epidural was
administered – how I enjoyed that first dose. I slept
through most of my labour, with an excited Nasief
waking me up every 30 minutes. By 1:15pm, I was
fully dilated. Three pushes later my daughter Suraa
was born, weighing 2.7kg. This delivery had been
so much better than my first. If I could relive that
day, I would!
T
he week before my daughter Caitlyn was
born, the doctor told me that she was breech,
but that she could still turn, so I didn’t worry.
At my next check-up, to my surprise, she had
turned. That afternoon, I started getting terrible
pains. My parents took me to the hospital, and by
6:15pm, the nurse broke my waters. When she
did, the water was green, which was an indication
that Baby was stressed, and still breech. She
asked the doctor if she should prepare me for a
C-section, but the doctor said that there was not
enough time.
I have never experienced that much pain and
I have never screamed as loud as I did that day.
Caitlyn was born feet first, with the nurse holding
both her hands ‘there’ to ensure my baby’s
hands didn’t get stuck. It’s an experience I never
want to relive, and I thank God that all went well!
W
to relax
I learnt
at home…
Nolubabalo Wayiti gave birth
to two babies, Joy and Zorya;
she shares her insights.
hen I arrived at the hospital for my first birth,
I was only 2cm dilated. While I waited, I saw
women coming and going with their babies, but
the nurse kept telling me I had a long way to go.
This upset me, but my mother calmed me down
whenever she was able to visit. The contractions
were painful, but more bearable than the period
pains I used to have! I gave birth at 2:45am on a
Saturday morning. My experience was better than
expected, but I learnt not to go to hospital too soon.
I was more relaxed during my second labour
because I knew what to expect. I didn’t want to
arrive at the hospital too early, so I stayed at home
until my contractions were 20 minutes apart. I
arrived at hospital at about 4am and, to my joy,
was 7cm dilated. I gave birth at 5:26am – less than
an hour and a half later! I had a great experience,
and wish more people would choose natural birth.
Birth tales 11
Palesa’s story
Mother:
Palesa Tau
Father: Brian
Lekoloana
Baby:
Marang
Thisbe will
my
last born
Palesa has three children,
but her last birth story left her
disillusioned and determined
never to repeat the experience.
She bares her soul.
T
he birth of my third child was not so awesome,
because, this time, I had no medical aid and
had to go to a state hospital. I was overdue,
and had to be induced. A solution to be drunk in
quantities of 10ml every four hours was given to me
and I drank it throughout the night, starting at 4pm.
I felt no pain, but in the morning after bathing,
the doctors came and did their rounds and I saw
blood on the doctor’s glove and realised that I was
in labour. While she had her fingers in my vagina,
she stretched something in there, saying it was to
quicken the labour process. That was painful!
From then on, I started feeling mild pain right
until 4pm, when, out of nowhere, extreme pain
came. I felt contraction after contraction, giving me
no time to breathe. I started to feel boiling hot, and
took off everything I had on, but still, sweat was
dripping off me like a leaking tap. I couldn’t even
stand, and crouched on the floor until a sister came.
She was so rude, screaming at me,
telling me how I was scaring
new mothers.
The sister told me to get onto the bed, and it was
the hardest thing ever to do. She then shoved
her gloved fingers inside of me, and screamed
that I was only 2cm dilated and was performing
like a crazy 10cm dilated person. She then told
me to wrap myself up with a sheet and follow her
to the delivery room. I couldn’t believe she was
making me walk! I didn’t even make it out the door;
water gushed down my legs, and another sister
rushed to me with a wheelchair, and I was taken
to the delivery ward.
Left alone, because I ‘knew better’
When we arrived, she told the receiving nurse that I
was 4cm dilated. I screamed and said, “She’s lying,
she doesn’t know how to do her job anymore!” I got
on the bed and the receiving nurse tried to strap the
12 Birth tales
baby heart monitor on, but I removed it, telling her
I could feel Baby’s head. She then walked away.
I pushed twice, and my baby was born. The nurse
came back and said she had been watching me
from behind the curtain.
I was cleaned up by a second nurse, who was
friendly. She gave the baby to me to breastfeed,
but I was still drowsy so she gave her a syringe of
milk and put her in my arms.
After about twenty minutes, I was asked to get
into a wheelchair, and was pushed to a waiting area,
where I joined other new mothers. I asked them why
we were there and how long they had been waiting –
one lady had given birth over 16 hours earlier!
While waiting, I was cold and bleeding but I put
my baby to my breast, and listened to other
mothers’ birth stories. I was alarmed to see a
young girl lying in a cubicle with blood flowing
freely onto the floor. She was weak, but I made
out that she wanted a doctor. About four of us
started calling out to the sisters, who kept telling
us they would be with us soon.
In the nick of time
When a doctor passed, we asked him to please
look at the lady. He went in, took one look at her,
and started calling out to others. Curtains were
drawn and the lady gave one painful scream and
passed out, but the doctor managed to wake her.
She was covered with an oxygen mask when they
opened the curtains, and I heard the doctor say
she must be taken to theatre immediately for
evacuation. Apparently she had screamed like
that because the doctor had pressed down on
her womb and the placenta had been expelled.
She had given birth hours earlier and they had
left the placenta inside her.
I felt shocked and traumatised. We waiting
Moms were only wheeled to our recovery beds
at around 9pm! I ended up staying there for
three days due to high blood pressure, and my
experience made me decide that this would be
my last born.
Birth tales 13
Rifqah’s story
Mother:
Rifqah
Roberts
Father:
Naathir
Baby:
Jibra’eel
get excited about the birth of our baby. However,
we agreed that we wouldn’t tell anyone just yet,
as the whole process could still take a day or two
before Baby actually arrived. We did inform our
birth photographer, just in case, and double
checked the hospital bags to make sure we had
everything ready.
Nonchalantly organised!
An unexpected
arrival…
Rifqah assumed she had Braxton Hicks pains, when, at
38 weeks pregnant, she was woken by contractions.
Hers is a tale of the unexpected tinged with humour.
M
y birth story begins in the early hours of a
Sunday morning in January, 2015. At about
1:30am, I woke up with a very tight, hard
belly, but I quickly turned over and went back to
sleep. The discomfort kept waking me every half
hour until about 3:30am, when it became more than
uncomfortable, and I had to actually get out of bed
14 Birth tales
to ‘walk it off’. But I still had another two weeks of
pregnancy to go...right?
By 7:30am, I realised that the pains were a
little too regular to be Braxton Hicks; they were 10
minutes apart, and lasted two minutes each. By
then, my husband Naathir had woken up too, so I
filled him in on the night’s events, and we started to
Even though we thought that baby would only
arrive the next day, we thought it best that we book
in at the hospital, which we had only planned on
doing after my next doctor’s appointment. We
arrived at the hospital late morning, by which time
the contractions were erratic, but we booked in
and went to the labour ward to fill in the necessary
paperwork. I had some contractions during the
interview, but made sure to hide them, since I
didn’t want to be stuck at the hospital too long.
From the hospital we visited my mom, all the
while hiding my contractions. Next stop was my
in-laws for Sunday lunch – an intense contraction
hit as soon as I walked through the door. Luckily,
no one saw me stop dead in my tracks and breathe
through it, and we were able to continue without
arousing suspicion. My sister-in-law remarked on
how low my belly looked, but I just shrugged it off,
and proceeded to take a seat on the couch… when I
experienced a very weird, yet unmistakable gushing
sensation. I jumped up with what felt like a waterfall
running out of me. I immediately knew my waters
had broken, and must have had some special
look on my face, because my sister-in-law asked
me laughingly whether my waters had broken! All
I could do was nod, so Naathir rushed me to the
car, and then back to the hospital where we’d been
just two hours earlier! About 15–20 minutes later,
contractions started again, and they were definitely
more intense than before!
I was very careful when walking,
as I didn’t want to slip in the
never-ending river of water that
was flowing out of me!
When we got to the labour ward, the nurses
looked confused since they had just seen me
and I hadn’t shown any signs of early labour.
I just smiled and shrugged! The nurse proceeded
to do an internal exam, and ascertained that I was
already 6cm dilated, to our surprise! That explained
the intensity of the contractions, which were now
coming at 5–6 minutes apart. The sister contacted
the on-call doctor (my doctor was away and would
only be returning the next day), but they were only
expecting things to really start happening at about
3pm, which was when the doctor would arrive. We
quickly contacted the birth photographer, and she
rushed through, hoping to make it to us before it
was too late.
Another nurse asked me whether I would like an
epidural and I very bravely (or stupidly) declined,
saying that I was still managing with the pains. Ten
minutes later, I felt I could no longer manage the
contractions and asked for the epidural, but by
then it was too late, and I was too far dilated...
I was gutted!
Ready to push!
The photographer arrived at 2:40pm, followed
shortly by the doctor, and my time had come!
My son, Jibra’eel, was born just 10 minutes later,
weighing 3.185kg, with the cord around his neck,
which the doctor quickly removed. He was placed
on my chest, quiet and tentative at first, but he very
quickly found his voice and made sure everyone
heard him! Even as we contacted our families, they
could hear him in the background – there was no
denying the latest addition to our family.
After he was cleaned up, he was given back
to me to be placed on my chest for skin-to-skin
bonding. Everyone was in awe at how quick the
birth was, and I was high on adrenaline for the
rest of the day!
Images by Marysol Blomerus,
South Africa’s first specialised
professional birth photographer.
Find more of her work at
CapeTownBirthPhotography.com
Birth tales 15
Mother:
Bronwyn
Lilburn
Baby:
Jason Connor
Bronwyn’s story
hen birth
W
dreams come
House of Zinplex’s story
inspirational
Thebirth
of the
House of Zinplex
tumbling down
Bronwyn was induced at 42 weeks,
though, in hindsight, she says she
wishes she had waited. What a
bittersweet story she has to share.
I
probably should have left my baby boy inside me
until he wanted to come out. However, my friend
would be visiting from the UK, and I was stressed
about not having my baby yet for her to meet.
Anyway, my then-husband and I were at the clinic,
and decided to go for a walk to try to get the birth
started. We only got about 10 steps down the road
when my waters broke, so off we went, back to our
room to proceed with the next steps. I must say, I
thought that birth was going to be easy because I
was a toughie... Well, I learnt something completely
new that day! I had planned a water birth, but I
probably spent less time in the water and more
time trying to get to the gas, as I didn’t have an
epidural, and those contractions were not pleasant!
After 13 hours of excruciating pain, my baby started
backtracking, instead of coming down!
At 10pm, my obstetrician was called, and at that
point, I just wanted Baby to be taken out. An hour
later, the doctor started with the C-section, but I still
had feeling, despite the epidural. Eventually, they
gave me sleeping gas, which also took ages to kick
16 Birth tales
in, and meant that I didn’t witness the birth of my
child. Baby spent his first night with his father and
I was woken up later. Fortunately, my baby was
healthy and my recovery was good.
I was quite calm about my birth
experience, because I think most
people feel like they didn’t have
the birth they had planned.
However, the nurse seemed determined to keep
my Baby away from me; whenever I picked him up,
she made me put him down again. Breastfeeding
was also a mission, and I started to feel as though
it would never work, but with the help of two
specialists and lots of determination, I am still
breastfeeding 18 months later.
Ockert Fourie had worked in the pharmaceutical industry
for more than twenty years when, in 1998, his personal health
needs gave birth to a company that has become synonymous
with Zinc supplementation in South Africa.
O
ckert’s interest in zinc came from reading
an article by a prominent medical researcher,
which described the wonderful qualities and
uses of zinc supplementation.
It referred to research done by scientists all
over the world on zinc supplements and zinc
combinations. The results were tremendous!
It was found that treatment with zinc:
 Helped reduce and improve skin conditions
like pimples, acne, eczema, and cold sores
Supported rapid wound healing
 Helped relieve inflammation and infections
like the common cold, genital herpes, ulcers, boils, and shingles
 Markedly influenced increasing male fertility
 Generally boosted the immune system of all
age groups
An entrepreneur is born
Ockert suffered from severe cold sores, so
he immediately started taking whatever zinc
supplement he could find. Finding success,
he investigated further – eventually creating
his own zinc treatment.
Research showed that zinc absorption could
be improved – with the least side effects and best
results – by complexing zinc with picolinic acid.
The name Zinplex comes from Zinc, complexed
with the body’s prime chelator, picolinic acid.
The family business success story, Zinplex
Marketing cc, was born.
From birth to market leader
Zinplex is a pharmaceutical mineral supplement
registered with the South African Medicine Control
Council. Their product supplement range has
grown from one in 1998, to over 30 in 2015 – and
is still growing. The majority of their products use
zinc as the base for boosting the immune system
of infants, children, adults, and athletes.
The HOUSE OF ZINPLEX (Pty) Ltd, as the
company is called today, was registered in July 2006
– and it is this ‘Proudly South African’ company
which made the publication of Birth tales possible.
The Zinplex products range can now be found in
all Southern African Countries, as well as England,
Europe, and Cuba. They are now looking at
expanding the business into Australia and America.
The publishers of this first-of-its-kind booklet,
the Sister Lilian Centre (Pty) Ltd, salutes HOUSE
OF ZINPLEX for supporting the expectant women,
mothers, fathers, babies, children, midwives, and
all health professionals of South Africa.
Birth tales 17
Ease
thepain
pain
Ease the
Delivered
A matter of choice!
To have an easier labour, choose the position that instinctively
suitsyoubest.Sister Lilian shares her favourites…
5 Magic birth tips
1.
You need to keep your options open, but aiming for
the stars – that’s a natural, physiological birth –
gives you the best shot at a dream birth come true.
2.
3.
T
he birth that’s right for you will depend on your pregnancy and how
labour unfolds. Use your 40 weeks wisely to learn about your options
and seek out the best. In a nutshell, the birth options available to most women are:
4.
5.
Normal delivery in a hospital
Vaginal birth takes place in a maternity unit in a hospital, sometimes with
interventions like medical pain relief, induction and instrument delivery.
The delivery room seems like an operating theatre, but, for the best birth,
you should ask for as much privacy as possible, to walk around in the first
stages of labour, and to give birth in an upright or crouching position.
An Active Birth Unit (ABU) is a pleasant homelike birth suite that’s
freestanding or inside a hospital. More natural techniques are used, and
you’ll have your chosen midwife in attendance with a doctor on call. This
option gives you the freedom to choose the birth you would like. Some
units are quite up-market, others are midwife-led units in a hospital, while
there are also more homely ‘birth houses’.
Written by Sister Lilian 2015
A water birth can take place at your home with the help
of an experienced midwife, in an ABU, or at some clinics.
Water really helps for pain relief in labour, so you’re likely to
feel more relaxed, and your labour should progress faster.
CAESAREAN
SECTION
This is not supposed
to be an option,but
a necessity for
some complicated
pregnancies or
labours.
Models: Roxy Whitehouse and SW Lubbe; Photographer: Alan Paramor
Home birth
Water birth
Squatting
Squatting helps keep you upright and opens your
pelvis for better labour progress.
Leaning forward
Active birth
If you have a low-risk pregnancy, you can book a midwife
to help you give birth at your home. Family can join, and
the relaxed atmosphere often helps labour to progress
more easily. Your midwife will probably work with an
obstetrician she can call if any complications arise.
Walking around between contractions will
help Baby to move down the birth canal, so
labour will progress faster.
Create a calm space – ask for dimmed lights,
gentle music in the background, hushed
voices and as few interruptions as possible.
Remember, you have a right to be
cherished, and your labour requests
should be supported.
Alternate periods of movement and rest;
lying down on your left side is best when
on the labour bed.
Take a bath or shower, or wrap moist sheets
around your belly to help ease pain and
provide you with some comfort.
Ideal for resting between
contractions, the forward
tilt eases pain, splayed
legs will open up the
pelvic bones and
your back can easily
be massaged.
On the ball
Support
Labo
positionusr
you to trfor
y
Kneeling
‘Hang’ on to your
partner for a sense of
weightlessness, comfort
and a good back rub; you
can also easily roll your
hips to help Baby move
down into your pelvis.
Roll
18 Birth tales
This eases back and labour
pain, making this position
ideal during a contraction.
You can also roll your hips
to help Baby move down.
Lean against a bed, table
or chest of drawers.
Lunge
Kneeling eases backache
instantly, and positions your
womb and birth canal ideally
for good labour progress.
You can roll your hips for
comfort, and can easily get
a back massage.
A birth ball supports you
without restricting your pelvis
from opening. You can roll
your hips and lunge from side
to side, all of which keeps
labour progressing well, eases
pain and helps you to relax.
Birth tales 19
12 eBaby l September–October 2014
Mother:
Yonda
Nenzinane
Baby: Olivia
You can have
a better birth
Read as much about birth as you can, be
aware of all your birth options so that you choose
the one that best suits you, and draw up a birth
plan that you discuss with your midwife or doctor.
Remember, no birth is predictable, so you’ll need to
be flexible about your birth plan, but having an idea
of what to expect could help tremendously.
2
Pace yourself in early labour
If your contractions have just started, pace
yourself by either going back to sleep (if labour
wakes you at night), read, water the garden, take
a deep warm bath, or go for a gentle walk. You
could also do a few last-minute chores – nothing
too strenuous, though. You only need to go to the
hospital or birth centre when your contractions are
regular and strong.
3
Eat! Yes, eat!
It may sound strange to eat during labour,
but you’re going to need your energy – it’s called
‘labour’ for a reason! Have small, light meals like
fruit or steamed veggies, and drink fruit juice or
rooibos tea.
4
Pack a hot water bottle and an
ice pack
5
Proper support
Some women just love the warmth of a hot water
bottle placed on their back or lower abdomen
during birth, whereas other women find cold ice
packs help more with the pain.
Apart from your partner, it can be
extremely helpful to have your mother or a
doula with you during labour. Whoever you
choose to see you through could help by wiping
your brow with a facecloth, giving you a gentle
massage, and encouraging you throughout –
whatever you need them for, really.
6
Give birth in an upright position
It can be extremely uncomfortable to
lie on your back during labour. Instead, walk,
stand, squat, rest your upper body on a table
and kneel on all fours. This will speed up the
labour process, and reduce your pain. When
deciding which position to give birth in, simply
pay attention to your body – it will tell you which
one is best.
Take these six tips to heart too:
•
•
•
Keep your bladder empty so that it doesn’t
slow down progress
Play soothing music to help you relax
throughout your labour
An arnica oil massage will soothe backache
20 Birth tales
O
•
•
•
Put your hair up in a band as your neck might become very hot in labour
Warm socks are helpful as your feet can be icy cold in labour
Lip balm helps for chapping from heavy breathing
Written by Sister Lilian 2015
Preparation, preparation, preparation
lways trust
Ayour
instincts
Single mom Yonda had a very difficult pregnancy due to
uncontrolled hypertension. She was booked for an induction at
38 weeks. Hers is a story of a close encounter of the wrong kind.
Sister Lilian’s six tips will help you have the most
special of all birth days; the one on which you
welcome your baby into the world.
1
Yonda’s story
n admission on 18 January, 2014, my
baby was right occiput anterior, which
means that her head was slightly
off-centre, facing my right thigh. I was given
the first dose of the induction mix that I was
to take every two hours.
There were no beds available, so I sat on
a chair for the next few hours, until another
woman was done giving birth, and I was
given her bed. I stayed there until the following
day, and just after 11:30am, the doctor broke
my waters. Absolute hell followed, but despite
the pain, I was stuck at 4cm dilation for the
rest of the day.
Finally, at 4am the next morning (20 January),
the doctor decided to send me for an emergency
C-section. The spinal block was injected, but I
still had feeling, and so had to be given general
anaesthetic. I was going to miss seeing my baby
being born – what a disappointment!
I didn’t hear her first cry!
Seven hours later, at 6:40am, I finally got to meet
my gorgeous little girl. However, the next day, I
couldn’t urinate. All they told me was that I wasn’t
drinking enough water. Only on the 22nd, after going
up and down asking to be helped, did a doctor
finally insert a catheter and drain over two litres of
urine. Tests showed that I nearly died because of
the toxic build-up.
My baby stopped urinating too, and, once again,
my concerns were dismissed; they said Baby was
pooing and peeing at the same time. I went from one
nurse to another asking for help. Finally, one nurse
took Baby to a doctor who was just seconds away
from leaving. They inserted a catheter, and lots of urine
came out – I had been right to worry about her!
That afternoon, two nurses were discussing the
death of a baby who wasn’t pooping – my baby
girl might have been a statistic if I had given up!
Four months later both Baby and I are doing well.
I was very unsure about whether I would have
another baby after that birth experience, but, in the
meanwhile, I have decided I would love a sister or
brother for my Olivia.
Birth tales 21
Dielda’s story
Mother:
Dielda Mienie
Father:
Handré
Baby: Lana
I
was 40 weeks and six days pregnant when what
felt like a bad period pain woke me up. I lay there,
eyes closed, waiting for the next one, which arrived
in three minutes. I woke my husband, Handré, telling
him: “Lana gives you a day off; you don’t have to go
to work tomorrow.” I suggested he try to sleep some
more, because it was going to be a long day, but I
could no longer lie still; I wanted to move.
Poppie, our pug, was on duty; with each
contraction I walked up the corridor, around the
edges of the carpet in the living room, and back to
our room, Poppie following me every step of the
way. Surprisingly, the time passed quickly – maybe
because I didn’t focus on it. My midwife suggested
I take two paracetamol and climb into a warm bath
for at least an hour.
While I was in the bath, Poppie lying on the mat
in front of the tub, my mother called, her daily call
since 40 weeks, asking me if there were any signs
of labour yet. But Handré, who was now awake,
started pulling faces, which meant: “Don’t you
dare say anything!” I kept my cool.
Labour only got stronger
he moment I
Tbecame
whole
Dielda had a feeling with that first contraction – a sixth
sense. She just knew that this was it. Here’s her birth tale.
22 Birth tales
Before the hour was up, it was 9am, and the
contractions were still one minute long and three
minutes apart, but they were so painful! I knew
the birthing clinic was a two-hour drive away, so
I insisted that we leave immediately. I think that’s
when reality kicked in for Handré; he was suddenly
in a hurry and his jokes stopped. That specific
moment in the car became a precious memory –
I remember looking at him, knowing that it wouldn’t
be just us two in the car ever again; that we would
return home with a baby.
I knew I had chosen the right person
to be next to me that day.
The contractions in the car were uncomfortable.
I wanted to move but couldn’t. I remember very
little about the rest of the car ride, but between
contractions, Handré and I would make plans and
share our excitement. When we drove through the
clinic’s gate at noon, it felt as if I had had a shot of
energy! I was ready and excited!
My midwife examined me, and looked up smiling.
I was hoping I was 7cm dilated, so when she said
I was fully dilated, I burst into tears; I was so
incredibly proud of myself. My doula and midwife
started filling the birthing pool while Handré
phoned our parents with the news that Lana
was on her way. I could feel my body and muscles
pushing our baby down.
I distinctly remember the joy and
excitement from everyone in the room.
As I got into the bath, my waters broke. I didn’t
feel or see anything, I only heard my midwife say,
“Rupture of waters, and it’s clear.” Handré was right
next to me from then on. He didn’t leave my side
once. He gave me sweeties and sips of cold drink,
and made me feel so comfortable.
I listened to my body
My eyes were mostly closed; I was in my own world.
I could feel Lana’s head on my perineum and knew
what I had to do. The doula reminded me to open
my eyes and take in the moment. It was then that I
saw the water had gone from clear to murky brown.
I looked at my midwife and she calmly said: “I do
not know what it is, but it’s not disturbing your
baby.” At that moment, I noticed the kidney dish on
the table, wrapped in blue, and I knew there was
a pair of surgical scissors inside. I told myself that
I was not in control anymore.
I gave each contraction my all, but at 2:50pm,
my midwife advised me to get out of the pool
because I might tear badly. On the bed, I used all
the energy I had left on the next two or three
contractions. I was tired and demotivated, and the
kidney dish was worrying me, although Handré tried
to encourage me and keep me positive. My midwife
told me she was going to numb my perineum and
then gave me two or three more contractions to push.
When she took the scissors in her hands, I could tell
it wasn’t what she wanted to do, but she cut twice,
and Lana was born with the next contraction.
My first thought was that I just wanted to hold her,
and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
That moment, when I held her little body in my arms,
heard her cry, saw her fingers turn pink… everything
around me became still, and all sounds, noises and
voices faded. Overwhelming emotions flooded my
heart. She, who I’d been waiting for and talking to
and loving wholeheartedly for months, was here!
I know that, in that moment, I became whole.
Birth tales 23
Clair’s story
Mother:
Clair Fraser
Father:
Raurie
Baby: Abigail
Old year, new life!
Mother:
Zavannha
O’Callaghan
Father:
Martin
Baby:
Layton Martin
I
24 Birth tales
was indeed on her way out! A bunch of nurses
ran around like crazy to get ready. I was in the
recovery room so my husband, Raurie, and a nurse
had to rapidly push my bed into the delivery room
next door. It all happened very quickly – the doctor
hardly had her gloves on when my little girl came
gushing out, after only 10 minutes and four pushes,
at 3:35pm.
It turned out the umbilical cord was wrapped
twice around her ankle, which is why she hadn’t
dropped. So now we like to tell the story that she
waited until the last second, and then bungee
jumped her way into the world! It was the very best
moment of my life and as it would happen, my ‘bad
luck’ turned out to be such a blessing, as I believe
that if my obstetrician had been on call, she would
have been at the hospital sooner and I would have
had a C-section, instead of our amazing and fun
story instead.
From now on, New Year’s Eve
is going to be an even bigger party
in the Fraser house!
On the ball
Just a few days before the main festive season in
South Africa, Zavannha reached 40 weeks. Ready or not,
24 hours later she was a new mother, she says.
Clair Fraser had spent nine months hoping her baby would
take her first breath in 2014, but as Clair explains, Baby Abigail
had other plans! She tells us about her New Year’s Eve birth.
went into labour in the morning, although I didn’t
know that it actually was labour at the time – it didn’t
feel anything like how antenatal classes described it.
My waters broke at noon and I was at the hospital by
1pm. The midwife checked and confirmed that it
was labour and that I had dilated about 3cm, but
Baby had still not dropped, and it looked like I would
need a C-section. I really wanted a natural birth, but
had spent the last three months preparing for the
possible reality of a C-section, because all my friends,
with the exception of one, had had a C-section.
Because it was New Year’s Eve, there weren’t
many doctors available, and my obstetrician was off
for just these two days! I couldn’t believe my ‘bad
luck’. The on-call obstetrician and an anaesthetist
eventually arrived after two and a half hours. The
anaesthetist came to my room to explain what was
going to happen. By now my contractions were really
painful, and I was getting frustrated because I figured
that since I was going to be cut open, they may as
well get on with it and give me some serious drugs!
About one minute after the anaesthetist left, I
suddenly had an overwhelming urge to push! I
screamed that the baby was coming now! The
midwife checked, and announced that Baby
Zavannha’s story
I
was 40 weeks pregnant and went for a check up
on the 22nd of December, 2014. My doctor told
me that my cervix was not yet soft or open, but
that I should be at the hospital at 12 noon so he
could induce labour. When I got home, I started
experiencing cramps, but I thought it was Braxton
Hicks. When we got to hospital at 11:30am, they
told me I was 1cm dilated, and so already in labour.
The sister gave me an injection which made the
cramps worse.
I told the sister that I would love a warm bath,
but I was in a room with a shower. A few minutes
later, the sister told me I could move to the labour
room with a big bath. I ended up taking five or
six baths, because my cramps were really bad. A
doctor broke my waters, which was really painful,
and it took long for me to dilate.
They gave me one of the yoga balls
to bounce on, and I was on the ball
more than the bed, because when I was
on the bed, the cramps were worse.
I was extremely tired as I hadn’t slept for over a
day, and still could not sleep at all. The sister kept
asking me if I wanted something for the pain, and I
told her no, but by noon, I asked if the doctor could
perform a C-section. She told me that we should
just wait until 1pm to see what the doctor says. The
sister gave me a mask and injection while I was
on the ball, which placed me on a ‘trip’ and made
me sleepy, but it worked.
I was dilated 4cm just after 1pm, and given
an epidural. While I was getting the epidural, I
dozed off and my husband got really stressed.
The doctor said that it was fine, and I should
sleep a while.
My husband went outside where he bumped
into one of our pastors. They prayed together, and
the pastor told my husband that the baby would be
born within 40 minutes. My husband came back
to the room, and had been there for only a few
minutes when I jumped up, saying “it is sore”. The
sister checked, and I was 10cm dilated. The delivery
wasn’t painful, but I could feel the contractions. Our
baby was born at 15:55pm on 23 December, 2014
after more than 16 hours of labour.
Birth tales 25
Chantelle’s story
Mother:
Chantelle
Mellet
Father: Corné
Babies:
Samuel
Marthus
and Hannah
Helene
successful VBAC. My doctor (not the same one as
with my first child) was sceptical about performing
a VBAC, but said that the decision was ultimately
mine. He gave me the statistics and the risks, and
I decided the odds were in my favour, so stood my
ground and stuck with my decision to have a VBAC.
By 38 weeks, my doctor said I was ‘textbook
perfect’ for a VBAC; my pelvis was perfect, and
not small, as was first reported; my cervix was soft,
Baby’s head was facing down and she was an
average-sized baby. He gave me until 41 weeks,
after which, he would perform an induction. I prayed
some more, walked every day, drank raspberry leaf
tea and did squats.
My waters broke at 40 weeks and
one day, at 1am
An ambassador
for
natural birth
Chantelle Mellet says she is thankful that she had a vaginal birth
after her first C-section (VBAC), and will take the experience with
her forever! She describes why women should stop being afraid.
I
always wanted to have a natural birth, but when
I was 37 weeks pregnant with my first child, the
doctor said that I had a small pelvis and a large
baby. My son was born by C-section at 37 weeks,
weighing 3,8kg. It was a traumatic experience; they
used forceps because he was ‘stuck’. Straight after
birth, his lung collapsed. I didn’t even get a chance
26 Birth tales
to hold him because he was rushed to the ICU.
The epidural took more than 12 hours to wear
off. I was weak, sore and sad. His birth haunted
me for a long time.
When I found out I was pregnant with my second
child, I was determined not to go through the
same experience! I declared that I would have a
At first, I sat around wondering what was going on,
and as the waters kept pouring out, I realised they
had really broken! I battled to wake my husband,
Corné – he was so confused. I said to him, “My
waters broke”, he woke up, looked at me and said
“That’s good news”, and went back to sleep. I
shook him a little harder and gave him the news
again; but he dreamt someone was hitting him, and
just said, “I will hit you back”. I had to really shake
him and keep telling him about my waters breaking,
until eventually he was almost awake, and asked
if I had called the hospital. When I did, they said I
should come through, so we were there by 2am.
They wanted me to sit in a wheelchair; I resisted as I
wasn’t sick, but they insisted. The man who pushed
the wheelchair walked so fast, I thought to myself,
“I am in labour, not bleeding or dying!”
An hour later, I still had no contractions, so my
doctor asked if I was sure I wanted a VBAC and
said that I could still opt for a C-section. He
examined me and said that my cervix was hopeless,
but I persisted in my quest for a VBAC, so they
started the induction. By 10am, the doctor came
back and said I was only 1cm dilated. He gave me
two hours to advance another 2cm, or they would
need to do a C-section.
I thanked God for each contraction,
even though they were extreme
because of the induction drip.
The lady in the labour ward next to me had been
in labour for two days, and ended up going for a
C-section. When I heard this I started to cry. The
nurse told me that no one had said I needed a
C-section, but I was bawling my eyes out, saying
“I really don’t want to, please, don’t do a C-section”.
I was so confused by the pain.
When my doctor came back at 12pm, I was 6cm
dilated! Even he was amazed. He saw I was in
tremendous pain, and suggested an epidural, which
I agreed to even though I didn’t want one. However,
the epidural didn’t work; it only made my left leg
numb. The anaesthetist was sorry it didn’t work and
said I must have an injury from a previous epidural.
I was glad, because I could remain active
throughout the birth, and be aware of any early
warning signs of uterine rupture.
My doctor returned at 2:30pm, when I was fully
dilated and needed to start pushing. My baby’s
heart rate dropped, but not dramatically. My doctor
was such an inspiration, and he really helped me
to stay calm with each drop of her heart rate. They
opened the induction drip before each push to
encourage strong contractions. Twenty minutes later,
our little angel was born, weighing exactly 3kg. No
assistance, no suctions, no forceps, no cuts, only
minimal perineal tearing. It was so rewarding, my
husband by my side, his support and love through
14 hours of labour; we felt so connected.
The natural birth was one of the
best experiences I have ever had,
even with the pain.
My baby girl, Hannah, was perfect. She
took to my breast like a pro, and was such a
calm and easy baby, burping easily with no
cramps at all. She was born on Saturday and
I went home on Sunday. I could do everything;
I had no pain. My tummy was flat; it didn’t even
look as though I’d had a baby. I didn’t have the
pain of a cut over my tummy, or the irritating
stitches, or the six weeks of pain afterwards –
none of that.
Natural birth is an experience like no other.
I was strong and felt like a true woman. We
are women; we can do it!
Birth tales 27
Helena’s story
Mother:
Helena
Stander
Father: Schalk
Baby: Carlo
Helena did lots
of research and found
that for her low risk,
normal pregnancy,
a natural birth would
be best. She shares the
story of the day her
dream came true.
A birth wish fulfilled!
H
alfway through my pregnancy, I changed
obstetricians to a doctor who was natural
birth-friendly, and asked a registered midwife
to act as my doula.
I was 39 weeks and four days pregnant when I
felt the first contraction in the morning. I knew it was
labour, so went to my room, sat on an exercise ball,
and tried to relax. An hour later, I lost my mucus plug
and knew we were going to meet our baby that day!
When my contractions became stronger, the most
comfortable position was hanging forward with both
my hands around my husband’s neck. I couldn’t
bear lying down or sitting during a contraction.
At 4pm we phoned my doula, and she joined us
at home. She confirmed that I was in active labour,
and checked my baby and my vitals. I felt nauseous
at 7pm, so she checked again, and I was 5cm
dilated. I was so happy to know that all that hard
work was doing something! We decided to leave
for the hospital.
My midwife-doula was my advocate
At the hospital, my doula was so helpful – she
encouraged me and helped my husband to support
me in the ways I needed most. She told the nursing
staff that I wanted to avoid an epidural, and only
wanted intermittent monitoring.
28 Birth tales
The hospital nurse then declared me only 2cm
dilated, but instead of becoming discouraged, I
decided to trust my doula. Just as well, because
when my doctor arrived, he said I was 7cm dilated!
I struggled from 7–10cm, and the doula suggested
I use some nitrous oxide, which doesn’t really affect
the baby and is only in your system while you inhale
it. It helped me to take the edge off the pain.
At 10:45pm, the doctor said I was 10cm dilated,
and could start pushing. I gave birth lying on my
left side; this was a great position and much more
comfortable than lying on my back. Even though
it was painful, it took only about 10 contractions,
and 20 minutes later my son was born at 11:03pm,
weighing 3.74kg. I only had a slight tear that
required two stiches. He was placed directly onto
my chest and the doctor waited for the cord to stop
pulsating before he let my husband cut the cord.
Not only was my son born that night,
but the mother in me was also born.
I was in awe, and felt on top of the world, like I
could do anything. It was the most intense, amazing,
empowering day of my life, and I would have it no
other way!
O h boy, Mommy,
you’re 9cm!
Washiela Jacobs tells the story
of giving birth to Baby Lailaa.
O
n 11 March, I noticed reddish mucus on my
underwear. I had slight pains the entire day.
That evening, I saw blood, but had no contractions!
I contacted my aunt and we headed off to the
midwife obstetric unit (MOU), where a midwife told
me I was 1cm dilated, and to go home and rest.
I relaxed in a warm bath to keep myself calm. As
soon as I got out, the pains were stronger.
I arrived back at the MOU at 7pm, and was told I
was now only 2cm dilated. The midwife suggested
I walk as much as possible and lie in a bath to
relax. At about 10pm, I asked my aunt to call my
midwife, because I could feel Baby was coming.
As the midwife checked how far I had dilated, she
said, “Oh boy, Mommy, you are 9cm dilated! Can
you walk?” We rushed to the examining room, and
I gave birth after just three pushes! My little girl,
Lailaa, was born at 10:13pm and she latched at my
breast immediately. It was the most overwhelming
experience, and I couldn’t wait to show the world
my beautiful daughter!
Crowning glory
Leanda is married to Ugen
Cuppen and she tells us how
quickly Baby Jenson was born.
M
y initial due date was 6 November. I saw
my obstetrician on 28 October, and he said
he’d induce if Baby hadn’t made his arrival by
the following Monday. That Thursday, I had slight
period-like pains that came and went, and at 2pm,
I decided to lie down. As I bent down my waters
broke. I phoned my doctor and he advised me
to go to the maternity ward.
As we arrived at the labour ward, I started getting
a few intense cramps. The nursing staff took me
into a normal room to check how far I was dilated.
Well, all I can say is as soon as that nurse lifted my
gown, she was in a state – my baby’s head was
already crowning! They rushed me to the delivery
room, and my doctor got there within minutes. It
was too late for any pain meds, so I just took a
few deep breaths of gas and Jenson was born on
30 October, 2014 at 3.2kg, a very healthy boy.
A s strong as an ox
Sherezaan and Fadley
Atkins’ baby boy, Ismaa’eel,
was born six weeks early.
A
t 33 weeks my blood pressure was very high,
and I had protein in my urine, so needed to be
admitted to the hospital immediately. For the next
two days, I was given steroid injections to strengthen
my baby’s lungs, and on 30 October, I was induced.
Next morning at 8am, I was wheeled into the labour
ward for my waters to be broken; I was 2cm dilated.
About five minutes after my waters
broke, I had my first contraction. Two
hours later, I asked for an epidural.
At 13:15pm, I was 9cm dilated and
my obstetrician was called. “This is
it, I’m finally going to be a mom”, I
thought. Just 30 minutes later, my
son was born, weighing 2.9kg, and as healthy as an
ox. Despite being born a month and a half early, he
could breathe on his own and latched immediately.
The best day, hour, minute, and second of my life
happened on the day my son was born!
Birth tales 29
Mother:
Annerie
Coetzee
Father: Jaco
Babies: Janco,
Anrich, Hugo
and Anri
Annerie’s story
Baby Janco
Reach for the stars
In January, 2009, Annerie
discovered that she was expecting
her and Jaco’s first child. They
kept to the usual schedule of
appointments and sonars,
but there was little talk of
the birth itself. Annerie looks
back over her four births.
30 Birth tales
T
hat first time, I assumed that natural birth
was a given – how wrong I was! I learnt a
number of lessons from my four births.
Janco’s birth
My due date was on a Friday in late September, but
by the following Monday, my blood pressure was so
high that the doctor said he needed to do a C-section.
I asked if it could rather be an induction, but he
explained that Janco’s head was still too high, and
induction would anyway end in a C-section. We
booked the operation for the next morning.
People who know me know that I don’t get scared
easily, but while I was lying in that bed waiting for my
Baby Anrich
turn, I was terrified. I still remember how, in the
theatre, they lifted my baby Janco up, and he was
sleeping, and didn’t make a sound. I saw him only
briefly before they took him away to be cleaned and
tested. Eventually, I got to hold him for about three
minutes before they took him to the nursery, as they
said he would get cold. I told my husband, Jaco, not
to leave him for a moment, then I lay there for what
felt like hours while they stitched me up.
An hour and a half later, they brought me my
son. I could finally hold him, but the anaesthetic
had worn off, and I could feel the pain from the cut.
Poor Janco was sleeping from the anaesthetic too,
and it was only after about four hours that I could
breastfeed him.
At 3am next morning, I called a sister to ask if
my child was okay. Hesitantly, she told me that
they needed to flush his lungs and throat, because
they still contained amniotic fluid. I began to cry as
I thought how my poor child had been screaming,
and his mother hadn’t even been there to comfort
him. He must have felt so alone.
I realised that this was not
how birth should be.
This was a turning point for me. If they were
worried about him being cold, they could have
given him to me for skin-to-skin contact!
Anrich’s birth
I fell pregnant again when Janco was eight months.
I wanted a natural birth this time, but my doctor
advised against a vaginal birth after a C-section
(VBAC), saying it was dangerous. That December,
I went to visit a friend, and happened to be there
when she had a home birth with a midwife. What a
wonderful experience for me as a bystander! I can
remember the expression of empowerment and
exhaustion on her face.
I decided to read up on VBACs, and found they
were possible and quite safe. For the first time ever,
Baby Hugo
Baby Anri
I began to do my homework, and decided I had been
stupid to leave such a big decision to my doctor alone.
We went to a well-known birth clinic in
Johannesburg, and, from the beginning, I was given
deadlines; I couldn’t go over 40 weeks, and when I
did go into labour, I must dilate one cm every hour.
At the time, I thought that was reasonable, but I now
know that all births are different. By 38 weeks, I was
extremely stressed and anxious.
At 40 weeks, a catheter with an inflatable balloon
was placed in my cervix to help prepare my cervix
for labour, and they told me they would give me a
few days. That weekend was hell; my family-in-law
was also there, because everyone was waiting for
this baby, but nothing happened.
On Monday evening, my midwife said I should
come in for a check. I was 5cm dilated, even though
I’d had no pains. At 2am and 7cm dilated, she broke
my waters. The contractions began to wear off,
and after two hours, I was back to 5cm. I was told
that the baby’s head was half pushing through the
cervix, but that the cervix wasn’t opening. Eventually,
we decided to go for a C-section. I remember sitting
on the bed for the spinal, and the doctor said I’d
never be able to have a normal birth after this.
I could feel something inside me die.
My beautiful baby was 4.25kg, and I couldn’t stop
staring at him. I realise now that the catheter and
balloon may have opened my cervix to 5cm, but that
my body had never really been in labour.
Hugo’s birth
We’ve always wanted a big family, and when Anrich
was about a year, we found out we were pregnant
with number three! We made an appointment with a
midwife, and as I told her my story, I began sobbing.
She gave me a hug, and said she would help me.
Wow! For the first time ever, there was hope! The
birthing clinic I had been to previously only allowed
VBACs after one C-section, and another private
hospital known to offer various birth options

Birth tales 31
Annerie’s story
had the same 40 weeks rule; we didn’t want to be
pressured again, like we had been with Anrich’s
birth, so we decided to have a home birth.
On the first Wednesday of January, 2013, I woke
to realise my pants were wet. Very excited, I woke
Jaco up and told him that I thought my waters had
broken. I texted my midwife but because there were
no contractions, she said I should try to sleep. I
woke again at 9am, without a hint of a contraction.
Jaco and I walked and walked, but by 3pm, there
was still no sign of a contraction. I started crying,
certain that I would again need a C-section. My
midwife came over, and said she’d still give me
until Monday, because my cervix was very soft,
and I was 1cm dilated. However, she did put me
on antibiotics, so as to prevent infection after my
waters had broken.
Two days later, on 4 January, at 11pm, I had
contractions every 2–3 minutes. My midwife and
doula arrived at our house at about 2am with their
full kit. I was 7cm dilated, but Hugo was still high up,
so my midwife made me climb stairs for an hour,
sweat dripping off of me, and Jaco trailing behind
so he could give me a backrub.
After an hour, I was 9cm, and felt like pushing,
but after two pushes, my midwife said Hugo is still
too high and I should take a bath. In the bath, I had
my first inkling of doubt that I could actually do this.
Jaco told me that I had wanted this, and had fought
for it, and that I could do it.
It was the best feeling in the world.
I got back onto the bed and began pushing.
It felt as though I pushed for hours. Eventually,
my midwife told me to stop pushing, and the
next moment, Hugo, my wonderful child, the child
people told me I would never be able to give birth
to naturally, was on my chest.
Anri’s birth
On 5 March 2015, the first contractions of my fourth
birth started. I was so excited, but by the afternoon,
they were weaker and only came every now and
then. I lost my mucus plug, and hoped that I would
get to meet my baby girl that night, but instead,
the contractions disappeared completely.
On Friday morning at about 2am, my contractions
started again, 10 minutes apart and quite strong. I
was very uncomfortable, but I still managed to sleep.
That night, I lost more of my mucus plug, so I let my
midwife know. She told me to keep her posted.
32 Birth tales
Exactly 24 hours later, my contractions were
strong and five to six minutes apart. I texted
my midwife, who said it sounded good, and
asked if she should come over; I said no,
because I thought these contractions would
just disappear too. She said I should wait an
hour, then take a bath, and if I was still having
contractions, to let her know. In the bath, the
contractions became even stronger. At 3:38am,
we called the midwife, woke my mother, and
she and Jaco started to get the room ready.
At 4:30am, the midwife arrived, checked,
and calmly said I was 9cm dilated. I was so
excited, but also absolutely exhausted. My
midwife broke my waters, and they were clear,
even though I was overdue. She asked if I was
ready to push, but it was difficult and unbelievably
painful. Jaco held my one hand tightly, while my
mother held the other. Eventually, my midwife
said she could see Baby, but I didn’t believe her.
I decided that I’d had enough, and started
to turn on to my side. My midwife said firmly
that I needed to focus and she and Jaco held
me in position. To encourage me, Jaco took
a photo of ‘down there’, and I could see just
where Baby’s head was. That gave me all
the motivation in the world, and I again
began to push.
My perineum began to burn like fire, but the
next moment, at 5:23am, Baby’s head was
through, and I felt instant relief. My midwife asked
Jaco if he would like to catch our baby, so he put
his hands on her little head, and caught his
daughter. The midwife wiped her down, then
placed her on my chest.
Wow – our experience made even all
the pain in the world worth it!
We waited for the cord to stop pulsating
before Jaco cut it, with me bonding with my
daughter skin-to-skin the entire time. I couldn’t
have done it without my midwife, and the love
and understanding of my husband. My mother
was also with me for this birth, and it was an
unbelievably special moment that I could also
share with her.
If I had known at the beginning what I now
know about birth, I would have had a home
birth with a midwife for all my children! I am
convinced that is what made all the difference.
Mother:
Kashiefa
Fataar
Father: Ismail
Samsodien
Baby:
Shumeez
Kashiefa’s story
he
T
neighbourhood’s
baby
Kashiefa’s first two babies had
arrived more than a week later
than predicted. She picks up her
story from exactly one week
after her due date with
Baby number three.
M
y due date was the 4th of June, and on the
11th of June, I felt so energetic, I actually
hosted a family lunch! After lunch, I was
busy sweeping when I felt a mild cramp. At 5pm, I
had a few more cramps, but they too were mild.
I tried taking a nap, but by 7pm I felt restless and
annoyed, so I tried cleaning. Twenty minutes later,
the pain was worse, but still very manageable. I
told Ismail he should prepare just in case. He felt it
would be better to get to the hospital, but I insisted
that I knew my body and that we had plenty of
time. Five minutes later my water broke and the
contractions came immediately, one after the other.
I tried getting into the car, but as I lifted my leg, I
could feel Baby’s head was already on its way out.
I wobbled back inside and lay down on my bed,
breathing heavily. When I told Ismail, he freaked out,
and ran next door to the neighbours. Then, he came
back and phoned his brother, who lived nearby.
I started pushing because
that was all I could do.
My sister-in-law finally arrived, and started gathering
towels. Because of all the fuss, neighbours from my
whole street walked into my room, while I was lying
there exposed! Between pushing and trying to cover
myself, I managed to scream at everyone to get
out and close my door! One of our neighbours was
pregnant, and between her and my sister-in-law,
they managed to deliver our baby safely at 7:50pm.
When the paramedics arrived, they covered me
up with Baby on my chest and wheeled me to the
ambulance. There were so many people in my front
garden, curious about what was going on. Luckily,
amidst all the chaos, someone had called my mom,
who made sure I was covered, saving my last
shreds of dignity. She also made sure my children
were seen to, and went in the ambulance with me. It
was already 10pm when we got to the hospital; my
afterbirth was still inside me and the cord had not
yet been cut. Just one hour later it was all over, and
I could finally enjoy my baby. She was so beautiful
and sweet; I spent the whole night staring at her.
It took me a while before I was able to look my
neighbours in the eye again, but my baby, who
will be turning nine this year, is still as sweet and
beautiful as ever.
Birth tales 33
Beaulene’s story
Mother:
Beaulene
Viviers
Father: Olaf
Coetzer
Baby: Dunay
Mother:
Angelique
Stanton
Father:
Warren
Baby: Mila
hen midwifery is
Wnot
‘with women’
Angelique’s story
A beautiful VBAC
Beaulene consulted a midwife throughout her
pregnancy. She tells us her harrowing tale.
Having had her first baby via C-section, Angelique Stanton
wanted nothing more than a natural birth the second time round.
She relates her vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC) experience.
O
A
t my 38 week visit, my blood pressure was
very high and I had protein in my urine, so
my midwife said she couldn’t help me. I
went to the hospital where they found that my blood
pressure wasn’t too high, so the midwife said she
would help me deliver, but with an induction.
I arrived at the midwife’s house at 7am next
morning, and every time she did an examination,
it was so sore. She inserted a few tablets into me,
and after waiting a few hours, she broke my waters.
We waited some more, and she gave me pain
medication that made me very sleepy.
When I was fully dilated, I started pushing,
but all we saw was Baby’s hair. The sister who
accompanied my midwife suggested cutting me,
but the midwife said no. After a few more pushes
and three injections jammed into my leg, the
midwife told me my baby was going to die if I didn’t
push. I tried so hard that all the veins in my face and
eyes popped. The midwife eventually grabbed my
legs and seemed to tear me open.
When she pulled Baby out, she wasn’t breathing.
34 Birth tales
She roughly put my baby on the bed, and started
stitching me up, while the accompanying sister
gave Baby oxygen. I asked my midwife how many
stitches I got, and she said she didn’t know, as
she was trying to stop the bleeding. My baby was
bathed and given a bottle of milk.
The midwife gave me soda to drink as I was
very nauseous, cleaned me up, and said I had
to go home because she had another birth. At
home, we prayed that I would survive the night,
as I had lost so much blood. I slept in the living
room, away from my baby, just in case I died.
I was scared I would never
see my baby again.
The next day, I took my baby to hospital where
she was taken to the ICU as she had jaundice. I’m
pregnant again and this time, will go to a hospital;
I had such a terrible experience with that midwife
that I still cry when I think about it.
n a Friday morning at 4am, I was awoken
by contractions that were 20 minutes apart.
My midwife suggested a hot bath and two
paracetamol. Throughout the day, the pain came
and went. On Saturday evening, after another hot
bath and two more paracetamol, the pain didn’t ease
and an hour later, I had my show. I was so excited!
I contacted my midwife, who told me to monitor the
contractions and keep her updated. I eventually
called her to say I was off to the birth clinic.
Once there, a sister placed the monitor on my
belly, and told me that I was 3cm dilated and
definitely in labour. At that moment, I felt my baby
turn and the contractions eased up. I walked around
to get labour going again, but nothing helped. When
my midwife arrived, she told me I wasn’t in labour,
as my cervix was still posterior and I had not yet
started dilating. However, the moment my husband,
Warren, and I left the birth clinic, the contractions
returned in full force. I lay in bed for the whole of
Sunday; very uncomfortable and confused as to
what was happening. By 10pm, I couldn’t walk to
the bathroom without Warren’s help. When I had a
contraction and felt like something was coming out,
we were told to get to the birth centre immediately.
The same sister wanted to monitor Baby and
me, but I refused, as I was scared Baby would turn
again. A few minutes later my midwife walked in
and did an internal; she made a sound of surprise
and I braced myself for the worst; I will never forget
the moment she said I was 9cm dilated!
I moved to the birthing pool, still surprised.
Warren was crying with joy. After an hour and a
half of pushing, I could feel Baby but she was not
coming out. The midwife said we should apply
suction before Baby went into distress and I ended
up needing a Caesar.
I was determined to push her out;
I was not going to have a Caesar.
I got out the bath and onto the bed, Warren
holding my hands. I had a contraction and pushed
my baby Mila out with that same contraction. I was
about to pull her to my chest when the midwife told
me not to, as she had a very short umbilical cord –
this was why she didn’t want to come out, and why
I needed suction.
I stared at this little person lying on my stomach
and could not believe it; I had just had an all-natural
birth! We waited for the cord to stop pulsating
before my husband cut it; then got back into the
birthing pool and enjoyed some quality time with
our newborn. It honestly was the most amazing
experience I have ever had.
Birth tales 35
Mother:
Maggie
Father:
Andries
Babies:
Roelf and
Wikus
Maggie’s story
Fromto amazing
traumatic
I
As Maggie and hubby Andries
were relaxing and watching TV
one evening, she felt the need to yet
again visit the loo. She tells us her
story from the moment she felt
a ‘pop’ between her legs.
36 Birth tales
t was Monday, 11 March, 2013 at about 8pm. It
felt like the hundredth time that I needed the loo
that day! As I got up from the couch, ‘pop’ – I felt
water running down my legs. I instantly realised my
membranes had just ruptured.
On our way to hospital, I had no contractions.
When we arrived, the nurse determined I was 1cm
dilated. I was hooked up to monitors, and the nurse
told us that my uterus was currently just irritated,
that my husband, Andries, could go home, and
that I should get some rest.
I tossed and turned, excited that my baby’s
arrival was near, and that we would soon know if
it was a boy or girl. I started to experience slight
contractions. Just before 5am, the nurses hooked
me up to the monitor again. There was little change
to the contractions. The nurse phoned the doctor
who told them to start an induction at 6am. The
nurse reassured me, saying she expected
my contractions to pick up quickly once the
induction started.
A few hours later the contractions did start, and
were getting painful. I requested pain medication,
but the midwife denied it, saying they were scared
that if they gave me a painkiller, my contractions
would die down. I walked around and took several
baths. Finally at about 3pm, the midwife took me to
the delivery room; I was 8cm dilated.
me, since I thought they were just Braxton Hicks
contractions. When the alarm woke us and it was
time to get up, it had been more than an hour since
I’d had a contraction, but during breakfast, I told
Andries to keep his phone close. I felt great; I did
the washing, my firstborn and I went for a stroll,
and I still had no contractions. I put my son down
for his afternoon nap at 11:45am, and, as usual,
I lay with him until he was asleep, during which
time I had another contraction.
My son’s C-section
I did my house chores but suddenly had an
upset tummy; three bowel movements within an
hour, and extreme nausea. I assumed something I
had eaten didn’t agree with my body. My son woke
at about 1:30pm and we played outside. Irregular
contractions started again and after a while, we
came inside because they were really painful.
A while later, I had a bath to see if that wouldn’t
ease the contractions, but they just became
more frequent. I ignored them and started
preparing dinner, but soon I had to go on all fours
and breathe deeply to be able to manage them.
Just before 4pm, I phoned Andries to tell him the
contractions were painful and about 10 minutes
apart, and that he needed to come home. He
arrived home to find me on all fours in our bedroom.
He immediately phoned his mom to come and pick
up our son. On our way to hospital, it seemed like
the contractions were subsiding. When we got
there, they connected me to monitors, and it was
so difficult to manage my contractions while lying
on my back. At about 5pm, the nurse told me I
was barely 1cm dilated. My heart sank to my
shoes but I refused pain medication. Just
before 6pm, the doctor arrived and did another
examination, and, to my delight, I was 5cm dilated.
The doctor gave me a walking epidural, and
everything felt amazing.
Just before 8pm, I felt an urge to push, and
my membranes ruptured. A few minutes later, my
second son was born at 8:18pm, weighing 3.19kg
and 55cm long. I did tear, but I was able to hold my
son while the doctor stitched me up. My son had his
first breast feed right there in the delivery room.
When I was fully dilated I started pushing, but Baby
didn’t want to come out. The doctor checked, and
noticed there was still a ‘lip’ on my cervix. Then
my baby moved back and I was only 6cm dilated.
My doctor called another doctor to assist with a
forceps delivery, but the other doctor refused as
I was not completely dilated.
I was wheeled in for a C-section. After baby was
delivered and while the doctors started to close me
up, the feeling in my toes came back. I informed
the doctors and they immediately gave me general
anaesthesia, which meant that a significant amount
of time passed before I could breastfeed my child.
It was a traumatic experience.
An amazing second experience
After that first experience, I did research about
vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC), and prayed
that one day I would have a vaginal delivery. Well,
the birth of my second son in February 2015 was
an amazing experience.
On Friday, 13 February, I had a doctor’s visit and
was extremely emotional, because if I didn’t go into
labour by the 19th, the doctor would assess whether
it was possible to artificially rupture the membranes
and get labour started, or whether I would need
another C-section.
My mom came to visit that weekend, but I was
not very good company. On Saturday, Baby felt a bit
lower in my pelvis which made me uncomfortable,
and to make things worse, we had no water at home
as there was a serious problem with the municipal
pipe network for our area.
On Monday morning at 2am, I started having
irregular, painful contractions. They didn’t bother
Doing what mothers do
It was such an amazing experience!
Birth tales 37
Birth hormones
NEW
A truly miraculous cocktail
Calcium is an essential mineral in maintaining
bone and dental health as well as reduction
of obesity. We need calcium from birth till we
reach old age.
When it comes to birth, one of the biggest
things women worry about is the pain.
However, Mother Nature is on your side.
Oxytocin
keeping the pain at a level you can manage.
It also facilitates the release of prolactin in labour,
(see below) and helps mature your developing
Baby’s lungs. After birth, it keeps both you and Baby
happy; it’s in your breast milk, and is believed to
help Baby adapt to life outside the womb.
Catecholamines (adrenaline and
noradrenalin)
Oxytocin is known as the hormone of love. In
pregnancy, it enhances nutrient absorption and
conserves energy by making you relaxed and
sleepy. If you are treated kindly in labour, oxytocin
will ensure better labour progress and make you
resistant to stress. During birth, it causes effective
contractions, and, after birth it helps prevent
abnormal bleeding. It helps get breastfeeding
started, and will help you bond with your new
bundle of joy.
These hormones are produced in response to
stress or the need for sustained energy. In a normal
birth, catecholamines will peak just before you push
Baby out, and you’ll have a rush of energy and
strength and have strong contractions. This helps
you to birth more easily. Catecholamines also make
sure that Baby is wide-eyed and alert for when
he meets you, and protect your newborn’s brain
against low blood glucose.
Oestrogen and progesterone
Prolactin is the hormone of tender mothering. Its
levels rise steadily during pregnancy, decline during
birth and then rise again steeply straight after birth.
This surge gets lactation started and prepares the
breasts for feeding. It reduces stress and, together
with oxytocin, elevates your mood and keeps you
calm. It will help you to put your baby’s needs first,
and makes you want to nurture your child; fathers
often have increased levels too! Some studies show
that it plays an important role in the development
of the newborn’s brain, which could partly explain
the higher IQ and more optimal brain development
amongst breastfed babies.
During pregnancy, progesterone causes your
ligaments to relax. This enables your pelvis to
open during birth, so Baby can pass through
more easily. Oestrogen also increases the
amount of oxytocin receptors in your uterus,
allowing your uterus to contract. Both these
hormones also help with pain relief.
Beta-endorphin
Beta-endorphin is a natural painkiller that keeps
your contractions in check – when they’re too
painful, beta-endorphin will slow them down,
38 Birth tales
In our infant days, calcium is required for
proper bone and tooth growth; during
adolescence, as the bones develop, calcium
is essential to support the growth and during
old age ample calcium is needed to prevent
bones getting porous and weak.
C
M
Y
CM
Calcium helps in the easy movement of
nutrients across membranes and is an
essential mineral to use especially during
pregnancy and breastfeeding.
MY
CY
CMY
K
Prolactin
Written by Sister Lilian 2015
D
uring pregnancy, you trusted your body
to look after your developing baby, and it
adapted and developed to provide the very
best environment for your growing baby. If you
continue to trust your body, your labour hormones
will make sure you have an amazing birth. They do
a lot more than just help you through labour too…
ZINPLEX CALCIUM CHEWABLE TABLETS
GET THE FULL ZINPLEX RANGE AT YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY AND SELECTED RETAIL STORES
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SOME FANTASTIC PRODUCTS
FROM THE ZINPLEX RANGE
NEW
GET THE FULL ZINPLEX RANGE AT YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY AND SELECTED RETAIL STORES
Manufactured for and on behalf of House of Zinplex (PTY)Ltd.
t: 086 111 9462 | f: 012 803 9283 | w: www.zinplex.co.za | e: [email protected]