Mama, my friend and confidant

By MissMaxy www.missmaxy.blogspot.com

She's prayed with me in the wee hours of the night
She's hugged me and wiped my tears
She's given me advice and spoken words of wisdom
Her faith has carried me through
Her beliefs have challenged mine
Her life has been a living example to me
Oh mother of mine who feels my pain
Mother dearest who weeps and griefs with me
Mother who's empathy is beyond my understanding
May all who have an encounter with you
Know the love you give without reservation
May those who have none get to know mine
I pray for love as deep and passionate as yours for my child

My Ghanaian Birth Story

I have always wanted to make an account of how my daughter was born but I never got to it. I guess now is my chance to do just that. My child arrived on a Monday October 26, 2009 and this is how it all happened

                                                              Pregnant @ 6months

                                                                  6months into pregnancy

I have been having really strong contractions from the previous day. My original due date was oct 27, so my daughter came a day early.
On the night of 25th which was a sunday about 9 pm my partner ( lets call him C ) left for work. I was craving banku and hot pepper so i went to the kitchen to find whats available. There was no banku but thankfully we had kenkey. I had the kenkey with hot pepper and sardines.. it was the best meal i would have for the next 48 hrs.
After eating I layed down on the couch to watch TV and the I felt a really sharp pains across my belly. The pains were painful lol. It was sharp and felt like a stabing. It was on and off. It would come for about every 30 mins then as time progresses it got closer, like 10 mins intervals. So the contractions kept getting stronger and stronger. I tried to do everything I was taught in pre-natal class. I would take deep breaths during contactions but it was not helping. I filled the tub with water and sat in there but that did not help much. I knew I was experiencing labour so hard to call for help. C was at work so i called his work could not speak to him so just left a message saying they should let him know its an emergency and he must come home immediately. My hospital bags was already pack so I was ready to go. Within 30 mins C was home and I just said lets go. I could not say much to him because the pain was too much. He picked the bags and off we went to the the hospital. We arrived at abot 12:45 am.
When we arrived, they had to check my cervix for dilation. ( That was not pretty at all, with so much pain you already enduring then you get 5 fingers sticked all the way up in your vigina. Oh women what we go through)  I was 4 cm dilated and they decided to keep me. I would have hate to have been sent home at that time with a false alarm sign. lol
Soon after I get a bed, the labour pains keeps getting sharper and sharper, at this point i was crying like a baby, and screaming. My nurse asked if i wanted Epidural...  She did not complete the sentence and I was like yes please and as quickly as possible. After signing some forms, the anesthetician injected my epidural, and it was the best feeling ever. The pain was gone all of a sudden, like magic. It was about 4 am at this time and felt the urge to sleep. I was numb from waist to toe and did not feel anything. C slept beside me on the floor.

        At about 7:30 am, the nurses woke us up and said it was time to have a baby. My water had not broken so they broke it manually. I was still feeling numb and felt no contractions. The monitor showed i was contacting though. So i got ready to push. I was not feeling the urge to push because of the epidural, i pushed on the nurses command. After about 12 pushes, Narkie was born at 9:10 am on a monday, just like mommy. She arrived safely and healthy weighing 7.5 oz. She was pretty big for my size. C cut the umblical cord and the nurses gave her to me. She was beautiful, looked more like dad. i was the happiest woman on earth at that moment.
They took her away for bath while I was getting sewn up of my 2nd degree wounds. She was returned soon after and we were moved into a healing ward. I was discharged the next day.

                                                          At the hospital

1 day old

1st bath

                                                                    2 days old

Never give Up Hope

In life, we all walk through valleys and peak summits, taking what we can from each experience and becoming who we ultimately are today. 
Although hardships are part of life, and we all carry the weight of disappointments or failures on our shoulders, there are some people for whom life seems to have been particularly difficult. And yet, it is often these people who shed the most light, who give the most of themselves, who lighten the load that others have to bear.
Gloria Doku is one of those people. 
Aged 42, Gloria is happily married to Michael, also 42 years old, and she is the managing director of a successful events and décor company. She is mother to their beautiful son, nine-month-old Nana, and a ten-year-old adopted daughter, Eunice, whose mother passed away four years ago. Gloria seems to have it all and, indeed she will tell you, in as many ways as there are words that she's blessed. Everything about Gloria radiates wisdom, a peaceful calm, an acceptance and gratitude that is inspiring. 

But this inspirational woman has travelled a difficult road, one filled with loss, pain, and the bereavement that only a mother who's lost a child can know. Despite all of this, Gloria remains positive and reminds herself of what she has, instead of dwelling on what she has lost. She explains how her life has always been serious and she never had time to play around, because she was continuously on the path towards bettering herself through education while working temporary jobs to pay the bills.
She was also thrust into motherhood when her sister passed away, leaving children behind that needed to be cared for. The first serious and painful hurdle that Gloria faced was the attempt to fall pregnant.