Accidental bundles of joy

Women thrive on dreams. When we are younger, we dream about our husbands and choreograph imaginary wedding ceremonies. Some women walk around with 10 different versions of the same dream wedding – a version for every mood.

We envisage our desired careers, but most importantly, fantasise about babies. At some point, we make concrete decisions about when we will have our last baby.

This is a decision Florence Kadoma, 48, probably made 15 years ago. “At the time, I was sure my baby daughter was the final one. I started using family planning, but I was using the natural method. I used it for 14 years.”

Kadoma, a politician, is a jovial woman, and has no qualms discussing her situation, as long as her political ambitions are not affected.

She is the Woman Councillor for Karago Town Council and Bukuuku Sub-country in Kabarole District, and is also the secretary for production on the district executive committee.

Although she is uncomfortable with explaining what the ‘natural method’ is, she is certain that her age might have had a hand in its failure to work after 14 years.

“You know, family planning does not go well with women of my age. I am also overweight so it probably got things mixed up. I was really surprised when I discovered I was pregnant at 47.”
The pregnancy caused fear in Kadoma’s household. “I suffer from high blood pressure and a heart problem. I was taking medication daily, so of course, I was scared. I wondered how my body would handle the extra burden of a pregnancy.”

Kadoma decided to continue working, instead of sitting at home. Her husband, although shocked, stood by her throughout the pregnancy.

Telling her family
“In the beginning, when I told him, he was not happy but since children are God-given, he had to start thinking positively and prepare for the baby.”

At the time of her pregnancy, Kadoma had five children. Because of her plus size, none of them noticed the change in her. It was only after two months that she told her two daughters.

“I read my last born daughter’s diary. She is 15 now. She wrote that she was tired of being called matura. In Rutooro, matura means last-born. She was happy that someone else would be the last-born child.”

Her sons – young men, one aged 26 – thought their mother was putting on weight. “I informed them a week before I was scheduled to give birth. They were in shock! Other people noticed, though, and laughed at me, asking what I had done to myself.”

She took their comments calmly, and in good faith. Even when they asked how she had managed to get pregnant at her age.

Pre-term baby
Besides the daily medication for her heart condition, Kadoma’s pregnancy was a normal one, until the seventh month.

“My doctor advised me not to carry the pregnancy to full-term because the strain would be too much for my heart to bear.
In November 2014, at Mulago hospital, I was induced, and luckily, I gave birth normally, without having to undergo a C-section.”

The majority of the women in the labour ward were young.
“I felt very shy,” Kadoma says. “I remember thinking that at my age I should not have gotten pregnant. Besides me, there were about 20 older women about to give birth.”

The baby boy, Ethan Ahumuza, weighed 1.5 kilogrammes at birth. Because of her age, the nurses treated her well, showing concern about the welfare of mother and child.

After giving birth, her baby was taken to the special-care baby unit for premature babies. “When I went to see my baby, I was surprised that 80 per cent of the mothers there were 25 years and below. There were about 200 premature babies. I think the incidences of premature births are many nowadays.”

After two weeks, they were discharged. Kadoma and her husband were instructed in the kangaroo care method used on premature babies. The Kangaroo technique involves the infant being held skin-to-skin on the mother’s chest. This contact prevents cold, and helps the baby’s lungs function better.

“Whenever I was tired or stressed, my husband took take turns, placing the baby on his chest for warmth,” she says.

A year later
Babies need a lot of attention, and in Kadoma’s case, a premature baby, coupled with her heart condition make life a little stressful. “I have to take a lot of drugs, some of them are very strong, yet I also have to breast feed my baby. I compromise and take the drugs only in the mornings so that I can breastfeed in the evening. My doctor thinks I take the medication throughout the day.”

The new mother intends to breastfeed her son for the next six months, until he makes one-and-a-half years. Her decision was informed by the fact that her son grows at a slower rate than other babies his age.

“I think because he was premature, he did not get nutrients naturally. He got them though drugs and injections. He is one year and weighs 10 kilograms now, but he has not started walking independently.”

Her medication is not available in the Buhinga Hospital, so she has to travel to Mulago Hospital every month to see her doctor.
As a political leader, Kadoma has an election next year. She says she was rigged out of her party primaries; and now has a hectic schedule canvassing for votes as an independent candidate.

“I have good girls at home who take care of the baby. They feed him on soya porridge mixed with milk, Irish potatoes, avocado and local eggs.”

Advice to older mothers
“I do not encourage woman above 45 to conceive, unless they are desperate. At that age, we develop life-threatening complications.”

Kadoma visited a health centre with her husband and they were advised on the most effective family planning methods to use.

An accident?
There is a certain amount of shame that follows older pregnant women. Many of the women flatly declined to talk about their experiences.

Demitria Najjemba a 55-year-old mother of three, who lives in Kireka, agreed to talk, on condition that her picture was not taken. Her’s was a planned pregnancy.

“After I weaned my second daughter, I tried to get pregnant for more than ten years, but failed.” Her husband has considerable wealth in property, and his relatives taunted Najjemba with the fact that he would leave his assets to his son, Najjemba’s stepson. According to cultural norms in Buganda, a woman cannot become heir to her father, even if her parents were legally married.

“My husband has many girlfriends but only one of them got pregnant. I was grateful to God that she gave birth to a girl.”
The housewife secretly visited gynaecologists and, in desperation, witchdoctors. Just when she had given up, she got pregnant five years ago. “I was happy, and surprised, because I had lost hope. My husband was not delighted, though, and told me to abort the pregnancy.”

Najjemba’s last-born was in her final year at the university and her older daughter, who is married, was expecting a child. “Living at home was uncomfortable. We became a laughing stoke in this area. I caught the strange looks my children directed at my stomach. To remain strong, I kept on going to church, praying for a son.”

Najjemba delivered her baby boy by C-section. Her other children came to terms with the child, taking turns caring for him. “The only problem was I had spent so long without washing, that it took me the whole day to wash a his clothes. Now I hire washing women.”

Najjembas’ husband now shows off his 5-year-old son to friends and relatives at every opportunity.

Edyth Kemigisa, 22, daughter

I was in my first year at the university when mom told me she was 2 months pregnant. At the time, I was the second last born.

I was surprised; I thought she was joking. I could not imagine a woman her age could conceive.
One of my brothers was 26 at the time and he got to know at the same time as I.

He was mad at her. He kept on saying it was unfair for her to conceive with her heart condition. What would happen should she develop complications in the labour ward?

The other boys got to know two days to the delivery date.

Naturally, they were angry. Dad tried his best to hide his fear. He pretended to be strong throughout the pregnancy but he told us (the children) about his fears for mom’s health.

I convinced myself that there was nothing wrong with what had happened. She is, after all, a married woman and my parents are financially able to take on the responsibility of another child. Besides, I had always wanted a baby brother.
When the baby arrived, all fears and anger were forgotten. We were so excited and as a family have since supported mom. We all love our baby brother.

Florence Namazzi Midwife, Mukwaya General Hospital

We handle a number of older women in the labour ward but there are some issues that may arise in these late pregnancies.

For instance, a previously dormant uterus can develop fibroids or cysts, which increase the risk of bleeding during delivery, making the entire process complicated.

The vaginal bones and muscles of older women are not flexible. A woman’s body is made in such a way that these bones must stretch to push out the baby.

These bones and muscles become inflexible with age and make it difficult for the baby to be pushed out.

It is not obvious that every older mother should deliver by C-section. If she has other children, then she can push the baby. However, if it is her first baby, we call that a precious child.

She might have spent her entire life trying to concieve, so this baby is very precious to her. In such cases, the mother will definitely have to undergo a C-section to safeguard the life of mother and child.
There is a minimal risk of older mothers developing high blood pressure if they did not have the problem before.