Hi mamas & colleagues!
I wanted to do a broad update on the project I’m working on for the Bottom Maternity Hospital in Malawi, Africa.
I found the online blog of Joanne Jorrisen a couple of weeks ago (
http://babycatching.blogspot.com) where she chronicles her experiences as a midwife at Bottom. (You can see a video of Joanne working at Bottom at
http://www.jennifersauer.com/moviepage_jorissen.html. ). I was profoundly moved and started investigating whether goat milk would be a reasonable option for the babies whose mothers die and are unable to feed them, and who usually are not wet-nursed because of HIV transmission. As it stands, what little commercial formula they’re able to get is all they have to give the families, and it runs out fast.) I contacted Meyenberg who received my inquiry warmly, offering a donation of 12 cases of powdered goat milk. I also realized that so many other things are needed to help these women who oftentimes face surgical births; many times the surgeons are without sterile clothing or drapes. They recently discovered after one birth that their autoclave was broken for an unknown length of time, and that they were performing surgeries without sterile instruments! (They have had an autoclave donated since then.)
These mothers are the poorest of the poor, and come to Bottom because there is no where else for them to go when they have difficulty birthing. They must bring their own bucket, plastic bag and rags upon which they will give birth. The materials are then sent home with the mother so that she can wash them and use them for other things. They labor in a bay with only a curtain between beds, and are often not checked on for several hours at a time because there just isn’t enough staff present to attend to every woman. They give birth without family in attendance, alone. It is not unusual that babies are born without any medical staff in attendance at all. Pre-eclampsia and other diseases of pregnancy are very common and serious because they are not caught prenatally or during the birth, until the mother seizes.
Reading all of this, I knew that I could do more than just the milk donation. I have been talking with the mothers on Mothering.com and many of them are donating time sewing surgical caps and donating their prefold diapers and/or covers. I have written letters to three medical supply companies to try to get donations for gloves, sterile drapes, surgical caps and booties. I have a friend who is talking with the local hospital about getting our hands on the linens, scrubs and gowns that are out of rotation or are seconds, that they might be willing to donate to send to Malawi.
This is amazing, fabulous work and I am excited about what is happening! I am hopeful that some of you might have some things laying around that you don’t need that can be passed along to Bottom, for use by the staff, mothers or babies. The biggest need I am trying to fill right now are diapers, covers, and baby hats & blankets. Medical supplies are also needed: gloves, caps & booties for surgery, chux pads, etc. are all useful donations. I will accept absolutely everything and anything.
If you are interested to help, please send me an
email and I will send you my address for mailing. I am hoping to collect everything here and send it in one shipment to Bottom. I am corresponding with a friend at FedEx Kinkos about having the shipping donated. I will also be contacting the media in my area early this week now that the Meyenberg donation is for sure coming through.
Thank you so much for reading!
Please pass the information along!
Kristina Kruzan
http://www.dynamicdoula.com <--Newly revised!
Birthing From Within Mentor Candidate
Editor - Birth Connections
360-908-0194
A momma who needs more
