Njung'e wrote:Spend.thrift wrote:
First Aid box Yes. But the most important tools for an emergency backseat, house or roadside delivery is a sterile razor blade or pair of scissors and two pieces of clean strings (uzi) each about 20 cm.
The most important skills are knowing where to tie the two strings along the umbilical cord and where to cut. Of course how to hold the kid and how to initiate crying if the baby comes out too shocked to cry.
For warmth, women always donate their lessos or your jacket/sweater could do. Then next stop must be hospital even if all looks okay.
Unfortunately, gone are the days when every woman's purse has a leso. My mum carried one everyday everywhere.
@SP,
This are skills all of us should acquire.I for one wouldn't mind but where?
@Njunge. 'old' men like you who never suffered under the 8.4.4 regime may not know a thing. They taught me basics of emergency childbirth assistnace in Std. 7 and 8 home science many years ago but I still recall because of the passion with which this lady teacher taught.
In Nairobi and many other urban and rural places with roads and health centres, it should be that you are somehow able to ferry the expecting mother to be attended to. This is what is best.
However, like it has always happened, it comes toofast for some women. I recall a colleague whose wife was doing dishes then quickly dashed to the living room and shouted 'twende' as she clutched on to a prepacked bag. They got near the hospital, and before the car could make to the vehicular entrance, she asked hubby to stop, dashed out and got into the hosi using a small staff entry and before long there was a cry of joy. In cases like this it is very likely that such a woman may actually deliver in the car if the hospital is not near or in Nairobi traffic. A comprehensive first aid course at the Kenya Red Cross or the St. John Ambulance should be enough for one to be useful in emergencies including child birth.
Basics are also here
http://www.i4at.org/surv/ebirth.htm
It almost always happens that there will be women to come to the aid of one of their own and they are usually very keen to shield the woman from indecent exposure. So expect to be rudely chased away if you are a man unless you identify yourself as a first aid guy.
Muheani must be a strong willed and warm hearted guy. The amount of pain, fluid, especially blood and sometimes an involuntary helping of 'number 2'I have seen in two of these emergencies is quite traumatising and for Muheani to be upbeat after it is a good sign that humanity is still alive. Many would refuse to help simply so that their cars are not soiled.