The Afterbirth.

Bella, in Burundi for the summer with her Mom, Stephanie from our home church OHOP! I asked her what was one of her favorite experiences since arriving, she asked me what did I like most about George Washington?!  Got to love the train of thought of an amazing 8 year old!

Kai, knocked out at the hospital.  Isai took some daddy time with him each day bringing him out for ice cream and playing at the park... I think he really loved the time with his Papa!  Alex and Tabea - you helped in such a big way... thanks for caring for our little boy!

When I say “afterbirth” I am simply referring to the moments after birth, not the placenta! 

The gratitude in our hearts is far beyond any expression as we welcomed a healthy beautiful girl.  The support we had through it all was unbelievable, friends coming together like family to help us when we simply needed help.  O.K, so we planned to give a quick and uncomplicated birth, and head back up to the mountains - as usual.  But I have to say, God turns all things to good for those who love Him, because in the midst of having to get a C-Section and to recover 3 days in the hospital we were lavished with so much hospitality, kindness and support; something we would have not experienced in such a way had things not become a little complicated.  Each day tons of people showed up to bring meals… (coffee!), to buy things we needed, friends to care for Malaki the entire time we were in the hospital (in which he loved and handled like a big boy, being a pleasure to have and easy going).  All in all, it was amazing.  You can imagine living in Burundi, acquaintances and friends are quite the necessity; a support system for the good and bad times.

The kids are in love with Isabella… the girls all take turns in holding her, making sure to hastily inform the next when their time is up.  I have been letting the girls come in 2’s in the afternoon to help bathe Kai and Bella… something to show them their important, something to show them they can be a part of her life; not to mention how young girls in this culture love helping with newborns and babies!  Kai is also shockingly great with her.  I had some thoughts prior to her birth that he would give us a little bit of a rough time, as he is so absolutely attached and 2 years old…  Interestingly enough, he is not jealous at all but loves to help and “pet” her in the most gentle of ways.  He also understands that I have a boo boo and hasn’t asked to be picked up or jump on my lap; his understanding and knowledge is amazing.  A few nights ago, I was in the kitchen with a friend and the power went out, everything pitch black.  Usually at this point, Malaki quickly finds his way to us “to secure his safety”, but that night he ran towards my room in the dark to go make sure Bella was ok.  I was so touched.

As for Isabella, it’s like night and day from the first few weeks with Malaki!  Malaki had a difficult time with nursing… and possibly it was even more difficult for me, (and we were new parents, living in rural Africa) learning so much.  With Bella, from a few hours after I woke up she was nursing with no hesitation.  She sleeps; she eats… and has a little whimper for a cry that is preciously girlish!  I stare at her often and imagine how we could have lost her, and understanding what that means… clearly 2 different roads paved out. 

This last week it’s as though a deep burden has been imbedded into my heart.  It is the burden to help women and babies, to help improve the devastating statistics of how many women and babies are dying during birth.  While in the hospital, I heard an overflow of story after story of babies dying… all within the last week.  Some, I can imagine could have been prevented with better training or the possibility for machines.  One of the stories was of a new government rule of giving better assistance for maternity care and women giving birth in a public hospital.  There was 8 women all waiting for one doctor to do c-sections on them due to complications, one of the mothers was friend of my friends as she explained that her baby drowned in the amniotic fluid because they weren’t quick enough to get her in.  Others explain that because there is no sonogram machine, it’s hard to know how the baby is responding to inducing and or labor pains in general in which when the baby comes out, they are already dead. 

A standard needs to be raised here in Burundi, and yes it could take an unimaginable amount of training in universities to students and giving further training to healthcare providers and hospitals; but I am hoping that things will improve here, because deaths are far too common and too many, preventable.  You can only imagine what the moral of the local people is like concerning births, especially up in the mountains; the pain, anger and the deterioration of the hearts of the people as they experience death over and over again in so many different depths.  Culturally, for many they don’t talk about it afterwards and according to them “they are just fine”.  The pains build up, the discouragement continues and each time they loose another precious one, a piece of them is taken.  I know women who have lost 7 children, 5, many 1 or 2 during birth, after birth… as toddlers from malnutrition and malaria.  Devastation is real, it’s rampant, and it’s everywhere.  May God give a vision and burden for people to respond and to help see the healthcare standard in Burundi raised, and mama’s and babies saved.  We can make a difference… we absolutely can.

Isai has been doing a crusade with a friend’s ministry here in Burundi and got to teach and minister in Bubanza and Makamba for 2 days each!  He was a little hesitant at first because of me getting a C-Section, but this opportunity was something he has been looking forward to and anticipating for quite some time… God is doing so many amazing things, and we can’t wait to have him back with us tomorrow!  We are so grateful to have Isabella with us safe and sound, ready to begin the transition of our home and also the children’s homes this coming month… with our very own transport truck!  We just got news that a wonderful church in Swiss wanted to buy a large transport truck for materials to assist us in saving on construction costs.  Isai has been praying for and needing something like this for quite some time, we were so touched at their desire to help!  Please continue praying for all of us here in Burundi!  All our love...

The Birth.

Moments of being induced.  All is well, in my soul.

Isabella Nasya Torres.  A miracle from God.  Born June 15th, 2012

Our doctor and nurses that did an amazing job... we are so thankful!

I hope to share a story of the birth of our precious Isabella, that you may share in our joys – and also understand deeper the underlying burden Burundian women face each day in the healthcare system as they welcome, or sadly leave the hospital empty handed and broken hearted. 

We had initially planned to head down to the city 2 weeks prior to Isabella’s due date just to play it safe that when I gave birth… we would not be in Muramvya (up-country).  I have heard countless stories of so many women and babies dying up here, for various reasons that convinces with proper training could simply be avoided…  The night before we planned to go down, about 11:30 at night I had serious labor pains and knew we had to either drive down to the capital or go to the hospital up-country.  Recently, the road down to Bujumbura hasn’t been the most stable and safe at night and being rural if you get caught up in something, there is one way up – one way down and a lot of rural land in between.  Actually, we always choose to play it safe by never driving up and down that road at night, even when things are calm.  So, we chose to go to the hospital up-country.  When we arrived, the metal gates were locked, and no one was present as we waited impatiently to enter the property.  Finally an “umutama” (old man) walked up and let us in.  When we approached the hospital it was dark, vacant and no one around.  I was going up and down the walkway asking for a doctor, and they told me “he is at home”… when they looked at my belly, they realized that maybe I was there to give birth and directed me towards the maternity section.  When I entered, I found a young man who greeted me and asked me what I needed.  The stench of it all was unbearable, mixed with pee, poop and possibly blood.  As he checked the dilation, it seemed everyone entered the room to get a peek… and he said I was 2 cm and should be able to wait until morning to head down to the big city.  Whew.   I had considered if I was in labor to invite the doctor to my house for me to give birth there… simply for sanitation reasons.  I was a bit freaked out, but overwhelmingly happy that we could head down to the city the next morning.

We arrive in the city and wait… I had been having contractions for about a week and measuring 40 weeks on the sonogram for quite some time.  We knew it was only a matter of time before she joined us.  Our friends allowed us to stay in their house for the week as they were up country doing a crusade… actually, we house swapped.  The doctor who is a wonderful Burundian woman who studied in France, had suggested that it would be good to induce me because continual contractions, and some being quite strong without progression could stress the baby; along with wanting to play it safe as she kept in mind the still birth of our first little boy.  We agreed, the she knew best and began to get induced Thursday morning.  With Isai and Malaki both, the medicine to induce kicked in quick and they were born the same day.  With Isabella, I stayed on the IV all day long and very little progress was made in the dilation and contractions.  Her heart beat remained good, she was happy and kicking around… just wanted to hang out in my belly a little while longer, I suppose.  I did, however have wonderful times with a new friend / Belgium midwife who stuck around for the day to help me with the birth.  The doctor asked me to rest for the night and we would start again in the morning…

Friday morning, about 7:30 the nurse wanted to start with the pill that they insert into your cervix to help ripen and progress the labor; they didn’t begin with that the day before because I was already having contractions and dilated... So, thus it began.  They put the pill in and wanted to monitor Isabella for the next 30 minutes just to make sure she responded in a good way.  We were about 10 minutes into the monitoring and then my Doctor walks in, in which was a huge surprise because she was on call and heading out to do a teaching at her church.  She just wanted to greet me, and encourage me that Isabella would indeed come that day.  As she entered behind the curtain to join us, in which that very moment Isabella’s heart beat began to shoot very high and drop very low.  Concerned, they continued to watch the monitor as her heartbeat fell flat.  At that moment, the power goes out.  They then take a wooden cup like thing that they use from back in the days to try to find her heartbeat.  Nothing.  The power comes back on, and it’s clear on the monitor that her heartbeat was gone. 

At that moment, I was completely lost up in emotions, confusion as they are giving me directions in another language, and just simply discouraged thinking… I have lost another and we were so close to embracing her in our arms.  I was crying saying just get her out, please… Isai was firm, as always.  Praying and knowing that if she comes out dead he would pray and pray for her to come to life.  The quickly roll me off to a c-section room, and don’t allow Isai to come in… As I continue crying for him.  Finally they see that he could possibly be of assistance, and let him come on in as they give me the general anesthesia.  Shortly after, they see I didn’t respond well and they incubate me with a tube to help me breathe.  Isai was calm and strong and watched it all.  When they pulled Isabella out, she was a little groggy from the anesthesia, but within moments the doctor said her hand shot up in strength as the brought her off to the other room.  A few minutes later, they told Isai to come get his beautiful little girl and dress her.  She was strong, healthy… and became so calm at the presence and embrace of her Papi.  Isai then returned to our room with her as he waited to see how I was doing.  He went and asked to see me or any news and they told him… he can’t go in.  They didn’t speak English with him, which was for sure much more of a confusion in the moment. 

Finally, they brought me to the room, as relief and joy rushed in for Isai… knowing that indeed as he prayed to take both of us home, it would come to pass.  I, on the other hand was still out it, leaving off in the same train of thought as before I went under.  I thought she died, I continued crying and asking if they found the heartbeat… I was a mess!  Thank God, that wore off after about 15 minutes or so, when I finally came to.  Isabella was perfect, alive, and huge!  7 pounds 3 oz, 19 inches…  I say huge because Malaki was only 6 pounds and a tiny little bundle.  We call her Isabella Nasya Torres.  Nasya means “Miracle” in Hebrew… One of the doctors came to join us afterwards and spoke very plainly that she would have died. It’s as though God orchestrated all people to be in the right place to respond in the right time… that’s as clear and plain as we can put it.  The doctor wasn’t even going to come in… and yet at the very moment we needed her, she was there to act within minutes, in comparison to waiting 20 minutes for her to join us.  God made a way… and we are speechless and in awe of His sovereignty in our lives.  His plan is perfect.  Always.