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Showing posts with label BLACK BABIES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BLACK BABIES. Show all posts
Monday, February 08, 2016
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY/BABY!--FROM OKAYAFRICA.COM ON FACEBOOK
Friday, June 20, 2014
BLACK WOMEN BREAST FEEDING IN amerikkka? -THIS BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY BROKE ALL THE WHITE RULES AND FEEDS HER HUNGRY BEAUTIFUL BABY DURING GRADUATION! -FROM CNN.COM
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| FROM POLITICSFROMTHEEYESOFAEBONYMOM.WORDPRESS.COM |
Graduation photo shows 'Black Women Do Breastfeed'
updated 7:26 PM EDT, Wed June 11, 2014
Your video will begin momentarily.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- A photo of a woman nursing at her college graduation got spread on social media
- The picture was shared from Facebook group "Black Women Do Breastfeed"
- The group's founder says their images encourage more black women to breast-feed
Over the weekend, the
page shared a picture of a woman breast-feeding at her graduation,
prompting a chorus of social media cheers and jeers. While much of the
reaction has focused on whether the picture is appropriate, the women
behind "Black Women Do Breastfeed" say its message is lost in the social
media chatter.
"It's important for black
women to see other black women breast-feeding," said Nicole Sandiford,
who started "Black Women Do Breastfeed" in 2010 as a blog and Facebook
group. "Seeing other black women breast-feeding provides a sense of
broad community and support for those who are trying to do it."
If that sounds weird to you, look no further than a recent post on the Facebook page asking,
"If someone tried to talk you out of breast-feeding, what were their
reasons?" Comments vary from, "My mom said that's what poor people did
in the old days" to "You won't make enough milk" or "It's something that
white people do."
That wasn't Sandiford's
experience growing up in a black family outside of the United States,
where it wasn't unusual to see women breast-feed openly in public. She
remembers seeing her mother breast-feed her sister and knew that one day
she, too, would breast-feed her children.
Server responds to breast-feeding
When she turned to the
Internet in 2009 for support after her son's birth, she noticed that
most images and personal stories did not include black women. Or, when
conversations included black women, they focused on how they breast-feed
at lower rates than other racial groups.
"I said to myself, 'Hmm,
we seem to be missing from this broader conversation,' " said Sandiford,
a married mother of two in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"But, as I went through
my life, I knew black women who were breast-feeding, including me. I
thought one thing I can do to broaden the conversation is collect
stories of black women who are breast-feeding."
Georgia mother Shlonda
Smith also breast-fed her five children, but somewhere along the way, a
friend said to her "you're the only black women I know who
breast-feeds," remember Smith, who joined "Black Women Do Breastfeed" as
a co-administrator in late 2013.
"It became important to
me to see other black women breast-feed and make it visible that yes,
black women do breast-feed," Smith said.
On the Facebook page,
links to news articles and studies garnered a few likes here and there,
but things took a turn a few weeks ago when Smith posted an image of a
woman breast-feeding. More women sent pictures for Smith to post and
engagement increased, hitting a high with a split image of a woman
breast-feeding alongside a picture of pop star Rihanna in a see-through
dress. It included the caption, "Why is it OK for a star to wear this
but for me to breastfeed it's a problem."
Karlesha Thurman decided
to post the photo of herself breast-feeding her child while wearing her
graduation cap and gown in the comments of that photo. It immediately
got more attention than any other post ever on the page, Smith said, who
could relate to being a young mom finishing college.
"It was just beautiful;
it just spoke volumes," Smith said. "Breast-feeding is tough at the
beginning, so to see a young mom who balanced breast-feeding and school,
that's amazing."
But on social media and in other areas, Thurman saw some backlash. Smith offered to take the photo down, but Thurman refused.
"I found out I was
pregnant my last year of college, had my daughter one week into my last
semester, she was my motivation to keep going, so me receiving my BA was
OUR moment," Thurman said, according to a post on the page.
"Black Women Do
Breastfeed" also received negative comments about its name and its focus
on black women. It also received new support -- the audience climbed to
more than 7,000 by Wednesday afternoon.
Stay in touch!
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Sandiford spoke with CNN
about breast-feeding, race and how "Black Women Do Breastfeed" has
grown to accommodate a diverse audience.
The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity:
CNN: Why is the group named "Black Women Do Breastfeed"?
Sandiford:
I named it "Black Women Do Breastfeed" so that people could be aware
that there is community of black women who do breast-feed and who are
interested in breast-feeding and want to share their experiences. One of
the things I used to do when I was looking online for information about
breast-feeding is put in search "black women breast-feed," and I
figured if I named it something like that, it would come up in searches.
The name is not there to
exclude anyone because from the very start, we've had women and men of
varying races express interest in being on the page, but black women
need advocacy in this area as well. That doesn't exclude women from
joining the advocacy, it just recenters the conversation.
In addition to making
black women breast-feeding more visible, we've made women who felt like
they were the only ones doing it realize they're not alone. We made
women who may not have previously breast-fed their children see this
community of women.
There are women in this
country who may be the first generation in their family to breast-feed.
They may be the only women in their community who breast-feed, and that
makes it difficult to find support.
CNN: How does sharing pictures of women breast-feeding contribute to this goal?
Sandiford:
In the U.S., even though we do have breast-feeding, it's not seen as a
common thing. It's not really something you necessarily see walking down
the street. For black women who don't know other women who breast-feed
in their community, it is important to see that is happening.
CNN: Why do you think this image went viral?
Sandiford: I
think people were impressed that this young woman was able to graduate
while taking care of a young infant. Because people are not used to
seeing breast-feeding in public in this country, we tend to get really
nervous or scared or unsure or outright offended because many of us are
not used to seeing breasts in that context.
But, I think it's
important that photos like this are out there because women need to be
able to breast-feed their babies and sometimes it needs to happen in
public. Babies need to eat, and they can't control other people's
feelings. I think it's important that people remember this is about
feeding a baby, and we as nation need to figure out how to manage our
own personal feelings and allow women and babies to breast-feed as they
need to.
CNN: How have you handled the reaction on your page?
Sandiford: When
it comes to social media, you will always see detractors, you will
always see people who disagree. But I think it's good to remember that
for each of those detractors, there are more people saying 'We support
her, and we don't see anything wrong with this.'
We've been very
heartened by the positive comments we've seen, and we've definitely seen
a lot more positive than negative ones. For us, we've tried not to fan
the flames because we don't want to contribute to any harm that might
come, and we certainly hope there isn't any so we're trying to be a
little bit more low-key.
We are assessing how we
want to manage pictures in the future. We don't want to discourage
anyone who has pictures they want to share from doing so, but right now,
our main concern is that women featured in pictures won't fear any harm
from sharing them.
CNN: Do you think the reaction would've been different if a white woman had appeared in the picture?
Sandiford: It's
really hard for me to say, but I think that maybe certain assumptions
might not have been made if the person in the picture was not black
because we've had people questioning her devotion to her studies,
questioning her lifestyle and just making slanderous comments.
It's really difficult to say, but I do think the reaction might have been a little different.
As a new parent, did you feel encouraged to breastfeed -- or discouraged? Share your experience in the comments, on Twitter @CNNLiving with the hashtag #CNNparents or on CNN Living's Facebook page.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
FIRST BLACK SEXTUPLETS FINALLY GET SUPPORT AFTER BLACK PROTEST CAMPAIGN IN AMERIKKKA!
S First Black Sextuplets Belatedly Win Public Notice
If it had not been for the McCaugheys, the Iowa family who made medical history with the November birth of septuplets, all of whom survived, the world might not have known about Linden and Jacqueline Thompson. Then again, because of the McCaugheys, much of the world may never know about the Thompsons.
The Thompsons, who live here, were the first black family in the United States to have sextuplets. That was May 8. But hardly anyone noticed.
Almost seven months later, after an eye-popping avalanche of money, corporate donations and blanket news coverage for the McCaugheys, black people began pointing out that the Thompsons, too, had made history and needed help.
Now the Thompsons, who live in a cramped, three-bedroom apartment, are afloat in a bounty of giving that ranges from matching Santa suits for their five surviving children to a new house and guaranteed college scholarships. They had to rent a storage shed for the overflow.
''I have no hard feelings,'' Mrs. Thompson said on Monday. ''It's better late than never.''While the contrast in the attention received by the two families is clear, the reasons for it are murkier.
Some African-Americans believe the difference is at least partly attributable to race -- the McCaugheys are white and the Thompsons are black. But others say the disparity is simply attributable to the increase in multiple births. While the McCaugheys are the only couple with septuplets, the National Center for Health Statistics says that in 1995, the last year for which numbers are available, Americans gave birth to 365 sets of quadruplets and 57 sets of quintuplets, sextuplets or more.
There may also be a more subtle explanation: There is a delicate interplay of conflicting impulses at work for those who have been spared the burden of publicity but denied the benefits. While knowing that expenses loom, they are reluctant to appear greedy or incapable of handling their own affairs. And, as in the case of the Thompsons, who lost one child, grief can dilute their happiness and make them less likely to trumpet their joy.
Some parents may also hesitate to come forward in light of criticism of the McCaugheys for having so many children at once.
''Some people feel that these people made their bed, now they can lie in it,'' said Janet Bleyl, president of the Triplet Connection in Stockton, Calif., a support group for parents.
Mrs. Thompson, who declines to say whether she took fertility drugs, said she had mixed emotions about being ignored.
''Once the media gets on your back, it's nonstop,'' she said as her five babies squirmed on a quilt on the living room floor. ''At the same time, I prayed that someone would know.''
After Mrs. Thompson, a waitress, gave birth, the family held a brief news conference. Some local support materialized, but not much, and Mr. Thompson returned to his job as an electrician.
Then on Nov. 19, every step in the McCaughey drama became front-page news around the world. The McCaugheys received college scholarships, a van, a lifetime supply of diapers, car seats, strollers, groceries, seven years of free cable TV and an invitation to the White House.
The outpouring for the McCaugheys prompted a call about the Thompsons to the ''Tom Joyner Show,'' a nationally syndicated talk-radio program in Dallas with a largely black audience. The caller said the Thompsons were the victims of a double standard.
Their case was also noted on Dec. 19 at President Clinton's Oval Office meeting on race.(Page 2 of 2)Speaking to the President at that meeting, Thaddeus Garrett Jr., former board chairman at Howard University here, said of the Thompsons: ''Never got mentioned anywhere. Didn't get a dime from any corporation, diapers or anything. Then this woman out in Iowa has seven, and she's in more magazines than you are.
And it wasn't until some of us ministers kicked up a fuss that now some of the corporations are starting.''
Whether it was the ministers or the radio show, many of those who had ignored the Thompsons rushed to their side in the newly warm glow of the spotlight.
The Procter & Gamble Company offered diapers. The General Motors Corporation provided a van. Howard promised scholarships for all five children. Toys, clothes and swings piled up. Gerber Products gave coupons for food. The Washington law firm of Wiley, Rein & Fielding is providing free legal advice. The Freddie Mac Foundation, established by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, said it would give the family a house and is on the verge of announcing that it has found a big one with a yard.
Univ. Gives Sextuplets Scholarships
AP News Archive Dec. 22, 1997 5:16 PM ETWASHINGTON (AP) _ Add a paid college education to the list of gifts for the five surviving sextuplets in Washington.Howard University offered four-year scholarships Monday to each of the seven-month-old Thompson babies: Emily Elizabeth, Richard Linden, Octavia Daniela, Stella Kimberly and AnnMarie Amanda.``It's our turn now,'' father Linden Thompson told WRC-TV. ``Howard has done the job. It's time for mom and dad to do their job.''The babies were decked out in blue and white Howard University sweatsuits and bonnets for Monday's announcement. By the time the babies enter college the scholarships will be worth $314,000.Linden and Jacqueline Thompson were the first black parents in the United States to have sextuplets but they and their newborns were virtually ignored until last month's birth of the McCaughey septuplets in Iowa.The Iowa births sparked stories about the lack of attention given to the Thompson family.Since then, the baby shower for the infants has been ongoing. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, making her annual visit to Children's Hospital, recently posed for photos with the Thompson family.The National Political Congress of Black Women, based in nearby Silver Spring, Md., announced last week it was ``adopting'' the family and helping make some of their wishes come true.The Freddie Mac Foundation has already promised the family a house, and Chevrolet has donated an Astro minivan.Local students and employees have also presented gifts. About 30 students from Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, Pa., even took a four-hour bus ride to present their gifts.© The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
4 BLACK BABIES AT ONE GO! -OLUWA SEUN! -THIS YORUBA COUPLE WAITED 17 YEARS FOR THESE BABIES! -TRULY GOD HAS DONE IT!-FROM PUNCH NEWSPAPER,NIGERIA
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| EYIN OLUWA LOGO! AFTER 17 YEARS OF MARRIAGE-NO CHILD! PRAISING GOD AT HIS AFRICAN NAMING CEREMONY OF THE QUADS! |
We waited for 17 years to have baby –Parents of quadruplets
February 14, 2012 by Bukola Adebayo
The
saying that “a patient dog eats the fattest bone,” could be used to
describe the experience of a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Olayiwola, who
on Thursday had a set of quadruplets at the Lagos University Teaching
Hospital, Idi- Araba, after 17 years of marriage without a child.
Narrating her experience, Victoria, a business woman,
said on the advice of her husband, she stopped trading about three
years ago so that she could devote more time for proper medical
consultation.
“Words cannot describe how I felt when I found out we
would have quadruplets. I am elated, the delivery was short and my
babies are fine. I am thankful to God,” Victoria said.
She said she got married on March 4, 1995, and after
15 years of visiting several private hospitals in her quest to have a
baby, the couple planned to seek help in a United Kingdom hospital.
But Victoria said before they could perfect their plan, they were referred to specialists in LUTH in 2010.
“We had already secured Visas to go for medical
examinations abroad because we had been to several hospitals in the
country but when we came to LUTH, they reassured us that they could
equally provide the medical services we were going to get abroad,” she
said.
She called on the Federal Government to equip its
hospitals and also provide adequate infrastructure, adding that poor
medical facilities would discourage people from patronising government
hospitals.
She said, “We have the experts and specialists. In
fact, our doctors are the best abroad. But we are worried about
electricity because we know that most of the medical equipment will
require electricity to work.
“I urge the government to encourage Nigerians to
patronise our hospitals by equipping them with infrastructure that our
medical personnel will need.”
The babies who are presently at the neo-natal ward of
the hospital were delivered through elective Caesarean Section, which
lasted between 10.42 pm and 10.49 pm on Thursday.
The babies are the first set of quadruplets to be born at the hospital this year.
The 42-year-old mother of three girls and a boy told Metro at the Ward-C 2 of the hospital on Monday that the babies were enjoying adequate medical care at the hospital.
The head, Public Relations Department of the
hospital, Mrs. Hope Nwakolo, said the babies weighed 2.2 kg, 1.85 kg,
1.75 kg and 2kg respectively at birth and were born prematurely at a
gestational period of 35 weeks.
Nwakolo said the babies had good chances of surviving
due to their healthy weights at birth in addition to the well-equipped
paediatric ward and experts who had been attending to them and their
mother.
Meanwhile, the elated father of the babies, Mr. Segun
Olayiwola, who is the General Overseer of the Living God Preparatory
Assembly, Abule-Egba, Lagos, said he was financially capable of
providing for the babies but would welcome support from interested
Nigerians, governments and organisations.
Olayiwola said, “I waited for this long because I had
trust in God. The ultrasound initially revealed three babies which we
had always wanted but two weeks later, one of the eggs broke and we were
told to prepare for four babies. I was compensated with four babies at a
time after 17 years.”
The 48- year-old father advised childless couples to
be firm in their faith, seek medical assistance early and also protect
their spouses from victimisation from families and friends.
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I was called a fool, when I celebrated my 40th birthday without having children
10:25 pmEmail4By Sola Ogundipe & Chioma Obinna
Such was the powerful rendition of the entire Psalm 30 by Pastor (Mrs) Victoria Olayemi, mother of Nigeria’s newest set of quadruplets.
Victoria’s voice rang out stridently and was reechoed across the function hall of the Visitors’ Lodge of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi Araba, where the event held. She was joined by her husband, Samuel Olayiwola, also an ordained Minister of God and dozens of well happy family members, friends and wishers.
It was a voice of thanks, delight and appreciation for the Almighty God who had given her the most wonderful gift on earth – the gift of motherhood, not once, not twice, not even thrice, but four times over! Victoria, an ordained Minister of God was the joyous mother of a healthy set of quadruplets, whose birth, once and-for-all removed her reproach and restored her life to her hope.Pastor Samuel Olayiwola, who became father of quadruplets 17 years after marriage
Although the famous Psalm had originally been given as a psalm and song of thanksgiving for deliverance from death at the dedication of the house of the biblical King David, it was no less appropriate at the christening of the Olayemi quadruplets. The babies, three females and one male were born at the LUTH on Thursday last week through Caesarean Section.
They were born premature at 35 weeks of gestation. At birth, they weighed 2.02 kg, 1.85kg, 1.75 kg and 2.02 kg. Since their birth, the Olayiwola quadruplets have been in the news, not just because they are the third set of quadruplets delivered at the health institution within the last two years, but because their birth had been foretold at the time their parents got married,17 years ago.
Indeed all roads led to the Visitors’ Lodge of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi Araba, Lagos, as they were christened amidst pomp. With songs of praises, dancing and prayers, family members, well-wishers and worshipers from the Living God Preparatory Assembly, Abule -Egba, Lagos. In a short sermon, Rev. Amos Kayode of the Creative World Chapel, Ikeja, described the successful birth of the quadruplets as an uncommon miracle and manifestation of the promise of God.
He admonished Nigerians never to give up or lose faith in the power and ability of God even in the face of the greatest odds. “It is a lifetime privilege for us to be present here today, because many of us may never witness this kind of miraculous event again in our lifetime. My heart is full of thanksgiving and even the heavens recognise the uniqueness of this occasion,” he declared.
During the event, Olayiwola told Saturday Vanguard that he was the happiest man alive. “God has rolled away the reproach and I just want everyone to realise one thing. Those that love you in this world are far more than those that hate you. Many people consider hatred so much, but I say unto you, do not consider hatred. People do not want me to make noise, they say that is probably what caused me and my wife not to have children yet, is because we made noise on our wedding because but I say no. If I do not make noise now, when will I do so? Just look at the children, they came with total noise. I never allow my. As you are rejoicing with us, please continue to thank God on our behalf. That is the much you can do for us. Thank you for your love.”
Olayiwola, who vowed that his children would grow up to serve God, however said his immediate plan is to care for them grow up soundly, physically and spiritually. “I come from a poor background, and being educated has helped me in life, so their education will be priority and I will ensure they have the best possible. They will serve God, and I want them to be unique in society. I will inculcate in them qualities that are different from the worldly spirit of today.
“I picked Samuel and Olusegun because those two names have been working wonders for me. Jesus said in John 16: 33, that in this world there will be tribulation, but he has overcome the world. That works for me. Whenever I have a problem I declare this promise. God has won wars for me, that name has been working for so my child shall also be empowered even if there are wars ahead. I gave the others Ebunoluwa, Omotola and Oluwabunmi.”
His uncle, Pastor Samuel Akingbile of the C.A.C, Agege DCC, also recounted the travails of the couple in their search for the fruit of the womb. “His (Samuel’s) mother was my sister, the first born of our family. I brought them up and trained them. They were brought up in CAC, married in 1995; I was there, in Ibadan. When we came to Lagos and after the firsts few years, nothing happened, his mother called me and asked what we were going to do.
“Well I said there wasn’t anything we were going to do, but the will of God. At that time, he himself had been ordained a pastor, and in the church it is forbidden to leave his wife or marry another, all attempts were made to, I upheld him in prayer. Even now it is accepted that marriage without children is not biblical. Marriage is not just for children, but also companionship and if the children come in it is good. I made them realize God would always be God.”
Rev. Amos Kayode, of the Creative World Chapel, 5, Tajudeen Ajorin Street, Ikeja, is the bosom friend of Pastor Samuel Olayiwola, father of the quadruplets. In this interview, he tells of the couple’s challenge and how they overcame.
I was ready to give him one of my children
How long have you known them?
It’s quite long. It is like growing up together, we are not really quiet close at that time.
Did you know them even before they got married?
No, I will say we have not been very close at that time because at that time he went to University of Ibadan, UI, and I went to Abuja University.
Were you aware of their challenge?
Yes. I got married a year before him. Two of my children are already in the university. You know it has always been a pain on my heart. Anytime I come across them, I feel their pain. You know, he is my bosom friend even though we refer to ourselves as uncommon friends. He’s always been there for me and I have always been there for me. He is a very interesting, straightforward and honest person. A man of integrity. I did not come into the ministry from the scratch. I was already in the academic environment.
I was lecturing in the university and he was directly in the ministry. Then, when we got to know ourselves very well, there were a lot of challenges. It is then I got to know he has this challenge. He loves my children to the point that you will not believe they are not his biological children. I have three children. When they heard about this, they were all shouting on him on the phone. They were very happy. He has been a wonderful person to me.From left (standing) is Revd Amos Kayode, Uncle to the quadruplets’s father, Pastor Samuel Akingbile of CAC, Agege DCC; Mrs Victoria Olayiwola (quad mother) and Pastor Samuel Olayiwola (father) durin the naming ceremony at LUTH
The first time I was to fly out on ministerial opportunity, though I have travelled out during my academic period, you will not believe he was the person that was supposed to go but he could not make and he said my friend you should go. He told me that I should just make myself available. And I was not having money then, but he told me that I will get money in Jesus name. Eventually I travelled out and I came back. I decided to tell him that we just have to make a move. Since that time there have been so much happenings.
So, when this one happened, though we’ve been together in it. We have been together finding solutions to the problem. When it now happened we were finding a way to fly her abroad. We consulted so many of my friends who were doctors who can help.
All through that time what was the problem?
Incidentally, there was no problem. The usual things you hear, is that you need some things and all that. You know, I am a scientist. Sometimes you have reasons why some things happen. They were married as virgins. There are people who can confirm it today. It is not as if something was wrong with them or somebody did something. I contacted some of my friends who were doctors in South Africa and we were able to secure a hospital where she could go abroad. But by the time the paper came out she was already due. The problem we have in Nigeria is facility problem. The moment I heard that this thing now happened, I said God you are awesome. I preached in his church last Sunday. I and his wife were very close. At a point, it became a reproach. He was shedding tears. When everyone abandoned him, I said no, a friend in need is a friend indeed. I was there for him. In fact, it got to a point that if he wanted me to give him one of my children, I would have done that. He is very open handed money wise. I believe you will know him more. You can never know that he has masters in economics from UI since 1989. He is a humble person.
Was there a time there was pressure to look for alternative?
For me, I didn’t feel that and I did not subscribe for that. For me, when I was about getting married, I told myself, as I pick this person, I have picked her for life and death. It depends on who dies first, but I said whether we have children or not, that should not put us asunder. In Africa, there is stigma when you don’t have but outside the world, you may decide not to have. As I am talking to you know, the only thing I was tempted to present to him was a statement accredited to one other friend who said, why don’t you tell you friend to adopt a child? And when he told me this I looked at it, then one other day, when we were now talking, I said to him, look at what this person said, that why don’t you adopt a child? And I said well, I am thinking about it.
He just looked at me
and said, God knows why and he knows that one day He will do something. Eventually, I didn’t subscribe to that. It takes two people to agree to that. I was considering the wife as well even then. I have no problem with him. I just named a baby a member of my church just adopted. She has been looking for a girl but has boys. I told her, why will she want to kill her self because a girl? So it is not a crime to adopt. Sure enough, there were times they have a little bit pressure. Sometimes, you know as men, there are times we have issues with our wives and they will say we are not caring even when we are caring. I will tell them to exercise patient. And I thank God that at the end of the day, it has come to pass.
But he made mention of something four years ago, he said to me friend God wants to give me children. He will start from four upwards. So it was not funny to me when it now happened that the scan said it was four.
And the parents of the wife are all abroad and that is why they wanted her to come over. They are covenant children.”
Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
BLACK QUINTUPLETS SURVIVE IN NIGERIA! -A GREAT FEAT FOR NIGERIAN HOSPITALS! -FROM THE NATION AND THE PUNCH NEWSPAPERS,NIGERIA
‘I‘ve not only hung my boots, I have thrown them out’
By
15/01/2012 00:00:00
Font size:
The
neo-natal ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi
Araba, Lagos, is not used to conducting send off ceremonies for
discharged infants born in the hospital.
However,
last Thursday that tradition was broken. The reason? This is no
ordinary time and such a time deserves special treat. The Shofunlayo
quintuplet delivered in the hospital on December 16 last year are ready
to go home hale and hearty.
As
a prelude, five baby cots lined side by side, and the quintuplet were
brought one after the other and placed inside the cots. They were cute
in the cloth and caps on their heads.
Bundles of joy
All
around, doctors, nurses and every one in LUTH engaged in one way or the
other in nurturing the Shofunlayo quintuplet since they were born were
beaming with smiles. One could understand. It was the first time that
such high number of multiple births would be delivered in the hospital
and all would survive. That was the reason the management board of the
hospital gathered, not only to bid the children goodbye as they returned
to their parents’ home, but also came with gifts for the children.
LUTH’s
message for the proud parents Mr. Wale and Olayemi Shofunlayo was that
the doors of the hospital was opened to the family whenever there was
need for any check up without any protocol.
Although
one could see in his disposition the façade of an expert who has seen
it all, the eyes of Professor Godwin Olu Ajayi, a professor of
Obstetrics and Gynaecology still betrayed excitement and happiness.
Ajayi and his assistants monitored and saw to the nurturing of the
babies right from the womb and delivered them safely.
Ajayi,
who is also President of Society of Perinatal Medicine of Nigeria
(SOPMON), speaking about the quintuplet and their welfare said: “It is
actually for me a very joyful moment that we have this type of delivery
here. We, right from the beginning thought that it was four, but on the
day of delivery, the Almighty God told us that he was wiser and better
than all. The parents must have been budgeting for four but now they are
five. I immediately I left the operation theatre, I had to call the
husband and told him the number of children. And what was going on in my
mind was that this is a blessed country yet, the government does
nothing for us.”
According
to him, in 2002 a similar case had to be referred abroad when around
20th week it was discovered the pregnant mother and father were AS
(sickle cell carriers). Further tests showed that the expectant mother
was also carrying a virus. The medical team was unsure whether the
pathogens have the touched the placenta and done any harm. After several
considerations the mother had to be sent to the United States of
America where she eventually delivered in New York. After the delivery
the Mayor of gave the children citizenship of the US and provided the
parents with a house and nanny.
However,
for the Shofunlayos, parents of the quintuplet, it has been a long
journey that the hospital chapter has closed on a positive note. Last
Tuesday was exactly six months, 184 days since the mother left her home
and the hospital became her temporary abode. The couple is now looking
forward to taking care of their children in the comfort of their home.
Before the birth of the quintuplet, they had only a male child.
Looking to a bright future
While
the husband is a little reticent on having another child, Mrs.
Shofunlayo was categorical: “I have not only hung my boots, I have
thrown them out of the window.”
To
Mr. Shofunlayo the prospect of catering for these children does weigh
him down: “I am really very happy for what God has done for me. I ought
to have had more than one child before now, but it was not possible so
God decided to compensate me for the delay by giving me a quintuplet. I
am very sure he will give me the wherewithal to take of them. I am just
so happy.”
He
added: “I have taken it as a responsibility. Even before now if I had
been spending too much in other areas, I have put a break so that I
would be able to meet up with my responsibility and also put more
efforts in my job.” He does not however rule out receiving any
assistance if offered especially from the state or federal government.
Talking
about his experience, he said: “We always go together, even coming to
LUTH I brought her. I was happy. The issue of children for us had been
delayed. So, if God wants to compensate me for that, why not. At a point
to ease herself was a Herculean task, I had to assist. It was not easy
at all. At a time she had bed sore because of lying for a long time in
one place. I felt so much pity for her. Most of the times, I had to help
her by massaging her stomach.”
Shofunlayo
is disappointed that all the tiers of government had not deemed it fit
to identify with his family and LUTH on the medical success recorded. He
said: “I expected to see representatives of both the federal and state
governments come to identify with us. We all know that this thing that
happened is not a thing that happens every day and it certainly will go
down in the records. This is a federal hospital and I am sure the
Minister of Health is aware of this breakthrough. We are not asking him
to give us anything, but he could through the Medical Director of the
hospital communicate with us. There is no acknowledgement that such a
thing happened.“
Professor
Edna Iroha, a professor of Paediatrics, who spoke on the success the
hospital has recorded with the quintuplet said: “The birth of the
children is special. The normal thing is usually one two, three, but
when it goes beyond that, I mean it is something big and special in a
way. I tell you what you haven’t asked. There is a certain amount of
weight that the uterus can’t carry beyond that, the baby must come out;
about three kilogram, a little over four. But in this case, five of them
and none weighed less than one kg.
“We
are talking about six kg or more. How she managed for that length of
time, it is a miracle. You would have thought that that the five of
them by the time the total weight is approaching four kg, she would pour
them but surprisingly they stayed on and you can relate survival to
weight. The bigger you are in terms of weight, the more likely their
survival and in terms of gestational age, the longer they stayed there,
the higher their weight all things being equal, the mother is feeding
well, the placenta is able to deliver that nutrient from the mother to
the womb.”
On
whether the mother being at her prime, contributed to the success of
the birth Iroha said: “It has some contributions. The earlier in life
you have your babies, the better the chances of those babies surviving
both in terms of gestation, the size and then the absence of
abnormality. So, the age of the mother contributes a lot.”
The
babies have been in incubators since they were born. However, two of
them are now big enough to be weaned off the incubator and their
temperature outside it is stable.
Iroha
has advice for potential mothers faced with such multiple conception.
According to her “ One thing that I will say, looking at this mother, is
that she got to the hospital, she had bed rest and she delivered in the
hospital unlike the ones they have transferred to us in the past,
babies born in another hospital and then transferring that to the
specialist institutions and by that time they would have lost some time.
These babies would have gone very cold, their respiratory problems
would have worsened but these ones came out and they were handed over to
us, next to the incubators. It was just a matter of seconds and
minutes. So, I think that contributed. So, if anybody is going to have a
premature delivery, whether one or five, it is better done in a
facility or in an institution where the facilities and experts are
available”
For LUTH and the Shofunlayo family, it is an idyllic story that ends well.
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from punch newspaper
We spend N.4m monthly to feed our quintuplets – Mother
January 25, 2012 by Motunrayo Aboderin
MOTUNRAYO
ABODERIN spent a day at the Ijede home of Mrs. Olayemi Shofunlayo, the
30-year-old woman who gave birth to quintuplets last month and in this
report she highlights the challenges the family has been facing nursing
the five children.
The journey to the Number 35, Peace
Avenue, Unity Estate, Ijede, Ikorodu home of Mr. and Mrs. Olayemi
Shofunlayo last week Tuesday was eventful. Though the road was dusty and
bumpy, the serenity of the area bears testimony to the peace that
reigns in the estate. Residents were hospitable as most of them gladly
directed our correspondent who was visiting the area for the first time
to the house. The house itself bears testimony to the fact that the
family is just like an average Nigerian family hustling to survive.
Sparsely furnished, the three-bedroom house located on a plot of land is
devoid of the conveniences that one would see in opulent environment
such as Lekki and Victoria Island. But the occupiers are living in
peace.
The mother of five warmly welcomed our
correspondent to the house. Mrs. Shofunlayo, who appeared weak and
sleepy, introduced our correspondent to some of her relations who had
come to help her nurse her five children. After the introduction, the
woman narrated the challenges she and her husband, Wale, a self-employed
lawyer had been going through nursing their five new born babies.
Though the interview was intermittently disrupted by the babies’ cry for
attention, Shofunlayo revealed a story that was woven in pains and
pleasure.
“Nursing a baby is challenging how much
more nurturing five children at the same time, my sister it is not easy
but I’m not complaining because it is a good stress,” the woman, who was
delivered of the quintuplets on December 16 last year, opened up
THE PUNCH had reported the
delivery of the five babies, which occurred on Friday, December 16,
2010. It was Mrs. Shofunlayo’s second delivery and also the first
quintuplets recorded at LUTH.
The quintuplets were successfully
delivered through caesarian operations. They are now at the family home
located at Ijede, Ikorodu.
However the shock of starting with a set
of quintuplets and the demands of nurturing them has yet to strain the
joy of the new mother.
Asked how much she spent in a month on
her babies, Shofunlayo said her family spent nothing less than N.4m. She
added that this could increase as the fuel price hike had affected the
prices of all consumables and baby products.
She said, “While I was on bed rest, I
bought some baby things which cost about N380,000. That was in December
before the Federal Government increased the price of petrol. Most of
those things will finish at the end of this month. That means I have to
go to the market again and with more money. It’s costing my husband so
much, but it is worth the investment. These are my babies and they
deserve the best.”
Breastfeeding the babies is another
challenge for the new mother of five. However, in spite of the strain
that this would impact on her, Shofunlayo maintained that she would
endure the hardship for the sake of her children.
She said, “I have to struggle to feed
the five babies one after the other until they fall asleep. I spend all
the day breastfeeding them. When I’m feeding one, that’s when another
wakes, and another. The first day after I was discharged was very
challenging; I could not sleep throughout the day till the next morning.
My eyes were so heavy. I was tired.
“I later devised a means to make life
easy for myself. While the babies are asleep, fill their bottles with
breast milk, and then mix it with baby formula. So far, things have
been going well. But breastfeeding is just a fraction of what a baby
needs. At that tender age, they cry for attention.”
But Shofunlayo said that her mother,
mother-in-law and sister had been providing the needed assistance. “I
thank God for my family. They have been by my side. I can’t imagine
going through this journey alone. But I still hope to hire house helps
later,” she said.
However, if breastfeeding the babies is
difficult, raising money for their daily upkeep is tasking. The mother
is presently jobless while the husband, Wale, is a self-employed lawyer.
But according to the woman, the family is coping by the grace of God
Recalling the years she was still
trusting God for a child, Shofunlayo said that they were years of pain.
“Yes, they were years of pain but I thank God for He has wiped off her
tears and that is why I described the present stress I’m passing through
as a good stress,” she said.
However, Shofunlayo said that she was
not pleased with the response of the Lagos and Federal Government,
noting that nobody had visited the babies from the two sides.
She added, “No representative from the
Lagos State Government visited me at the hospital. It is not right. I’m
sure they heard but chose to ignore us. I’m not asking them for money,
they would have at least paid a courtesy visit. If this had happened in
some other states, I’m sure government officials would have come to
check on the welfare of the babies.”
But in spite of the state government’s
silence, Shofunlayo said that so many well wishers including
non-governmental organisations, private companies had been strong
pillars of support for the babies.
She said, “I have also been getting
calls from people asking me to send the account numbers of my babies.
People have been of great support. I thank God. He has not left me
stranded.”
Speaking on the welfare of her babies, Shofunlayo said that they were all in a stable condition.
“The last boy is so fair like me, and the other girls look like their dad. They took the shape of his face,” she added.
She said that the birth of her
quintuplets had brought an unexpected publicity to her family, one she
would never have envisioned. “When the first media house visited me at
the hospital, I thought that was going to be the end, but it did not
stop. Even Cable News Network and CNTV, a Chinese Television station
paid me a visit. I was baffled.”
On the popular Ogunsanya quadruplets,
who just bagged Master’s degree from the same university in the United
Kingdom, Shofunlayo congratulated them and their parents. She said they
must have spent fortunes before the quadruplets could attain that
academic heights
“I just had my babies for less than two
months, and I know that we have spent lots of money. So now, hearing
about the story of the parents who trained four children up to Master’s
level is mind-blowing. You can’t begin to imagine the amount of money
those parents would have spent on those children. I salute the parents.
Train a child up to secondary school level is no joke; talk less of
Master’s level.
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