This is the maternity ward at the St. Jerome Cove center's medical clinc. there have been over 200 babies born right on that bed! The tradition for the Ugandan mothers is to take their placentas and burn them. This is supposed to be good luck for future pregnancies. this is the incinerator right outside the clinic.
one night while we were entering into the dinning room to eat i notice that the light was on in the maternity ward room. I can honestly say i was jumping up and down "Richard!" (one of the amazing employees at the center.) "is there a baby in there?!" Richard always laughed as us. i can only imagin what he thought about us crazy americans. "Yes." "Richard please see if it's ok if we can go see the baby be born!!!!" "it is ok." I dont think i could have ran faster. i prayed that god would let us see a baby while we were visiting. i opened the door and there sat the proud daddy looking at his new born baby girl. we passed her around and asked so many questions. looking back i think this would never have happened if we were in America. but the new father was just as excited for us to see her as we were. he told us his wife was taking care of the placenta and she would be right back. can you imagine?! giving birth with no drugs and then getting right up to walk outside and burn your placenta?! anyway he told us the baby did not have aname yet. My dear friend Julie shouted "my name is Julie!" dad said "I like it."
The two Julies
proud papa and baby Julie
I remember telling her that she was the answer to my prayers. The next day I woke up and made my bed. folding up the baby blanket i had brought with me that belonged to my baby Belle. i almost felt silly for bringing it. i wanted to smell it at night and remember her. I'm a grown women and this little baby girl is wearing blue she needs something pink! so i walked over and handed the new parents miss Belle's blanket. they thanked me but they didn't seem as excited as last night. "did you get much sleep?" i asked"no, my milk has not came in yet and she has not been able to eat anything."
"what can you do?"
"she needs to eat." the father said about his wife "so that her milk supply can produce."
this broke my heart. i was able to breast feed my daughte rfor 8 months and had no problems. Belle latched perfect my supply was great i never had soreness or cracks. Belle was healthy and gained alot of wieght. i couldn't understand why god had made it so easy for me when i had a million other options. These parents didn't have a Walmart down the street with a baby section full o ffeeding options for their starving newborn. I walked back to my group in tears everyone listened to the reason i was so upset and we got together a huge pile of our breakfast and walked back over to baby Julie's mom and gave her the food. soon after her milk came in and mom and baby were doing great and were released to go home. Baby Julie is forever in my heart and will always be my proof that God answers prayers.
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