Journey to Motherhood

Babies and healthy babies are often taken for granted. We at the T-RAD clinic have walked a pretty incredible journey with one of our women, Naw Hser Ler Moo. She initially presented to the clinic with a rather sad history. 3 pregnancies, no babies. She had carried the first two pregnancies almost all the way to term, only to labor a few weeks early and deliver still born babes. Her third pregnancy was a miscarriage.

When she came to us, she was unsure if she could hope for a live baby. She requested help. We were able to look through her history and determine a likely cause for her heartache. A blood test confirmed our suspicions. We started her on some baseline meds, and when she reached half way through her pregnancy we started regular treks to Yangon to consult with one of Myanmar’s favorite obstetricians, and his physician wife. Our Medical Director, Dr. Sha, warned us that while this is a commonly treated condition in the west, it is a condition not known to be in Myanmar.  We should be patient but gently and persistently advocate for her. 

There was stress as the protocol we ended up delivering was only half of the optimal protocol available in the west. As the pregnancy progressed further and further, hope was clear on Hser Ler Mu’s face. She came to the clinic when we called for pregnant women to come so that the students could practice taking a pregnancy history, and for physical assessment of the pregnant belly. She was so happy for the students to learn from her growing miracle.

Meantime we regularly kept making the trek down to Yangon with her to see her specialists there. Soon she hit the mark in her pregnancy where her first baby had died, and she sailed past that stage successfully. She was nearing the same time her second baby had died when she again started to labor. Things were progressing fast, and we didn’t have time to send her for her planned birth in Yangon. Instead we were able to take her to the nearest hospital with specialist obstetric and pediatric services. She went on to deliver a beautiful daughter at 35 weeks and 5 days. Finally, she had a baby living and breathing in her arms. 

She stayed in hospital a number of days, and as is common with babies who come early, the baby developed jaundice and spent a few days under photo therapy lights. On day 5, she was discharged from the hospital back to us, However, the jaundice peaked again, and the baby Naw Nay Thaw Khu was sleepy and looking unwell. We had started receiving measles patients, and in a desire to do the best for this precious babe and keep her from measles, we transferred her with her parents to the children’s hospital in Yangon. Further photo therapy was under taken for another few days before she was discharged again.

What a journey! This precious little love is now happily at home with her doting and thankful parents. She is gaining weight and feeding well.