Absorb every word you read!
They seem to handle them like adults, tossing them at every visitor to see and admire. Visitors and family members that you don't know if they have tuberculosis or viral meningitis that is incubating and waiting to manifest would be carrying and talking directly to the nose of their babies anyhow and they think its cool. Some would even give the baby something to drink. Issokay!
A baby of about 2months was brought to the ER by her parents and a relative. The baby was looking pale, weak and ill. The father said the baby had been stooling dark red faeces for 3 days and vomiting blood sometimes when fed and was also running a high temperature. As the father gave history, I noticed the mother was very quiet and didn't talk, she stared at the wall and seemed lost in thoughts. When the doctor asked what the child ate in the past one week, the father said it was just baby food and that the mother wasn't breastfeeding as she was having post partum depression and was on antidepressants which were not good for lactating mothers. When the doctor heard that, the relative that accompanied them was told to take the mother away and wait with her in the car as she wasn't supposed to be in the ER in the first place, as the scenerio could trigger more emotional trauma for her.
A baby of about 2months was brought to the ER by her parents and a relative. The baby was looking pale, weak and ill. The father said the baby had been stooling dark red faeces for 3 days and vomiting blood sometimes when fed and was also running a high temperature. As the father gave history, I noticed the mother was very quiet and didn't talk, she stared at the wall and seemed lost in thoughts. When the doctor asked what the child ate in the past one week, the father said it was just baby food and that the mother wasn't breastfeeding as she was having post partum depression and was on antidepressants which were not good for lactating mothers. When the doctor heard that, the relative that accompanied them was told to take the mother away and wait with her in the car as she wasn't supposed to be in the ER in the first place, as the scenerio could trigger more emotional trauma for her.
The doctor further asked if the baby was given anything to sniff, swallow or drink or if the baby was incised anywhere and substances were put on the incision. The father said his mother gave the child some herbal drinks a week ago as it was customary where they come from. When asked the contents of the herbal drink, he said he didn't know.
Anyways, the baby's blood was taken for tests and medications were given to drop the high temperature. The baby was tepid-sponged and exposed to air. The baby's diapers was changed and the feaces was very bloody and some parts was fresh blood and it had a very bad smell. The blood tests came out and revealed the baby's blood level was low, 19%. The doctor requested that the baby be transfused with blood and the grandma be called immediately to come to the hospital for questioning if she could walk.
The father of the baby then called her to come as she was living with them and was the one caring for the baby.
The doctors were furious. The baby's blood was cross matched and grouped and blood was put up for transfusion. The baby was also placed on antibiotics and the stool was sent for stool microscopy test too. The baby even had an abdominal ultrasound. The child was also placed on oxygen as the blood level would affect oxygen perfusion, and the brain was still too delicate to be deprived of oxygen.. One doctor was already calling a gastroenterologist as it was obvious the baby was bleeding internally.
When the grandma arrived, she claimed she only gave him ugwu leaves and oranges to drink at first but when she saw that the doctors weren't buying the lie, she said she added other tree barks and some gin.
Gin? Gin? As in schnapps gin! As in regal gin? I asked. She said yes and that it was small and that was how she gave her son, the father, when he was born. She said it was the family tradition as instructed by their forefathers. She said she didn't know it could harm the child. The doctor asked why she didn't give the baby the entire bottle so she can finish the job as it was obvious that she wants to kill the baby. She began to cry.
When the gastro doctor came, he requested that the child is moved to a hospital he prefers, that has an extensive pediatric unit, capable of performing an endoscopy. He also prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and H2 blockers which could help, which was given to the baby and when the second pint of blood got finished, the baby was referred.
To be honest,I don't think the grandmother was telling the truth. For a baby to be bleeding like that, she must have given a significant amount of gin and oranges to the child or whatever else she gave. Who does that? I wonder if she got the parent's consent or supervision to do that. The amount of gin given was enough to erode the stomach and intestines of the baby and cause an internal bleeding. I can only hope the baby comes out of it. The mother is also battling depression, I can't imagine the stress on the poor husband now.
Its important as new parents not to allow just anyone carry your child or feed your child. NEVER allow anyone to give your baby concoctions or herbs to drink no matter the 'culture' or situation!. The fact that it worked for a baby doesn't mean it would work for yours. All these grandmas and their traditions sef!
*I am too weak after reading this....
Carry ogogoro give tata for Christ's sake! Why Eva! 😢😢😢
ReplyDeleteThat was how my mother in law came for omugwo and wanted to give my baby concoctions, my husband warned her seriously to not give the child anything. He also warned me not to allow her. He said I should tell her my husband ordered me to not allow her to give any mixture to the baby. My baby had clear white eyes, this woman wanted to line the eyes of my little baby of two weeks with 'tiro' or lead mixed with something in order to 'clear' her eyes. You know that native eyeliner that some babies from a particular tribe have in their eyes, my husband rejected it, told her his baby's eyes are clear already. That is how they dash kids eye problems with all those rubbish. A baby that I had after a painful emergency CS.
DeleteI really love my husband for this. He is not a mummy's boy. When we wanted to name our baby, she picked a name and said that is what we should name her, my husband just kept quiet, both of us had already picked a name for her and that is what we named her ans he insisted that his mother should not call her anything else in his house.
So I believe wives with husbands who are still under mama's control should talk to their husbands about the dangers of these things and let the husband talk to his mum and stop her. This way, the wife will be able to reject anything and put the blame on hubby.
Grandma's dnt know that children of before are different from nowadays children..I pray for Divine healing.
DeleteMy dear, you married a man.
DeleteSome of them fear no go gree them talk Pim.My husband sometimes will be looking like mumu. But if the thing hold am e go say No. After the first bath where my mil tortured my son in the name of bathing him, my husband told her not to do it again and he will stand there whenver she is bathing him. He was actually crying as she was bathing him the first time because he said he couldn't rationalise the logic behind it all the bending his arms and doing all sorts to a baby.
Na wah ooh! Thanks for the information. So necessary and important.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure you read it, are you sure, Teejay are you sure? Because if you read the post you won't drop this comment up🖕there.
DeleteLol
DeleteJesus! 😢😢😢 this story just weak me. Thank God that I'm surrounded by learned and exposed people.
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly do they teach at all the antenatal sessions pregnant women attend? I'm asking because I've never attended one but if issues like these are discussed and trashed out and explained to uninformed minds things like these won't be happening, and if ones husband is the type that encourage such things the doctors can be informed so that an uninformal meeting/ conversation can be scheduled with such man before the unexplainable happens.
Poor baby please pull through.
Haaaaa! Exactly what I was telling my neighbor yesterday, her daughter has something the yorubas call ila or ela, and someone asked her to and mix agbo for a few months old baby.
ReplyDeleteWhen she came to ask for my opinion, I told her, none of my kids drank any sort of agbo when they had that issue, I took them to hospital and antibiotics was prescribed and that was it.
I feel for the baby's who is depressed may God heal that baby in Jesus name Amen.
Dat was how one advised me to soak cloves and kafura. Smthn the yorubas call kafura and give my few mnths old baby. After soaking wen i smelt the strong stench and strong menthol dat was oozing from the whole mixture, i ran for my dear life.
DeleteHia! @anon 14:17. You can never know what's in the mind of that person trying to 'help'. God save our babies.
DeleteMy mil will say kafura pelebe, kikiki.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGin as in kai kai?? Hian
ReplyDeleteNurse, you don't know what you are saying.
ReplyDeleteIn Nigeria, the mother is just the vessel,I mean the carrier of the baby whilst the baby belongs to the mother in law.
Whatever the mil says is law and final. They quickly remind you how they did it for your husband and nothing happened. They want to throw the baby up, break his limbs and do all sorts so that he can be strong in future.
Most of these mothers don't get it.
That is why Nigeria has one of the highest number of infantile deaths.They do all sort of bulshit and were you disagree you are termed arrogant and a bad wife.
They will beef you till thy kingdom come.These practice or tradition of mill's coming to do omugwo should be eradicated.
I specified mil because most wives can't stand up to them firmly and stand their ground whereas with their own mothers they can say No!!!!
My mil is still fighting me today.Pikin wey I born in my late 30s she want come take do kalokalo.I was just saying No to everything and after a while she left me and my baby alone.I was ready to face an army because of my child and she knows me well than to impose it.
Wives should learn to respectfully say No, say No. All those shit don't work.
who be dis one? What are you vomiting
DeleteOh now I get your point. Sorry about that 👆
DeleteGbam! I can relate with your story. Unsolicited advices.
DeleteShiny boss you don't need to be a genius to understand what this poster is saying. U no know sarcasm? I read it once and I got it.
Deletei can actually relate....
DeleteIt is us, Yorubas that need to change our culture. Other tribes, it is the wife’s mother that come for Omugwo. Another reason the women are better called for during that fragile post-natal period whereas a typical Yoruba mother in law came to ‘carry baby’ while the wife slaves to feed and take care of her when it should be the other way round...
DeleteAlso, Yorubas we idolize MIl, again because of culture. These women have gained the position in their children’s life that they control most things in their sons homes. Very few of our men are able to stand up to their mothers and give their wives the rein they should have in their homes. As a wife, you have to fight for that power...and typically it takes years, if ever!!
What are you saying? I’m Igbo and my mil came to stay for 10months. 10 months!! I had the baby through CS. I was expected to do everything while mil just sat in front of the tv with the baby watching nollywood movies while I ran around to do everything. The only time she got up and did anything was when she gave that tuturous bath to the baby. Yet, I had to fetch water, boil water, do this do that before she gets up for the bath. Even then, she would ask me to pass soap, pass sponge, pass bowl etc while my baby screamed from all the bending and twisting of the limbs and the throwing up and down. Oh I hated those tramatiding morning shrieks! Nigeria as a whole should scrap that culture and allow infants and new mothers to recover in peace instead of adding more stress to their lives. If I try to talk about the baby’s screaming during the turture sessions they call bath, I will be told that was how she raised my hubby and his siblings etc. Even the throwing up and down of wet baby. I explained that. Doctors already warned against such because it can result in shaky baby syndrome. My mil and even hubby will say that’s how Nigerian babies have been getting treated for centuries and nothing has happened to them. When we all know that isn’t true because those that something happened to as a result are not here to tell us. Nigerians would rather say it is some wicked stepmother or aunty in the village that did something evil etc instead of changing their dangerous practice. If you try to protect your child, they’ll accuse you of accusing them of something or they’ll label you bad wife or say you’re showing true colors etc but this is your child here, not just some animal or house pet. Of course I’ll protect then with everything I have. Husbands have a lot to do in this area because it’s usually their mothers who try these things and the men consent to it either with their silence or by straight up agreeing with thier mothers while ignoring the wellbeing of their innocent and defenseless children.
DeleteThis is so sad. I pray the child is ok.
ReplyDeleteThat's how my sister's MIL broke paracetamol tablet for adults n gave to her baby (my sister travelled out for a conference and begged her to come stay with her kids). Told her that's not for kids. Her response was that thats what she gave to d babies father and her 5 siblings and they didnot die
This is a never ending battle between new mothers and uneducated/unexposed mother in laws. Please try to marry into families where their elders are mostly educated. Another disadvantage is that these kinds of people believe in superstitions a lot. They will be suspecting everybody for everything. Some educated people behave like this sometimes sha but you can't be too careful.
ReplyDeleteMy aunty went to marry a guy whose mother is an alagbo. Before they married, mother in law used to give my aunty aphrodisiacs so that her son's bedroom performance will be 7 stars with the daughter in law. She was like ah I am lucky to have this kind of mother in law who gives me kayan mata to use with her son. Until she gave birth and MIL will be giving baby nonsense agbo and baby will be falling sick every time.
Even highly educated mother in laws have their own. I know this, because mine is one.
DeleteThat was how a visitor told me to drink hot drinks mixed with pepper so as to flush out bad blood. I told her never as we were already warned during antenatal classes that it makes babies mentally retarded.
ReplyDeletemay God heal the innocent baby.
ReplyDeleteas for that wicked efulefu grandmother, that man should warn her never to step her dirty feet into his house again.
wicked creature. she was even lying before.
Poor baby. I pray he survives. Why would anybody give a baby gin? God!
ReplyDeleteNa wa o. Adults should understand that babies have immature immune system. I know what I've gone through this past two weeks with my 2months old. My older kid brought cough and catarrh back home from school and infected the smallee. It progressed from cough and catarrh to malaria with a 39.2degree temperature. We had to take him to the hospital where three injections, some malaria drugs and an antibiotic did the trick. He is getting better. Believe me, my older kid still wants to kiss him every now and then, even with all my quarantine I'm sure she still does that when I'm not watching.
ReplyDeleteMy point is, the flu got severe in the 2months old while my older kid fought it off sooner due to advanced immune system.
From this moment forward I'm going to be stingy with letting people hold him....I've learnt a mini lesson.
Hmmn true that about giving babies all them kinikon all in the name of tradition. Mtcheww. Thank God the baby is better. Though you didn't indicate if the endoscopy stuff had been carried through at the time you were sending this story in.
ReplyDeleteThat's how someone told me to give my baby who is not up to 2mnths bitter kola water to drink cos of this stomach/navel pain.as in I should soak the bitter kola inside water once it's coloured I should give it to my baby. I told her thank you .
ReplyDeleteI pray for an educated and good MIL. I can't come and lose my baby because of Culture and traditions. Hian
ReplyDeleteI pray that baby pulls through.
I screamed when I got to the gin part like whaaaaaaaaaaaat???
ReplyDeleteHmm, they've started
ReplyDeleteI pray the baby survives.
ReplyDeleteI'm just weak to type. Gin? As in dry gin? That was how my dad told us of his mother's last babies (a set of twins) that died as infants. He said an elderly woman in the village then told his mum to put salt on their navel that it'll make it heal faster. That's how his mum was applying the salt religiously on both of them till it killed them one day. I've realised that as a new mum, a lot of people will come to suggest things you should do for your baby to maybe see well,talk well, hear well, grow faster, bla bla, but let's be careful of the ones we choose to do. Whatever your choice will be, let it align with your paediatrician's instructions. Hmmm.. I pray that baby makes it alive.
ReplyDeleteI'm so saving this post.
My mil will be boasting about how she took alcohol every night when she was pregnant and nothing happened.
DeleteSalt on navel????
DeleteJesus!!!!!!!
But the twins were her last babies na, she was not a new mum and so she should have had experience, why listen to the old woman?
This is just too sad, please. My goodness, we have way too many traditional remedies and more than half the time, they do more harm than good.
ReplyDeleteI hope that child recovers.
Lesson learned as usual. Thank you, Nurse.
Giving a baby dry gin, what an ignorant tradition
ReplyDeleteMIL's could be a thorn on ones flesh, but it's for wives that can't talk. I rem when I wanted to register in one stupid hospital around my MIL's place just so we could cover every every in case of emergency since we visit most weekend, na so the mumu nurse said I should get 2 containers so they can pour some liquid drugs for me. O chim ooo...I asked her is this a hospital or herbal home? How can I be taking English and traditional medicine? No be me una see. MIL told her to get d drugs that she will pay for the containers...hmmm I immediately hushed her ooo. Told her I'm never taking that nonsense so she should better save her money. In fact, I left her and hubby there and went out. She started apologizing as soon as we reached, said she never meant any harm, that they used to take all those when she was preggy. I reminded her the world has changed and things ain't same anymore. My system and yours are not the same, we didn't grow up in same circumstances and didn't have same immune system, so all those matter.
ReplyDeleteI know if tomorrow I put to bed, she wouldn't even try to bring any foreign body near my baby and if she does anything I don't like I will just tell her to stop immediately.
What kills wives of these days is that they fear their MIL too much, I don't do that at all. Also let your husband understand things from your own view, he might also be able to talk to his mother. Stop keeping mum so peace could reign at least not when it concerns your babies. Nobody dares not play with me where my kid is concerned, u don't know what I went through.
Imagine!!!! God please take control.
ReplyDeleteThis is happening to me right now. My 3 kids MIL did all sorts with them from putting Mentholatum on their cord to removing the clip they used in the hospital to hold the cord. But I just have birth last week and I wasn't going to keep quiet again cos of the fear I have for her. Dis time she wanted to put agnesia powder on the cord so it will dry up faster after I already cleaned it with methylated spirit. Na him I change am for mama. She was angry but I stood my ground, I know what I went thru when birthing my baby. She only spent 5 days with us and didn't even bother changing baby diaper after day episode. She thought I will beg her to stay. Abeg mama dey go Biko.
ReplyDeleteLol...thaz d spirit. Don't allow her do shit with your kids. U even waited for long
DeleteWhy is she coming for omugwo when the baby's navel hasn't fallen off yet? Your mama no dey?
I'm happy that before any MIL will come, my mum must have stayed 2 months after birth with me, at least by then, I must have gotten the ropes on things.
Amazing things here. I'm very glad to see your post.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much and I'm looking forward to contact you.
Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
that is how my MIL gave my baby of 2months lime and sint leave to drink this baby will be crying and screaming spitting I told her to stop
ReplyDelete