An induced birth

Yesterday lunchtime I saw my heavily pregnant colleague and her baby still to enter this world. She was upwards of one week overdue (she wasn’t entirely sure of the due date and neither was her doctor which I found a little odd because she utilises the natural family planning method which clearly in this instance failed!)

When I arrived at work today, I discovered that my colleague had been induced yesterday morning at 11am (I had seen her just as she had returned from the hospital to work) and at 6pm she gave birth to her fourth child and third son. Unfortunately, she suffered severe loss of blood and by 11pm she was being operated on, finishing around 2am the following morning. She is now resting in ICU.

My colleague will be 39 this year and this pregnancy was unplanned. Her first three pregnancies had all run late so I am a little concerned as to why she was induced with this pregnancy, as in most inductions, the ‘cascade of intervention’ soon kicked in with her needing surgery to stop the heavy blood loss. I hope that she will be okay. I have great respect for and like this colleague immensely.

The director of my NGO who also will be 39 this year, is also heavily pregnant and her baby is due this Thursday. Like all the women with paid jobs in Timor (which isn’t many) they work right up until they go into labour. It’s something I greatly admire.

Category: Timor-Leste (East Timor)