My neonatal death experience toll is at one. Not something I would wish upon anyone.
I had the pleasure of seeing a woman deliver naturally a breech (bum first) presenting baby. She was planned for a Caesar, but between mum and bub, they decided to forgo it. The baby was a mere 29 weeks. In Australia, with good NICU care, that's a very viable baby. In Nepal, the youngest baby in NICU (in regards to weeks from conception to birth) was 31 weeks. Two weeks makes a lot of difference! 29 weeks here is incredibly fragile. The doctors gave her a 50% chance of survival. That's a big statistic so I'll assume that's her chance if she had the best care possible in NICU for several moths.
I had hopes an assumptions that this baby would end up in NICU. Later on I found out that wasn't the case. The baby girl was alive, but not in NICU. Babies aren't made to leave the womb at 29 weeks and survive on their own. I was told that the baby was not receiving care because the family couldn't afford it. I asked a nurse if the baby was a boy, would they beg, borrow and steal money to keep him alive. Her answer was honest and unforgettable. She had shame written all over her face as she nodded and quietly said yes without looking me in the eyes.
It was only days ago when I was looking through the birth records book that I saw 'NND' in red pen next to that babies birth details. I'm sure that baby was a trooper. She fought for every moment she had a chance at holding. She didn't even have a name.
RIP baby Amelia. Thankyou for being my first breech birth and unfortunately my first 'neonatal death'. Thankyou for fighting.
That is so tragic Kate :(
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