Amina and Sarah -Part 2 !

-from Joanne

(See Hatching Babies posting for Part 1)

Amina's tiny daughter Sarah had been discharged from the nursery shortly before I finished my placement at the hospital. I was very skeptical about how this preemie would do outside of the nursery. She had been in the nursery for over a month, but still only weighed 1.2kg (up from her birthweight of 1kg). She looked tiny and gaunt and I couldn’t imagine that she would be okay at home without a feeding tube to nourish her. On the other hand, I convinced myself that at least she would be away from other babies that could make her sick. I emphasized to Amina the importance of returning to the hospital if her baby showed any signs of illness.

After two weeks away, I returned to Masaka with my mom.  It was with trepidation that I phoned Amina to see how things were going. To my relief she reported that they were both doing well. Sarah was up to 1.4kg, was seeing a doctor weekly, and was feeding on breastmilk exclusively. With her invitation, we headed to her village to have a visit and see this lovely pair! It was the first time I had seen Sarah alert, and although there is still a long road ahead, Sarah was in good health and Amina was relaxed and positive. It was such a delight to get to see these two again!

Amina with baby Sarah -7 wks old.

Sarah alert and checking out a Canadian JaJa (grandmother)!