Mom gives birth to baby boy on pavement
Woman says she was forced to have baby in public after clinic turned her away
LYING on a pavement in pain and in full view of neighbours was the way Sandiswa Thunyiswa had to give birth to her baby boy after she was sent home by a nurse at the Booysen Park clinic, who insisted she was not in labour. Thunyiswa’s scheduled checkup on Wednesday went terribly wrong.
At 38 weeks pregnant she was experiencing lower back pains that, based on her previous two pregnancies, convinced the 29-year-old she was in labour.
But, she claims, nurses insisted she was not in labour, gave her pain medication and sent her on her way.
Thunyiswa says that after taking measurements of her stomach, a nurse insisted the pains were normal as the baby was shifting in her belly.
However, about 50m from the clinic the pain had become so severe Thunyiswa was doubled over and in need of urgent assistance.
Thanks to a quick-thinking passer-by, Thandiwe Monese, 39, also of Booysen Park, little Khayone was delivered safely.
Both mom and baby are recovering well in their Booysen Park home.
Thunyiswa said: “I had been sitting in the line at the clinic since 8am and felt nothing, but just before I went in to consult with the nurse I felt this sharp pain in my lower back and immediately knew that I was in labour.
“The nurse examined my belly with a plastic device and told me I wasn’t in labour and that the pain I was feeling was just from the baby moving,” she said.
She said she had been concerned that the nurse had not undertaken a pelvic examination.
“I was walking home but just as I was walking I noticed the pain was getting intense and that the baby was coming.
I couldn’t walk any more, so I got on my knees,” Thunyiswa said.
In a matter of minutes more than 30 residents had gathered around and watched the scene unfold.
“Everything was happening so quickly. I was in pain and people were watching. It was humiliating and I am embarrassed because everyone in the township is talking about this.
“This will always be remembered as the way my baby came into the world. What makes me angrier is that the nurse is lying and saying she gave me a pelvic exam when she didn’t.
“She’s the nurse, she really should have known better.”
Monese said she was walking from the Booysen Park community hall when a man called for her to come and help as a woman was about to give birth in the street.
“At first I didn’t understand why this man had called because I know nothing about delivering babies, but I went anyway and found Sandisiwe lying on the pavement with a lot of people around her. [They] also asked me to help,” she said.
Monese immediately sent someone to go to the clinic and ask for help or at least send a wheelchair.
The clinic is about 50m from where the incident happened but nearly a kilometre from Thunyiswa’s home.
Monese said she had never delivered a baby before but decided to help when she realised that Thunyiswa’s waters had already broken.
“Everything is a blur because it happened so quickly. She was screaming in pain and gave me a fright when she told me that she was feeling weak.
“We finally delivered the baby, who initially did not cry,” Monese said.
Monese said nurses eventually arrived with a wheelchair and took both mom and baby to the clinic.
They were later collected by an ambulance and transported to the West End clinic for observation.
Thunyiswa’s mother, Phelisa Thunyiswa, 53, said the incident had left her panicked.
“This is very embarrassing for my daughter. I was in a taxi and people were talking about this.
“They were shocked when I told them this horrible thing happened to my daughter.
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo declined to comment, saying only: “I cannot comment without studying the patient’s medical file. I will study the facts and only comment tomorrow [today].”