‘I was my wife’s midwife eight times’

Freedom Mupanedemo
THE word midwife was fashioned in Middle English from two elements, mid and wife.

At simple glance, wife often means simply “woman” in general Middle English, not specifically “female spouse” as it now does in Modern English.

The other element in midwife, the prefix mid-, is probably the Middle English preposition and adverb meaning “together with”.

Thus a midwife was literally a “with-woman”— that is, “a woman who is with another woman and assists her in giving birth”.

The etymology of obstetrics is even more descriptive of a midwife’s role — with reference to standing in front of the baby as it is being born.

Traditionally, men were not allowed to be present during childbirth but that has now changed as they are being trained to assist during child delivery.

In Zimbabwe, it might take a minimum of three years for one to train as a general nurse, then some few more years of specialising in midwifery.

But for 57-year-old Bothwell Moyo of Mberengwa, Midlands Province, it required just an hour to attain the qualification when his wife went into labour at their home.

It was one chilly June night of 1984 when his wife, Judith — heavy with their first child suddenly went into labour, leaving him with no option but to preside over the birth of a bouncing baby girl.

The girl was subsequently named Hlupekhile, a name loosely translated ‘trials and tribulations’ after the pain and distress that the mother experienced, as the husband, facing a task requiring special training, yet armed with his pedestrian knowledge undertook to preside over the birth and provide care for their newly born baby.

Since then, Moyo developed some confidence that after all he was a good midwife and the couple has never thought of registering with either a hospital or a clinic whenever the wife was expecting.

After the birth of Hlupekhile, Judith has had seven more children all delivered at home. Their bedroom has been the ward and nursery for all the eight children.

“All my eight children were born in our bedroom and on each occasion, I’ve been the midwife, guiding my wife and helping her stretch muscles through labour. She never had complications and I’ve personally received and welcomed all the babies each time she went into labour. Yes, we’ve to praise God that on all the eight occasions, everything went well but I think I’m a good midwife because all our children are alive and healthy,” boasts Moyo.

He said the only time his wife would visit the hospital was when the baby needed to be immunised. “Of course, we know that a newly born baby requires to be vaccinated against diseases so after every three or four days after birth, I’d accompany my wife to the hospital to have the baby immunised as well as get a birth entry number so that we could access a birth certificate,” explains Moyo.

Interestingly, Moyo’s wife has been conceiving almost yearly but the couple never considered the hospital as the safest place to deliver her babies.

“Our first child Hlupe (Hlupekhile) was born in 1984, the second, Shingirirai in 1985, the third, Believe (a boy) was born in 1988, then came Knowledge (1993), Onias (1994), Senza (1997), Tarisai (1998) and the last, Sibongile in 2000,” he enumerated.

It was in the same year, 2000, that Judith visited the hospital to be sterilised so that she does not conceive anymore.

A war veteran who briefly served in the national army soon after the country attained its independence, Moyo said his military training gave him the confidence that drives him.

He said he is an optimist who believes that everything is possible and never thinks of registering his wife with any medical institution whenever she is expecting.

“Our poor financial background and the long distance to the hospital (about 20km) were the biggest factors we considered when we decided that all our children would be delivered at home,” said Moyo.

“After I successfully presided over the birth of our first child, my wife was also very reluctant to go to the hospital — she knew she had a midwife in me and in the end it became a habit that she would give birth from home.”

Moyo said he is proud of his feat, saying he deserved to be awarded a certificate in midwifery for successfully presiding over the birth of eight children without recording mortalities.

“Some of my children are now old and leading their own families. I received them, cut their umbilical cords and bathed them at their birth. I think I should be recognised and get a certificate,” he boasts.

His wife shares the same sentiments and lauds her husband for his gentleness and love.

Judith said the first time she experienced labour pains at home, she expected her husband to take her to the hospital.

“It was an emergency, the hospital is some 20km away and there is no proper road so it was impossible for him to take me to the hospital. He was brave enough to render the needed help for me to deliver our first baby without any hassle. Since then, I gained confidence in him and never wanted to deliver at a hospital,” she said.

Judith, however, discourages her children and others from delivering from home.

“It’s very risky especially if it’s the first time. We did it the first time because it was an emergency. It’s always safe to do it in hospital in case there are complications,” she warns.