I spent last week in a village with a team from my organization. There is a couple (they're in the 2nd picture) that lives at the base there and they take care of it. When we arrived, the wife, Sali, was working to cook food for us on an outside wood fire, the cooking pot resting on 3 rocks. Her huge belly didn't seem to slow her down too much. It was clear that she was toward the end of her pregnancy, but I was surprised on Wednesday morning to learn that she had given birth overnight. She had walked into the village to deliver in the little maternity clinic. The baby was born at 4am, and the top picture was taken at about 10am that same morning! I got to hold the new little girl and help introduce her to her big brother, Cekoroba. One of our leaders was asked to choose a name for the baby, so the little girl is now called Nyagali. ("Joy")
As I was holding the newborn and checking her out, it was evident that she hadn't been washed yet. I'm not sure how it happened exactly, but somehow I wound up being the one to give the baby her first bath. I guess it had to do with there being no one else who admitted to having ever washed a newborn. We cleaned out a plastic basin and got some water and soap. The baby seemed to love being in the water! I've watched Malian women wash small babies before, and I've seen them SCRUB the baby clean. So maybe the people watching me gently wash the baby thought I wasn't being rough enough, but I just don't think it's necessary to make 'em cry.
Then the second day the mom wanted me to wash the baby again because she claimed to not know how to do it. Huh?! This didn't make sense to me, especially considering that she has a 6 year old. But I learned that normally an older woman would come and help the new mom take care of the new baby for a while after the birth. (I'm not really sure why there wasn't someone there to help her this time. Maybe because she doesn't live near her old village anymore? or the helper woman only comes for the first baby?) So this mom really had never washed a new baby, and she was nervous to try. I said I'd wash the baby again, but this time the mom needed to sit next to me to watch/help. This is the 2nd picture. Next to the washing basin is a white pail filled with natural shea butter. It's not quite Johnson's baby lotion, and really not what I'd want my baby to smell like, but this is what is slathered all over babies here after a bath. There is also a blue thing of powder (this smells much nicer than the shea butter!) which I applied to her neck and other areas to help prevent some of the often seen consequences of temperatures up near 110 every day in this season.
Some of our teammates were amazed that I would know how to wash a newborn. (so amazed that I sort of thought they were mocking me at first, I was a little confused by how impressed they were) I explained that when I was junior high age my aunt and uncle lived in the other side of our duplex, and I had 2 baby cousins born that I was crazy about and I was glad to help take care of them. I also spent many evenings and weekends babysitting throughout high school, and finally, I worked as a professional nanny for 2 years - my final year nannying it was for 2 babies. So I guess you never know when your skills will prove useful!
Some of our teammates were amazed that I would know how to wash a newborn. (so amazed that I sort of thought they were mocking me at first, I was a little confused by how impressed they were) I explained that when I was junior high age my aunt and uncle lived in the other side of our duplex, and I had 2 baby cousins born that I was crazy about and I was glad to help take care of them. I also spent many evenings and weekends babysitting throughout high school, and finally, I worked as a professional nanny for 2 years - my final year nannying it was for 2 babies. So I guess you never know when your skills will prove useful!
Washing the baby was an unusual but practical way that I could show love to Sali, the mom.
I was able to visit Sali and baby Nyagali several times when they were resting in their room. I talked with Sali in Bambara because she doesn't speak French.
The baby never had clothes on while I was there, she was just wrapped in cloth. Sali said they didn't have any newborn clothes, but the dad would buy something to dress her in when he went to the market in the nearby village. Really, its hot enough that clothes aren't necessary, but I just wished I had a cute onesie to put on the baby. I am hoping to find some tiny girl clothes in the piles of clothes we have in our markets here and if I can't go to visit Sali again soon, at least I can send a present to her with a colleague.
I was able to visit Sali and baby Nyagali several times when they were resting in their room. I talked with Sali in Bambara because she doesn't speak French.
The baby never had clothes on while I was there, she was just wrapped in cloth. Sali said they didn't have any newborn clothes, but the dad would buy something to dress her in when he went to the market in the nearby village. Really, its hot enough that clothes aren't necessary, but I just wished I had a cute onesie to put on the baby. I am hoping to find some tiny girl clothes in the piles of clothes we have in our markets here and if I can't go to visit Sali again soon, at least I can send a present to her with a colleague.
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