A young woman’s “colon problem” turned out to be a full grown baby after she unexpectedly gave birth on Thursday morning.
Charay Arendse, 20, says the birth of her baby boy was a moerse skrik as doctors previously told her that her maag krampe were due to a problematic colon.
“It was very painful giving birth... but he’s here. Dis net deur die Here se genade dat hy hier is,” the emotional young woman told the Daily Voice after she was discharged from the Kraaifontein Day Hospital on Thursday.
Her mom Charmaine, 54, says her first grandchild made a miraculous entry into the world.
“This is really a miracle baby. Charay was dokter in en dokter uit met die dikderm probleem, and nobody picked up that she was pregnant,” she explains.
“She’s been complaining about abdominal pain for months but never did we realise that it was a baby that was making her feel so sick.”
It was also a first for home-based carer Julita Galeshuwa, 46, who was called to the family home in Gabrielle Court in Scottsdene on Thursday morning.
“It was just before 6am and Charmaine’s son came to say Charay is in terrible pain. I asked seker 10 times what was wrong with her and they kept telling me it was a colon problem, but to me it looked like labour pains.
“Then I said, ‘right, open your legs and let me take a look.’ I saw black blood and knew it could not be her colon, and there were contractions. I said this child is busy giving birth and her mother still argued with me,” she explains.
“When I looked down again, the baby’s head was crowning and I told Charay, when the contractions come again, you must push.
“I was shaking with nerves because this was my first experience like this.
“My late mother was a midwife and here my dream of following in her footsteps was coming true.
“It was a baby boy and he gave a lekker shout and everyone was happy for the ‘colon problem’,” she laughs.
“We cleaned him up and called an ambulance.” ◄
Proud granny Charmaine adds: “I could not stop crying to think that I am now a ouma.
“Everything happened so fast, we don’t have any clothing or nappies for my grandson. We did not even think of a name yet.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za