Shocking Sunday

Normally, pregnant women give birth in the hospital. They are treated by the professional midwife and nurse as well. Their family just wait outside the room. 

My Mother and Sister

Something that I had to do at that time was I had to help my mother to give birth alone because my father went to find the midwife. I was really shocked and confused because I did not know what to do and my mother felt so much in pain particularly in her chest. She was really hard to breath. I did not want something bad happened with my mother so that I tried to message her stomach. I prayed to God so hopefully my sister would bear safely. Suddenly, my sister was born. I was very shocked and my mother as well. We did not expect that she was born quickly.

The midwife came and I had to help her to treat my mother and sister. She took my sister from my mother’s groin. I saw that there were so much blood in my mother and sister’s bodies. Actually, I was very afraid with blood but I had no choice. As a daughter of my mother and an older sister of my younger sister, I had to treat them. I took warm water to clean and wipe the blood in my mother’s body. Meanwhile, the blood in my sister’s body might not be cleaned by warm water. The midwife asked me to wipe the blood by cotton only. After that, I prepared some clothes for my sister. I was really confused because I was not familiar with those clothes. Fortunately, the midwife helped me to choose the clothes. She was dressing my sister while I was dressing my mother. Then, my mother breastfed my sister. At first, she gave colostrum to my sister in which the midwife told us that it had a lot of antibodies that could help my sister to resist the disease. I never saw breast milk like that. After breastfeeding, my mother was very hungry so I prepared some food for her. I tried to make her porridge although I could not cook at that time. She asked me to buy nuts for her in order to increase the amount of the breast milk. Honestly, I felt really shocked to face this situation but I felt happy as well because I could devote my self for my beloved mother and sister.

My father asked me to prepare offerings in which I did not know how to make it. I was really shocked and confused. Then, I tried to learn in making offerings in my neighbor’s house. Fortunately, she was really kind so I could learn it comfortably. I prepared the material such as: young coconut leaves, cooked rice, Balinese cakes, and some fruits. Stapler was also needed to string up the young coconut leaves. My neighbor guided me to make the offerings so I could make it well. After that, my father and I presented the offerings to God to watch over my sister. I put the offerings on the bed of my sister. We presented it particularly for Sang Hyang Kumara Kumari as God that always keeps every baby in this world from every danger. Actually, it was the first time for me to make offerings and present it to God.

That shocking Sunday gave me an unforgettable experience which I never imagine in my life. I was really shocked when I faced this situation in which I had to help my mother to give birth, treat her and my sister, and make offerings. It was something new for me in which I could learn from the situation that one day, I will be a mother too. From this experience, I realize how the struggle of a mother to give birth her baby. It was really amazing.