March News

It is always very difficult when a baby does not survive in birth. Our volunteers often have to deal with stillbirths at Helderberg Hospital. The hospital is a high risk hospital and all complicated pregnancies and births are referred here from Macassar, Grabouw or sometimes even further.

Upon a visit to Helderberg Hospital, we never know what we can come across. Most of the time, our visits are joyful and happy occasions, but sometimes it does happen that we have to talk to a mother who has lost her baby. Obviously all our volunteers don’t feel equipped to handle such a situation and we have realised that there are so many mothers who get no counselling at all. This is not the fault of the staff, the hospital or the church, this is simply a reflection of how busy our local hospital is, the midwives and nurses rush between births plus have to consider the postnatal well-being of mothers and babies, as well as taking care of the sick and premature babies. Getting counselling for berieved mothers (and fathers or grandparents) is often seen as a luxury. That is why we are starting a new project called Babies Born Sleeping. Babies Born Sleeping is being led by Carolyn, who has put together a team of dedicated, loving women who will be on call to counsel mothers that experience stillbirth. We have done a lot of research and now know that mothers are so enveloped in their grief, plus often recovering from a difficult birth that they don’t name and claim their babies, hold their babies and properly grieve for them. This can frequently lead to feelings of regret and depression. Our volunteers offer appropriate counselling to mothers who leave the hospital with empty arms.

Bosom Buddies turns 5!
In February 2006 Melanie Novitzkas and some friends took the first baby bag to Helderberg Hospital. During Mel’s practical training as a doula, she realised the real need of mothers who birth in our public hospitals. They give birth alone, afraid and often without the essentials needed for their new baby.  Bosom Buddies now makes 90 bags per week, filled with a blanket, a set of clothes, some nappies, maternity pads for mom and a product such as cream or soap for baby. We reach 60 moms per week at Helderberg Hospital plus a further 30 at Macassar. We offer our moms skills development in the form of sewing lessons and basic business training. Now we also run Babies Born Sleeping and have other more exciting plans in the pipeline. Happy birthday Bosom Buddies!
   
Bosom Buddies hosts a gala night of Romeo & Juliet at Lourensford   
On Saturday 19 February BB hosted a performance of Romeo & Juliet at the stunningly beautiful Lourensford wine estate. We are grateful to theatre company Carnivals of the Heart who offered us this fundraising opportunity and managed to raise about R1 200. The night was an enormous success with exquisite singing and dancing and wonderful acting. A beautiful tale that remains appropriate even today. The evening was made even more spectacular with the outbreak of a fire very close to the stage area! In those windy conditions it was quite a scary sight, but fortunately our wonderful Somerset West fire department had the fire under control before it could pose any real danger. We salute our local heroes!