In an exclusive interview, Namaganda Rovine, a 37-year-old mother of three, shared her personal story about loss.
Namaganda, a soft-spoken woman, shared that during her childhood, she was reserved and not particularly sociable. However, she had a fondness for babies and enjoyed nurturing and feeding them. Instead of playing with her agemates, Namaganda spent much of her time knitting and mending clothes for her siblings, a skill she acquired from her maternal grandmother.
Namaganda, as a university student, spent her weekends babysitting for her older brother and neighbors. With a deep passion for children, she often daydreamed about the joys of motherhood. Shortly after completing university, Namaganda tied the knot.
“It did not take long after university for me to get married, and four months into my marriage I felt feverish, weak and so sleepy. I decided to pay a visit to the doctor’s for a checkup. I was examined and some tests were carried out, within 30 minutes of waiting, the doctor walked in with a smile on his face,” Namaganda said.
“Congratulations, Rovine, you are going to be a mother; you are pregnant,” the doctor said.
Namaganda said she had never been happier in her life. She even said her wedding day paled in comparison to the news she received.
Everything was going so well until approximately the 7th month; a lot of bonding had taken place, and many plans had been made for the baby’s arrival, including shopping, until this one chilly, dark night that would be seared in Namaganda’s memory forever.
“A sudden and intense pain in the lower abdomen jolted me awake, and I was unable to sit or stand still. I was rushed to the hospital and immediately taken to the doctor’s office for an examination,” Namaganda recalled.
Following the examination, the doctor disclosed that Namganda had entered premature labor and that the contractions were occurring with such frequency that the baby was expected to be delivered imminently.
He also informed her that she had lost a significant amount of blood and that she should prepare for delivery.
However, according to Namaganda, she was not prepared for the devastating news that her newborn had been born lifeless.
“Rovine I am so sorry, we did everything we could, but it was too late; we lost the baby. Please take heart,” the doctor said.
According to Namaganda, shock swept away all of her pain. She was numb and strained to articulate her anguish, overwhelmed by emptiness. She was unable to feel anything, like a piece of her heart had been violently wrenched from her chest. She wondered how her dream of having a lovely baby had been cruelly taken away.
Namagada was inconsolable, trapped in a dark hallway, and the only thing that could bring her out of it was her baby, who tragically never had the chance to experience the world outside the womb.
After a three-day stay, she was discharged from the hospital with nothing but grief to bring home instead of the newborn she had hoped for.
Following the miscarriage, family members and friends offered their support with get-well-soon cards. However, some suggested that the best way to overcome the pain was to plan for another pregnancy.
“The notion of replacing a lost pregnancy or child remains a mystery to me to this day. I believe that every child is a unique and precious blessing. It is impossible to replace one child with another.
“Yes, I had other children, and each one is just as valuable as the one that never had the chance to be born,” Namaganda added.
The memories of mothers who have lost unborn babies during pregnancy are indelibly imprinted with the pain of their loss. These precious lives, never given the chance to see the light of day, leave a lasting impact on those who carried them.
As one reflects on the past, it is difficult not to dwell on the memories of what could have been.
As per the National Institutes of Health, a staggering one-third of women have reported experiencing at least one miscarriage (spontaneous or induced) or stillbirth during their lifetime.
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 10 to 20 percent of pregnancies result in miscarriages. The majority of miscarriages, specifically 80 percent, or 8 out of 10 cases, occur during the first trimester of pregnancy, which is prior to the 12th week.
