Pregnant woman swims to hospital to give birth

A pregnant woman from Baraka village amazed her relatives when she chose to swim through a river in Tana River County, Kenya in order to give birth in a hospital.

The new mum, Sadia Mahamud rushed to a nearby health facility when it became clear that her baby was ready to drop.

“I had made it nearly halfway across when a man on the other side of the river noticed me and leaped into the water to assist. The water was up to my chest and was becoming turbulent,” she explained.

She estimated her delivery date was a week away when she started experiencing strange pains. She went to her midwife for a massage, which helped relieve her of the pain. But when it started raining later that evening, the pain intensified.

Sadia said: “While I was sitting in the tent with my aunt, sharing stories and laughter, I suddenly felt a sharp cramp that made me stand. I’m not sure how I managed to leave the tent, but I realised it was crucial for me to seek medical care.”

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She immediately took to her feet and leapt into the river heading to the hospital, leaving those who were accompanying her behind.

While in the river, the cramping pain lessened, so Sadia opted to stay in the river a little longer to avoid feeling much pain.

“The pain was too much, and the water seemed to be a relief, so I thought it would be better to stay inside until it went away, but that was not going to work with the women who were accompanying me”.

Her midwife, Eshah Ismail, who witnessed the entire incident, said that she was scared for the pregnant woman because of the heavy force of the water and the death history of the river.

“The area has a tragic past with fatalities from people being swept away. We were fortunate to have God’s divine protection on that day,” Ismail said.

The midwife revealed that women caught up with Sadia, and with the help of other men, they lifted her out of the raging water.

She delivered a bouncing baby boy, Mohammed Bilal, not long after reaching the health facility.