Huduma Day: Prisca Maina's inspiring 30-year journey as a midwife
Prisca Maina has worked as a midwife for 30 years.
They say if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life and Prisca Maina, a retired midwife, is a testament to this popular saying.
Her journey in midwifery started 30 years ago in 1985. She has worked in various hospitals including Bondeni Maternity from 1989 to 2015.
"When I was growing up, I wanted to be a nurse, which I achieved, but later on I developed a deep fascination for midwifery and as a go getter I went for it and studied midwifery in Pumwani," Ms Maina said.
In her 20s, she apprenticed under an experienced midwife, learning the art of delivering babies with grace and compassion.
Over the years, she has honed her skills and built a reputation for herself.
"My day would start at 7:30 a.m. to get a report on the number of mothers that day and the care each mother needed. In a day, I would attend to no more than 10 mothers," she explains.
According to Ms Maina, she treated each mother differently; for mothers who had no one to accompany them, she and a few other staff members would support them in any way they could.
"I handle each case differently because I receive expectant mothers of different ages. For example, with teenage mothers, I would treat them as my own daughter, empathise with them and teach them basic motherhood skills. It is not easy being a midwife, sometimes we get women who have to deliver stillbirths," she says.
Of the countless babies Ms Maina has helped deliver, she says each birth story is unique and special. Thanks to her job, there are a few things that frighten her.
But she recalls this one incident that did just that leaving her traumatised.
"Once, an elderly mother gave birth for the first time to a baby with encephalopathy, who died a few minutes later because such babies hardly survive. It was the first time I had seen one, and the cry of the mother made me weak," says Ms Mwangi.
Asked if she has ever attended the birth of a famous person, she smiles and reveals that Bondeni Maternity Hospital is responsible for the birth of many children in Nakuru, both famous and ordinary individuals.
"Although my hair has turned silver and my hand is weathered, I would still choose to be a midwife in my next life, but for now I am passing on my knowledge to a new generation of midwives in the hope that the legacy will continue," Ms Maina notes with a smile.
Because of her love for expectant mothers, Ms Maina is currently one of the few retired midwives in Lanet who teaches expectant mothers what to do and what to carry when it is time for them to welcome their bundle of joy.