BOLD WOMAN: Breaking the silence on pregnancy loss through film

Many know her as Lady Photographer, the phenomenal woman who has built an impressive brand in the male-dominated field of photography.

Her name is Wangui Gichuru and she owns the film and photography company called Lady Photographer. The sole proprietorship has a vibrant team of young passionate professionals and it also offers hands-on mentorship to young women who have an interest in photography, particularly those who have just completed high school.

Lady Photographer helps them know that the cameras are not a preserve of men and that they too can venture and flourish in the film and photography industry.

But behind Wangui’s warm personality, nurturing spirit and sharp photography skills, is a story of pain, child loss and yes, hope.

Prior to her pregnancy in 2017, Wangui had been experiencing severe pain in her abdomen from mid-2016. Spasms of pain accompanied with nausea would strike, often in the dead of night, forcing her to rush to the nearby St Francis Hospital in Nakuru for treatment.

“I would find myself at the hospital almost every other night. I was so frustrated and tired of the pain that I had made peace with the idea of death. In fact, I figured it would rid me of the pain that would at times last for 10 hours straight. At that point, I found death to be appealing.”

MISDIAGNOSIS

She was put on H. Pylori drugs but they were ineffective in easing her pain. After seeking a second opinion at a different hospital and taking a host of drugs, her family felt that it was time to consult a specialist on the issue.

The specialists ordered for a scan and Wangui discovered that she had gall stones. She was yet another victim of misdiagnosis.

“When the gall stones inflamed, they would block the bile duct prompting the severe pain. The specialist also explained that the pain struck at night because inflammation happens when the body is at rest. That meant that all along, I had been taking the wrong drugs and treating a disease I did not even have.”

TREATMENT

Normally, a surgery is recommended to remove the gall stones. In Wangui’s case, however, the doctor felt that a drug prescription would take care of the problem as the stones were few and not very large.

She took the prescription for about six months without any incident and just when she thought she was out of the woods, the pain struck again in January 2017, this time with severe intensity that caused her to be hospitalised for three days.

WRONG DRUGS

On admission, the doctor sought to know if she had been following the prescription.

“I told him that I had been taking the medication and even showed him the drugs we had gotten from the pharmacy. A look of bewilderment crossed the doctor’s face as he studied the drugs I gave him.

"It turned out that the pharmacist had sold us drugs meant to treat renal stones instead of gall stones. I stayed in hospital a while longer and left with the correct medication, which the doctor personally approved.”

For the next three months, Wangui applied herself to knowing all she could about gall stones. She watched her diet, drank plenty of water, exercised and took her medicine dutifully.

PLEASANT SUPRISE
After a while, she started experiencing changes in her body. She would feel worn out and sleepy even after a full night’s rest. She also developed an odd appetite for watermelons and she attributed this to the drugs’ side effects.

Her periods had never been regular and so when she missed them, it did not ring any alarm.

However, as the lethargy persisted, Wangui became curious and she turned to Google for answers. The writing was on the wall, all arrows pointed to pregnancy.

She rushed to buy a home-test kit which confirmed that indeed she was pregnant. She was elated. Finally she had something to smile about and her pain was momentarily forgotten.

“My gynaecologist confirmed the pregnancy. I had been spotting a bit and so he ordered for a scan. That was the first time I saw my baby; I was four weeks, six days pregnant. I shed happy tears as my mindset shifted to the exciting journey that lay ahead of me.

"I began thinking of all the things I would need for the baby. Out of my own volition, I discontinued the gall stones prescription; I did not want to put the baby at risk.”

COMPLICATIONS

After a few days, Wangui’s spotting increased to bleeding accompanied by crumps that sent her rushing back to the hospital.

Several scans later revealed that there was no need for alarm as her cervix was closed. The doctor gave her a few jabs and drugs to help stop the bleeding and placed her on total bed rest before she was discharged from the hospital.

Shortly after, the bleeding resumed and this time Wangui was admitted in hospital for closer observation. A scan revealed that she was having an incomplete miscarriage and that the foetus had detached from the womb.

She suffered the miscarriage on June 5, 2017 when she 11 weeks pregnant.

DEVASTATED

“I was devastated! That was the most difficult news I had ever taken. I was taken to theatre for evacuation and that was the hardest thing for me ever. I was at a maternity ward and the nurses kept asking 'umepata mtoto? (Have you delivered your baby?)' every time they were doing their rounds. This made me die a little more inside.

"The doctor said it could have been because of the drugs, or from hormone problems which I’ve had for a long time. I was later diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) after the miscarriage, which I have been managing ever since.”

SEEKING SOLACE

In the process of coming to terms with the devastating news that she would never hold the baby she had anticipated so much for, Wangui sought solace and support from other women who had suffered a similar plight.

Thanks to the internet, she found support groups such as ‘Still a Mum' and discovered that she was not alone.

Through sharing and social support, Wangui found strength to keep going. It is through her interactions with other mothers that she learnt about Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day that is marked on October 15 every year.

The objective of this observance is to highlight the plight of those who have suffered miscarriage or lost their infants. Most of them sink into depression because of lack of support.

In Kenya and many other parts of the world, women who suffer miscarriages are heavily stigmatised and that only adds on to their misery and aggravates the depression.

GIVING BACK

In 2017, just a few months after losing her pregnancy, Wangui decided to help other women who had suffered a similar plight. She wanted them to know that they were not alone.

She was compelled to give back to the community of grieving mothers.

Armed with a camera and her dedicated team from Lady Photographer, Wangui embarked on a project to document the stories of women who were willing to talk about their loss.

The project was based in Nairobi and it was a huge success.

She later uploaded the documentary on social media and hoped that it would speak to and encourage women all over the world.
BREAKING THE SILENCE

In 2018, Wangui is undertaking the same project but this time in Nakuru, where she will be filming more mothers starting October 7 to the eve of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

She hopes the project will encourage more women to open up on child loss, to break the silence and hopefully end the stigma.

“Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is important because awareness provides comfort for grieving families...In many cases though, particularly with early miscarriages, it can be difficult to determine exactly what went wrong.

"The purpose of this shoot is to shatter the stigma around discussing this sort of loss among parents, bring comfort to women who have been there and to connect those who are grieving with local support networks.”

***

Do you have feedback on this article? E-mail: [email protected]