Lucy Muthoni’s first childbirth experience was when she was about ten. She was a Nairobi girl that spent her holidays in shags with her grandmother – a respected elderly woman that was often called upon to offer support to expectant mothers during childbirth. Lucy, too young to be let into the delivery room, would sit outside making sense of the sounds: a woman in despair, her grandmother’s soothing voice, and a little while later, a cry that started like the mewl of a cat and exploded into a healthy, full-throated yowl.
They were a lot alike, her and her shosh. That is to say, they were both comfortable around people and cared about the well-being of others. After that day, Lucy would spend many more days in the company of her grandmother as she was called on to assist with more deliveries – of both human and domestic animal babies.
Back in Nairobi, at Umoja One Primary School, she was always among the top five in her class. The information dissemination came easy, and whenever a test or an exam was set, Lucy would pass…. ‘with flying colours’. As teachers were fond of informing the Umoja students on career prospects based on their grades, Lucy was told about her future. In it, there were four possible careers: law, architecture, engineering or medicine. A smart girl, she eliminated law (she detested the idea of arguing) and architecture (drawing wasn’t her forte). Engineering and medicine became her options. She completed her primary exams in 1988 and the following year she was one of the form 1s at Pangani Girls High School. The quick pace of things and the nearness to adulthood reminded her of her grandmother. The memory alone told her what she was to become. Yes, she would work into the health sector, but not as a doctor which was what was expected. She would be a caregiver – just like her grandmother had been.
When she was in form 2, Pangani held a career day and several professionals from various fields convened at the school. Among them was a lady in a well-ironed uniform – a local nurse. Lucy was drawn to her composure and smartness. That day, she spent time with the nurse from Kenyatta National Hospital. The moment, though brief, was sufficient for Lucy and she knew then that she was going to be a nurse no matter what.
That year Lucy found a new escape. The school library turned out to be a great resource center to get a head start in her career. The wealth of information within the library gave her an understanding of the grade requirements and the institutions that offered nursing programs. As a good performer in school, she and the people around her knew she was on the road to success – and if she passed, she would be expected to join the university to undertake an undergraduate program. The issue, however, was that the schools that had nursing courses only offered them at certificate and diploma level. Lucy knew that if she passed, she wouldn’t be able to be a nurse and would instead be persuaded into becoming a doctor. This was how she crafted her failure.
Her plan was simple: purposely getting the examination questions wrong. Her overall KCSE grade came to C+ and she was excited to know that she was overqualified (but in a good way) for nursing. But another issue was brewing. At the time, the University of Nairobi set the cut-off grade to study anthropology at 67points – the same number Lucy’s grade had amounted to. While she considered her options, lady luck made work easier. A fortnight after she received news from the university, she was informed that due to the high number of students selected to study the course, the cut-off mark had been raised to 69 and therefore she did not qualify to undertake the course. What came next was simply an application to the Nairobi Hospital’s School of Nursing. Here she studied nursing and midwifery.
The long days and nights paid off when Lucy worked her way into the hospital’s theatres and thereafter maternity wards and delivery rooms for her internship. She met and assisted many expectant women, similar to those her grandmother had catered to when she was younger. This prompted her to join Mater Hospital’s School of Midwifery to specialize in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.When she got pregnant, she had a smooth pregnancy and carried her baby to term with minimal complications. Back at work, having had her own experience, she began to see that urban-based expectant women were misinformed on various aspects of pregnancy. A journey that was supposed to be smooth was considered a daunting process, and Lucy felt inclined to do something about it.
By now you know that she was a researcher, and as she was on maternity leave with her second child, Lucy began drafting a program that would include information on managing labor and birthing process, basics in antenatal care and postnatal care. The chapter that followed involved a leap of faith. Lucy resigned and started Eve’s Mama – a clinic that offers midwifery services to expectant mothers. She built her clientele through referrals and never looked back. With over fifteen years of experience, Lucy is a go-to midwife for several expectant couples in Nairobi. She does regular home visits before and after the baby is born, making sure all the new mums in her client-base get the care they deserve.
The little girl from way back when has followed in her grandmother’s footsteps, taking charge and assuring women that the process of bringing new life into the world should be beautiful.