Ten types of husbands at the labour ward

A lot of things happen in Kenyan labour wards and if you are not strong enough as a man, you may not be able to endure the situation. From screaming women to people being splashed with water emanating from nyumba ya mtoto, and nurses uttering unprintable words to women who are due for labour, this place is a theatre of all sorts. Here are 10 types of husbands you will find in Kenyan labour wards.

1. The curious

He was driven by a sense of curiosity, the desire to see what really happens at the labour wards and how women behave with the midwives. He has been hearing that women in labour get beatings by the nurses, doctors and gynecologists and so he wants to confirm this physically. He will also be there to know whether the baby is a girl or a boy.

2. The protective

He loves his wife so much that he has to protect her from the preying male gynaecologists he has heard about. He will insist on entering the labour room with the wife just to ensure nothing uncouth happens to her. Once the baby is born, he will be keeping vigil to ensure the baby is not stolen or switched with another.

3. The forced

He is at the labour ward but not out of his own accord. Perhaps his wife had given him an ultimatum and told him he needed to accompany him to the maternity ward like other husbands do for their women. He will be seated there but wondering when this business will end so that he can go back to his usual drinking rendezvous.

4. The idle

Keep Reading

He has nothing to do at home and therefore, his wife’s labour calls are an opportunity for him to go and watch free TV at the labour wards. While here, you will see him chatting and making friends with others in the room. He will also be on the waiting bay, scrolling through his phone and playing games as he waits for that important visitor.

5. The concerned partner

He is that caring, concerned and responsible partner who ensures that everything is done right until his wife is discharged. He promptly takes care of the entire requirement such as baby clothes, tissues, sponges, among other items. He will be there providing moral and physical support to his wife until discharge.

6. The Fearful

He would not want to visit the gynecologist’s room as he is haunted by the big scissors used to cut women’s wombs during delivery. The scenes of women wailing in pain and screaming scare him so much that he opts to go away when the operation is midway.

7. Detective

As he accompanies his beloved wife to the maternity ward, he uses this chance to investigate the happenings in the place. He would want to know whether kids are being stolen at the hospital as alleged in some quarters or if there is extortion of clients by the hospital staff. He will then report any form of misdemeanor to the concerned parties, including the area MP or director of health.

8. The broke

You will see and hear him on phone calls, begging friends and family for money to pay for his wife’s hospital bills. The way he pesters them to send him money makes you who the father of the baby really is. You will hear him say Mama nitumie hapo pesa naitishwa nguo ya mtoto to the amazement of many.

9. Troublemaker

He is always complaining about one thing or another. From the time he and his wife enter the ward, he will insist that the wife had to be admitted even if njia ya mtoto haijafunguka. You will also hear him exchanging words with those in charge and threatening them with dire action if they don’t do their work well. He will also demand that the wife be attended to by a female attendant and not a male gynecologist.

10. Not husband per se

You may think he is the husband of the wife, but in the real sense, he is not. Even the doctor will proclaim “congratulations” only to realise later that the partner is actually the girl’s father. He could also be the brother who just wants to pass himself off as the husband since the girl in question got pregnant out of wedlock.