April 10, 2025 • 65 mins
Meet Vanessa Gyan, a media professional who founded Modern Day Mom Ghana and is the CEO of The Sincerely Vee Foundation. Her life took an unexpected turn when a brief holiday visit to Ghana in 2012 became a permanent relocation. Now, eleven years later, Vanessa shares the powerful birth stories that shaped her journey as a mother of three and launched her mission as a maternal health advocate.
Vanessa's maternal journey spans continents, with her three children's births taking place in New York City, even though she resides in Ghana. While her first two deliveries went relatively smoothly, her third pregnancy revealed the fragility of maternal health when she experienced bleeding at two months and learned she had initially been carrying twins. Complications mounted as her pregnancy progressed, requiring a medical procedure in Ghana before traveling to New York City, where her water broke at just 28 weeks. After weeks of hospitalization on strict bed rest, Vanessa delivered her daughter via emergency C-section at nearly 32 weeks, followed by a month-long NICU stay and significant recovery complications.
These experiences gave Vanessa profound insight into maternal healthcare systems across two countries, but a disturbing reality in Ghanaian hospitals truly transformed her purpose. She discovered that mothers who cannot pay their medical bills are detained in hospitals after giving birth, unable to leave with their babies. Even more heartbreaking, women who have lost their babies during childbirth may be detained in rooms with mothers who have healthy newborns until they can pay their bills.
For nearly eight years, Vanessa's NGO has worked tirelessly to discharge these detained mothers by paying their hospital bills, providing educational resources, hosting free baby showers, and supporting both mothers and fathers through the transition to parenthood. Working primarily with a small team and through community fundraising, she has maintained this vital work consistently, becoming a lifeline for vulnerable mothers.
If Vanessa's story and mission move you, connect with her on Instagram at @vanessa_gyan or Vanessa_Gyan to learn how you can support her maternal health initiatives in Ghana.
Music Credit
https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/catching-up-the-future
https://uppbeat.io/t/bosnow/all-seasons
https://uppbeat.io/t/moire/sunny-stroll
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Stephanie Theriault (00:19):
Welcome to the Maternal Wealth Podcast, a
space for all things related tomaternal health, pregnancy and
beyond.
I'm your host, stephanie Terrio.
I'm a labor and delivery nurseand a mother to three beautiful
boys.
Each week, we dive intoinspiring stories and expert
insights to remind us of thepower that you hold in
childbirth and motherhood.
We're here to explore the joys,the challenges and the
(00:42):
complexities of maternal health.
Every mother's journey isunique and every story deserves
to be told.
Please note that this podcast isfor entertainment purposes only
.
It is not intended to replaceprofessional medical advice,
diagnosis or treatment.
Always consult with yourhealthcare provider for medical
guidance that is tailored toyour specific needs.
(01:03):
Are you ready?
Let's get into it.
Today we welcome Vanessa Jan, amother of three and a
postpartum transition coach.
Vanessa is here to share herthree birth stories and discuss
(01:27):
the birth experience for womenin Ghana.
She helps women who findthemselves in difficult
circumstances after giving birthin the hospital.
Vanessa and I connected throughfamily and friends when I lived
and worked in New York City.
I am excited and grateful thatVanessa has taken the time out
of her busy schedule to sit downand chat with me about her
(01:49):
personal experiences withpregnancy and childbirth, and
the childbirth experiences ofwomen in Ghana.
Vanessa, welcome to the show.
Vanessa Gyan (01:58):
Hi, stephanie, thank you so much for having me.
Thank you so much for having meThank you so?
Stephanie Theriault (02:03):
much for being here.
I was reading your article inAbout Her Culture, titled From
NYC to Ghana why Vanessa JanKnows she Made the Right Move.
I like to begin our episodeswith a backstory so our
listeners can learn about youbefore you became a mother and
the person you are today.
Can you share with us whoVanessa Jan was before you
(02:25):
became a mom of three and whatmotivated you to move from your
childhood home, NYC, to Ghana?
Vanessa Gyan (02:32):
Okay, so before I was a mom of three, I was living
in New York with my family.
My mom, my sisters, my bonusdad Went to school in New York.
I studied TV radiocommunications at Brooklyn
College and I was a working,growing, blossoming woman.
I've worked at everywhere, frompharmacies and, as I got older,
(02:55):
like Century 21 Macy's I was.
I enjoyed working, I've alwaysenjoyed working, so that's
that's always been number one.
I love making my money.
I love making my own money, soI've always enjoyed working, so
that's always been number one, Ilove making my money.
I love making my own money.
So I was always working, evenwhile I was in school.
But I always envisioned, evenwhere I am right now in life.
I envisioned it from a veryyoung age.
(03:17):
I wouldn't say it was going tobe in Ghana, but everything that
I am doing from when I was veryyoung, it was already what I
wanted it to be.
I am a go-getter, I love givingback.
I love my family, I love mytribe.
I love on them really hard.
But yeah, I'm a New York girl.
(03:40):
I wasn't born in New York but Iwas raised in New York from the
age of eight.
So I say I'm a full New Yorker.
Stephanie Theriault (03:48):
Yes, Tell us a little bit about the
decision, why you decided tomove to Ghana.
Vanessa Gyan (03:55):
So it's so interesting because it was never
on any of my vision boards.
It was never a thought in mind.
The last time I had been toGhana, I was about seven years
old and it was for seven, eightyears old, my grandmother's
funeral, and I hadn't been backto Ghana throughout my childhood
, and it was 2012.
It was this hype like come toGhana, Ghana in December, it's
(04:18):
the time, like you're going toenjoy it.
It's like a party central and Iwas like, okay, let me just go
there.
It was supposed to just be aholiday Came for about a couple
of weeks I think it was threeweeks, four weeks and I really
enjoyed myself At that time.
I had already gotten my degree,obviously, at Brooklyn College.
I was already working in themedia space in New York, so I
(04:39):
had the knowledge, I had theeducation when it comes to the
media space, the knowledge, Ihad the education when it comes
to the media space.
So when I got to Ghana, youknow they're like oh, you know,
Vanessa, why don't you see ifyou can get a job here?
Like, why don't you try to makethat transition here?
And I didn't even hesitate.
(04:59):
I was like you know what?
It's a cool idea.
I felt like the media space wasbooming.
It was now evolving in Ghana.
With my experience, why not try?
And if it didn't work, I couldalways go back to New York.
That was never an issue.
So, yeah, that Christmas I waslike, okay, I was introduced to
the owner of a TV station whopromised me a job.
(05:21):
Now, obviously, when someonepromises you a job, you're still
shaky.
Promised me a job Now,obviously, when someone promises
you a job, you're still shaky.
It's like no contracts weresigned.
But I had faith because it wasa family friend and that was it.
I went back to New York and mystuff was packed up and I was on
my way to Ghana to see whatlife was going to look like.
(05:42):
And almost 11 years later, I amstill here Loving life.
Yes, New York is me, but Accra,I think it's something where
you it's 11 years.
I wouldn't say it gets.
I don't know how to.
I'm still.
I love the fast paced life.
That's something that herehere's very slow, Like
(06:03):
everything is dragged, so I tryto keep a balance.
You know, I feel like when itcomes to, let's say, my workers,
I try to let them pick up theirspeed, Because for me, I think
about what if you decide totransition out of Ghana, you
can't have this like slowermentality.
You're going to have to, likeyou know, get things going and
(06:24):
be on the go and really you knowit's slow here, but even in the
slowness there's some type oflike peace.
I don't it's like weird toexplain the balance, but there
is this peace in it nowtransitioning our conversation
(06:52):
into motherhood.
Stephanie Theriault (06:54):
Did you know you always wanted to be a
mom so I always knew I wanted tobe a mom.
Vanessa Gyan (07:00):
Now, did I know I was gonna be?
Did I think, a mom of three?
No, and all my cousins cantestify to this.
I always said I would have onechild.
You know, one child.
It'll be a girl and she'll bejust a mini version of me,
that's you know.
I'm fine with that, but knowthat God had other plans and I'm
grateful because my threechildren are amazing and they've
(07:22):
they've helped me grow into thewoman I am today talking to you
.
Stephanie Theriault (07:29):
Tell us about the first time you found
out you were pregnant.
What did that look like for you?
Vanessa Gyan (07:36):
I was like whoa, okay.
But at the same time I was atan age where I didn't feel like
I cannot take on thisopportunity like this changing
my life.
You know, I knew that it wasthe right time.
It was the right time for meand, yeah, so I was very happy.
You know, I always had thismindset that once I get to a
(07:59):
certain age and a certain pointin my career, the kids will come
and I would be very joyful, itwouldn't be a regret, I wouldn't
feel like my child is comingand now my career is over.
I feel like it fell into placereally well.
Stephanie Theriault (08:14):
So I was happy, yeah, when I found out,
so for your first child duringyour pregnancy, did you receive
the prenatal care in Ghana or inNew York city?
Vanessa Gyan (08:24):
No.
So I did my seven months inGhana and then I traveled out to
New York.
So the seven months I was inAccra it was at a private
facility.
But even in the privatefacility I saw like little gaps
in the system.
And that's because when I wasdoing my many jobs in New York
there was a time when I actuallyworked at a hospital, so I had,
(08:48):
you know, firsthand experienceof how the maternal health
sector was.
Nowhere is perfect, obviously,but I feel like just little
things, like showing compassion,more compassion.
It shouldn't be.
You're just a number.
When you go and see your doctor, you know you should be able to
sit and have a conversation andfeel comfortable.
(09:10):
It could have been just aone-off for me for that first
situation, but even like apamphlet, you know something to
read little like samples of,like diapers, you know those
things.
Little like samples of likediapers.
You know those things.
It excites you, it gives youlike this joy.
You know, I just found it to beso like cold, like there was no
(09:45):
emotion between myself and myhealthcare practitioner, even
though she was recommended aslike one of the best in Accra
and I guess the service itself,her check-in, making sure
everything is good, okay, but Ifelt like there could have been
more compassion.
You know, from my first to mysecond, the compassion did
change.
So I guess, maybe, if that'sjust maybe, that was her
personality, I don't know.
Stephanie Theriault (10:00):
So seven months come along and then you
travel to New York.
Okay, and then, while you're inNew York, are you staying with
family?
Vanessa Gyan (10:26):
GYN there, I think I like Googled, I can't even
remember but someone recommendedI don't remember, but it turned
out he he's from Ghana and youknow, when you go at seven
months, a lot of facilities donot want to accept you because
you're late into your pregnancy.
They usually like you to be apart of the facility for, like
you know, long-term.
But because he was Ghanaian andyou know, you know he saw me as
like, uh, like a daughter.
(10:47):
He was like, okay, you know,we'll take you in.
As long as you have like allyour files up to date, we'll
take you, and I did the lastcouple of months of my prenatal
care there.
Stephanie Theriault (11:00):
For your delivery?
Did you wait to go into laboror were you induced For your
delivery?
Vanessa Gyan (11:05):
did you wait to go into labor or were you induced?
So first time around I waitedand went into labor.
Naturally, I startedcontracting, went to the
hospital.
They're like, oh, you're onecentimeter, Please go back home.
It got worse throughout the day.
I was like I'm going back again, Went back and they're like
you're still one centimeter, butyou're still in the system,
(11:26):
Like they.
They hadn't checked me out, soyou might as well like you can
stay, like whatever, like golet's get her a bed because
obviously she's going to keepcoming back every hour on the
hour.
But also, my mom works atdownstate hospital.
That's where I gave birth, youknow.
Obviously they knew her, sothey made sure I was like
comfortable, but not only me,cause when I see other moms from
(11:50):
the past over the past yearswho are there, they make every
woman feel very comfortable.
So, yeah, I was admitted andyeah, I've pushed through.
It was because we haven'tgotten to the other two, but
this was like the mildestexperience of childbirth for me.
It was.
Even the whole pregnancy wasvery easy.
Obviously, that was almosteight years ago.
(12:12):
I was much younger, but it wasa very smooth pregnancy and a
smooth delivery.
Stephanie Theriault (12:18):
Who was with you when you delivered.
Vanessa Gyan (12:20):
So it was my sister was with me.
So my mom was there for theearly portions, but then she
went home to rest and then mysister came.
She was there.
She cut the umbilical cord ofmy first son.
Stephanie Theriault (12:35):
I love when I have patients and sisters and
mothers.
I love when there's like thatfeminine energy in the room.
It's magical, it really reallyis, it really is Okay.
So you had a nice, smooth firstdelivery.
Did you have an epidural?
Vanessa Gyan (12:51):
I did.
I got an epidural at sevencentimeters, Just couldn't go
anymore.
I was like, ah, just just I,whatever it is you need to do,
to like let me calm down, justdo it.
So yes, I did have an epiduralat around seven centimeters.
Do you remember how long youpushed?
For I pushed, it wasn't long,Okay, Well, I don't know what.
(13:13):
What would you say is long?
Stephanie Theriault (13:15):
I would say like three hours is a long time
.
Vanessa Gyan (13:20):
Okay, no, it was way less.
Maybe it was like from whenthey said, okay, let's go, it
had to be like an hour or less.
Maybe it was like from whenthey said, okay, let's go, it
had to be like an hour or less.
Stephanie Theriault (13:26):
Okay, yeah, do you remember if you were
intact or you had any tearing?
Vanessa Gyan (13:34):
I did rip.
I think they gave me twostitches.
Okay, not bad, yeah, twostitches.
Stephanie Theriault (13:40):
So did you have a boy or a girl?
Vanessa Gyan (13:41):
A boy, aaron.
How much did he weigh?
So did you have a boy or a girl?
A boy, aaron.
How much did he weigh?
He was seven pounds eightounces.
Stephanie Theriault (13:48):
Okay, that's a good, nice, healthy
baby.
And then, how was your recovery?
How long did you stay?
Vanessa Gyan (13:56):
in the hospital, I think it was.
I think it was two days, andthen I went home and recovery
was smooth sailing, in the senseof like I was up as if I hadn't
given birth.
It was really smooth sailingfor me the first time around,
yeah.
Stephanie Theriault (14:13):
Giving birth over here in New York.
Did you miss Ghana, like wereyou ready to get back, or were
you like I want to stay here fora little bit?
Vanessa Gyan (14:23):
You know, in general when I'm in New York I
love being in New York.
I know eventually I have tocome back, but I'm not rushing
to come back.
I soak in all that I can andwith the baby I waited three
months so I made sure we didlike all the appointments up
until three months before wecame back to Ghana.
Stephanie Theriault (14:50):
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How long did you wait beforeyou're like okay, I'm ready to
(16:16):
do this again.
Vanessa Gyan (16:17):
I want another baby a long time it was well.
Aaron is seven and my middle isgoing to be two.
So there's a gap.
There was a huge gap.
And that was more because, youknow, I was a single mom after I
had Aaron.
So you know, I wasn't dating, Iwas just.
It was just me and Aaron.
(16:39):
It was literally just.
I always thought that it wouldjust be me and him for the rest
of our lives and I was very okaywith that.
But again, you know, theuniverse had other plans and
yeah, then I met someone andthen we have our two youngest
now.
Stephanie Theriault (16:54):
When you got pregnant with your second
child, did you already likeenvision you going back to New
York city for the delivery?
Vanessa Gyan (17:02):
Okay, so yes going back to New York City for the
delivery.
Yes, okay.
So yes, yes, there was no doubtabout that.
I knew I would go back.
Yeah, there was no questionabout that at all.
Stephanie Theriault (17:13):
How was your second pregnancy?
Was it similar to your first?
Vanessa Gyan (17:16):
So the majority of it was very smooth sailing.
When I got to New York I didspot a bit which made me very
nervous, but when I went for mycheckup they didn't see anything
wrong.
They said I was fine.
But then obviously now there'sanxiety, like you know, you're
checking every like minute, likeis everything okay down there,
(17:37):
like you know.
But that was the only hiccupduring my second pregnancy was
the spotting, which it was onlyone day and it was very light.
It was like a speck.
But I'm one of those people.
A speck to me is massive.
So I need to go and make sureeverything is okay, even though
my uncle, who is a doctor, whenwe called him he was like I
(18:00):
shouldn't worry, I shouldn't goto the hospital, don't waste my
time.
But I did, I went and luckilyeverything, everything was fine.
But for him they did scrape me.
I was really tired.
At like 36, 37 weeks I wasliterally like I am tired, like
this is too much, and my doctorkept saying don't worry, we'll
(18:22):
do the I don't know the what'sthe term, I forgot what the
where they scrape your membranes.
A membrane sweep, yes.
The membrane sweep, yes.
So he did that at I think itwas 38 weeks and literally I
think it was like three dayslater I went into labor.
Stephanie Theriault (18:40):
I wanted to say, for anyone who's listening
to the podcast and how youmentioned, even a little bit of
blood is a lot.
Always.
Just go get checked right.
Yes, don't put it off, becauseyou just never know and you much
rather go to the hospital, goto your midwife and have them
check you out and say you'reokay, as opposed to waiting and
then you can't take it back ifsomething was genuinely wrong.
Vanessa Gyan (19:03):
Exactly, I absolutely agree.
Stephanie Theriault (19:06):
All right, so you go into labor with your
second.
Are you going back to the samehospital or did you go back to
the same?
Vanessa Gyan (19:12):
hospital Downstate hospital Because my first
experience there was lovely andyou know my mom working there, I
knew I would get, you know, anice room.
You know they give you some VIPcare when you work at the
hospital and my mom's been therefor I think like 20 years Could
be even more.
Yes, so I go there.
(19:32):
They admit me.
I'm trying to remember it wasliterally the same.
Like it's so weird, because myfirst and my second it mirrored
each other a lot, even the timeof birth.
They're both like foursomething.
Even their dates are like weird.
(19:54):
One is like not weird, but myeldest is July 7th 2017.
And then the middle is July 5th2023.
Cause, what are we in 25?
Yes, but um, yeah, I went intolabor and natural I don't
remember if I ripped this timearound, I can't remember.
But um, yeah, I went into laborand natural, I don't remember
if I ripped this time around, Ican't remember.
But yeah, it was smooth sailingalso, yeah, a bouncing baby boy
(20:14):
.
He was also about seven pounds,like eight ounces, seven ounces
, yeah.
Stephanie Theriault (20:20):
And then who was with you for this
delivery, so that one was, Ithink, my mom.
Vanessa Gyan (20:26):
Yes, because I remember Dr Nichols.
He was incredible.
Like he was so incredibleBecause my OBGYN he doesn't come
in to deliver but he has otherdoctors that come in to deliver.
So he recommended Dr Nicholswho was like incredible and I
remember like my mom talking tohim and I remember her being
(20:48):
scared to cut the umbilical cord.
Yeah, so my partner at the timewas in Ghana.
Stephanie Theriault (20:53):
Was your son with your partner at the
time or was he with you in NewYork?
Vanessa Gyan (20:58):
He was in New York .
So I'm that mom, that my kidsare everywhere with me.
Yeah, they're like on my hip,so like if I'm going to deliver,
we're going to take you out ofschool a little early, you're
going to do your school work inNew York, like they'll email it
and we'll get back when we getback.
That's, that's me.
Yeah, I have to.
My eyes have to be on them 24seven.
Stephanie Theriault (21:20):
So you had a nice smooth delivery with baby
number two.
How long did you stay in NewYork?
Vanessa Gyan (21:25):
City.
For him also, it was threemonths.
Yes, yes, made sure he got allhis other shots that he needed
and everything, and then weheaded back to Ghana.
Stephanie Theriault (21:36):
You know I have three kids and I'm just
envisioning you on the planewith a three month old and a
toddler.
Did you have some help or wereyou by?
Vanessa Gyan (21:45):
yourself.
I was solo.
But you wait till the thirdstory.
That's when you're going to belike whoa.
But yeah, no, it was justmyself, aaron and Amir.
My eldest has always been alittle mature, so he wasn't like
any struggle at that time.
My middle was very calm at thattime.
(22:08):
Traveling with the both of themback solo, it wasn't difficult
okay, good, yes, that that helpswhen the oldest.
Stephanie Theriault (22:17):
They's a little interesting.
Vanessa Gyan (22:30):
Interesting is definitely the word to use.
Stephanie Theriault (22:33):
How old was your middle child when you got
pregnant with your third?
Vanessa Gyan (22:38):
He was only three months.
We had like literally justgotten back to Ghana, basically
Maybe a month after July, AugustOK, four months.
And then we found that we'reexpecting again.
Stephanie Theriault (22:50):
How was that for you to realize that you
were expecting so soon afterdelivery?
Vanessa Gyan (22:54):
We had spoken about back to back, but I didn't
know it would be like back toback, like I didn't even get
time to really breathe, yeah andyeah.
So it was like whoa.
But at the same time it waslike, okay, we can get it over
with, and then I'm done.
You know, there was like bothends of the stick.
Stephanie Theriault (23:13):
I hear that that, like you think, okay,
back to back is overwhelming,but I like how you say that Just
do it, have the two kids andthen you're good.
Yes, how was your pregnancywith your third?
Vanessa Gyan (23:36):
Very tough, okay.
So what I forgot to mentionwith the first, because of my
age, they automatically had meon like progesterone, on the
progesterone shots.
I forgot to add that as justlike a safety precaution.
Going into my third, so theOBGYN that took care of me my
second in Ghana is who I went tofor my third.
Okay, because they are afertility clinic.
They deal with older, maturewomen and I felt like, you know,
(23:59):
as someone who was in her latethirties that was very important
.
Someone who specialized in thatso found out I was pregnant and
my OBGYN was just like laughingher head off and but the first
thing she said was let's put youon the progesterone again, just
to be safe.
So she started that on me.
We were fine, everything waslike quite smooth, didn't have
(24:22):
hiccups, until one day inJanuary.
So two days before this, oneday in January, I had a doctor's
appointment and everything wasfine.
I went to an event.
I came back, my mom was in townstill because she comes the
holiday season and we were in myroom just like chatting we're
chatting, like laughing gistingeach other and I kept saying I
(24:44):
feel like I need to do numbertwo, I feel like it and she's
like okay, and then I'm likeokay.
But then when I got up, therewas spotting on the bed and I
was like okay, I started to justhave super anxiety.
Stephanie Theriault (25:02):
Can I ask you how many weeks were you at
this point?
Vanessa Gyan (25:05):
At this point, I this point I was December,
january, okay, so I was probablyjust about two and a half
months, very early.
So I'm like, oh, spotting, ohmy God.
So then I'm like I don't evenknow what to think.
So, as I'm getting up fully andI stand, like it's just clots
(25:26):
coming out and I'm like, oh, myGod.
And my mom is like, oh, mygoodness.
So I'm just standing therebecause I don't know what to do,
you know.
So I call my doctor and she'slike this is odd, because I
literally just saw you but Ineed you to get to the hospital.
And it was around 8 PM and,honestly, if you are in Ghana
(25:49):
and you know our healthfacilities, saying you're going
anywhere to go get checked up at8 PM, it's like non-existent.
Like you can go to a healthfacility and they won't have
there's no one there to takecare of you.
Luckily, where I was going thatevening, the doctor who was on
call, he knew how to scan.
(26:11):
There's even doctors that don'tknow how to like properly scan.
They have someone else come andscan.
That's a whole nother story.
So I'm standing there and atthe same time I'm like talking
to her, but then I'm Googlingpictures to see, oh my God, is
this a miscarriage?
And the pictures look exactlylike what's coming out, like
clots, and I'm like holy shit.
So my partner luckily he camehome that same time he rushes me
(26:36):
to the hospital and obviouslyI'm like destroyed.
I'm like, oh my God, we'vemiscarried.
How could this be?
I don't understand how thiscould be.
We get to the facility and thenurses are just like you know,
don't worry, like let's justcheck first, you know.
So the doctor comes, likewithin like two minutes, we go
into the room, he starts to scanand the sack is still there.
(26:59):
So I'm like, let me breathe.
So now he's like we're puttingyou on extra progesterone.
As it is, the progesteronemakes you very nauseous, it
makes you very lethargic.
But now they're putting me onextra and he's putting me on
strict bed rest until furthernotice.
But a week later I would haveto head back to the facility to
(27:22):
get another scan.
So now I'm on strict bed restwith what?
That time he was like fivemonth old my six year old at the
time and I'm just like I havework to do and I'm just like
super stressed out.
Like what is happening, god,please, like what is happening.
A week later I head to thefacility, my OBGYN does a scan
(27:48):
and she sees like a sack that'shalf empty.
There's one full sack and asack that's half empty and she's
like the only thing this couldbe was that it was twins and one
didn't, you know, didn't stick.
And as weeks went on and I hadto go every week at that point
(28:08):
to get scanned, the other sackjust kept getting smaller and
smaller.
So I was still spotting a bit,but the other sack was fine,
like she was just chilling overthere.
But yeah, so basically it was atwin pregnancy and one didn't
make it.
But we didn't know that priorto this whole thing.
I think she said also at thattime we were doing, I think, the
(28:31):
vaginal scans and sometimes itdoesn't pick up on everything.
But then it came to a pointwhere she was like your cervix
seems to be wide, like it wasn'tlike this the last time.
So I'm suggesting a circlage ohmy God, what a circlage.
Getting that done in Ghana.
Like everything to me was justlike this is.
This is not real Like in Ghana,me get like you know, like
(28:55):
because I work in I do likematernal health work.
There's things that I just forme personally.
I just I'm like in Ghana'm likeshould I risk it, you know,
because I feel like it's stillvery risky.
I spoke to my partner, I spoketo my mom, I spoke to my uncle,
who's the doctor, who's in NewYork, and he was like, you know,
(29:15):
it's a very simple procedureand if they're suggesting it,
you know recommending it, thengo ahead.
And so, yeah, we went ahead andI got the circlage done in
Ghana.
Stephanie Theriault (29:26):
Did you have pain management for the
circlage?
Vanessa Gyan (29:30):
Yes, I did so.
I didn't feel anything for manyhours.
So I was like in the hospitalfor so long because I tried to
get up and my legs, like Ialmost like fell on my face
because I was rushing, Like I'mjust like I want to go home, the
kids are home.
But yeah, I stayed for quite awhile I think it was like eight,
nine hours before like, yeah,everything like wore off and we,
(29:52):
we, we headed home.
Stephanie Theriault (29:54):
Once you were home, were you still on
bedrest.
Vanessa Gyan (29:57):
I was still on bedrest until so.
The bedrest started in January.
They took me off bed rest.
It was like sometime inFebruary, but even that it was
like still be calm.
She kept saying, like V, I knowyou're a hard worker, but
you're going to have to justrelax, don't overwork, don't
(30:20):
overwork, just try to like relax.
So I tried, I tried.
Stephanie Theriault (30:28):
Yeah, it's hard.
Vanessa Gyan (30:29):
It really is, it really is.
Stephanie Theriault (30:31):
So after you had the sarcoge placed, did
you have any more spotting orbleeding?
Vanessa Gyan (30:36):
No, everything else was like smooth sailing.
But of course this anxiety wasjust still in me, because it's
like every day, you just don'tknow.
There was a point where I waslike, should I go to New York
earlier?
Literally ended up making it toNew York just in time.
Stephanie Theriault (30:54):
All right.
So how many weeks were you moreor less when you came to New
York?
Vanessa Gyan (30:58):
So I got to New York at 28 weeks.
Stephanie Theriault (31:01):
Talk to us about why you decided to come at
27 weeks and then like what wasthe trip like for you with
everything that's going on withyour body and the pregnancy and
having your kids, how was thatfor you?
Vanessa Gyan (31:14):
Okay.
So my sister actually flew toGhana to fly back with me to New
York, cause obviously I'mtaking the boys with me also.
And on the flight I thought Isaw spotting and I asked my
sister she's like girl, there'snothing like relax, like relax.
But we get to New York,everything is fine.
(31:34):
And at 29 weeks, or just ending28 weeks, I was home and I just
felt water and I'm like thiscan like I'm just like this is
not real, like am I in a movie?
Like what this is?
Like this is too much for likeone pregnancy.
(31:55):
And it's go to the bathroom andthe water's just gushing out
and I'm like, oh my gosh.
So I'm at my mom's house, but Ilike call her on the phone
(32:15):
because now I'm scared to likeget up and I'm like, oh, can you
please come to the bathroom,because I didn't want to like
give her anxiety as soon asshe's woken up.
Yeah, um, and this was around Idon't want to like give her
anxiety as soon as she's wokenup.
Yeah, and this was around, Idon't even know, maybe like 4 am
.
So she comes and she's and I'mlike, oh my God, like it's like
there's water I don't know if mywater broke so she like wakes
up my stepfather, and she's like, take her to the hospital.
(32:37):
You know she has to go to thehospital now.
Luckily, the hospital wasliterally it's literally two
minutes from the house, so wedidn't have to go far.
And so we get there and they'relike, oh, you've ruptured, we
need you to do like a scan.
So I go do the scan.
I'm trying to like so muchhappened.
I do the scan and they're likethe water around the baby was
(33:01):
very low, so they're going tohave to admit me.
And I'm like, oh my goodness,like I came to enjoy, like the
next few weeks in New York I'mhaving a baby sprinkle, like
that's so much.
And now I'm admitted and whenthey admit you, 99% of the time
they will not discharge you tillyou give birth.
Like downstate is very, veryit's like a lockdown.
(33:25):
Oh wait, my second, sorry, mysecond.
I was admitted for like okay,because I went in for the
spotting.
I was wait, was it the spotting?
No, this is what happened,sorry For my second.
It gave me a shot, a steroidshot.
It slowed down his movement andI got very scared.
(33:48):
Yeah, so I went to the hospitaland I don't, like, I did my
research after the fact of likeit could slow it down, like you
have to give like 48 hours andthe baby just starts to, you
know, start moving around it.
But I was nervous and becauseof that, because he slowed down,
it triggered, you know them,and they admitted me for because
of that, because he slowed down, it triggered, you know them,
(34:10):
and they admitted me for like no, like three or four days and my
OBGYN called, tried to get meout because he was like the baby
everything will start to pickup.
You know the steroid shot isstrong, but they literally were
not letting me out.
Eventually I had to likeadvocate for myself for them to
let me out because he was movingagain.
Like you know, your body whenyou're pregnant, like you know,
(34:31):
like I knew he was fine, yes, soeventually they let me out, but
obviously they let you signlike a waiver that if anything
happens to you, you know youwanted to leave.
So, yeah, that was my second.
Okay, back to the third.
So I get admitted, they scan,they say the water around the
baby is very low.
They admit me and from whenthey and the doctors entered,
(34:54):
they basically let me know likeyou're here until you give birth
.
So just prepare your mind, bodyand soul.
Obviously I was devastated, Iwas like crying.
And then they also had the NICUteam come in, because at 28
weeks you're early.
If you deliver, you know 28, 29, 30, 31, your baby's going to
(35:14):
be in the NICU.
Like this cannot be real.
Like this cannot be real.
But the staff was amazing, as Ikeep saying, very encouraging
(35:37):
For me.
It was like you know to be onbed rest there, where you know
they have to come and like cleanyou up.
Like you like, literally Iwasn't even allowed to go to the
bathroom Like I had to likehave like the little, like what
do you call it?
The little like potty type ofthing, call the nurse, and like
they would lift me to sit on.
That's the strict bed rest theyhad me on because they wanted
baby girl to stay in as long asshe could.
(35:58):
They wanted at least to passthe 30 week mark.
So, yeah, I was, I was justthere.
Every single day my sisterwould come, my mom would come,
like they didn't allow kids tocome.
So, you know the boys, I wouldFaceTime them, I was talking to
my partner, but it was like justthe wildest time of my life,
like I could not believe it washappening, and scary, because
(36:20):
I'm literally like, all right,you hear all these stories like
you hear incredible stories, youknow.
So, yeah, every day you hearall these stories, you hear
incredible stories Every day.
You're just nervous.
Every day, when they would comein, they would check the water,
they're just like, yeah, thewater around her is still very
low.
Yeah, you're just here, you'rejust here.
I'm like, yeah, I'm just here.
(36:41):
They gave me the shots thatwould help her lungs, just in
case she did deliver early.
And then, at almost 32 weeks, Iwas just there.
I was actually with my sisterand one of my good friends and I
could feel some contractions,but I wasn't seen on the monitor
.
At this point, like I knew howto read the monitor and
everything.
Like I felt like I was.
I was a nurse, but I could feelthe contractions but they
(37:04):
weren't showing up.
So when I would tell the nurse.
They were like we don't see it,but I feel something.
Fine.
My sister leaves, my friendleaves, it's about 6 pm and I'm
like, nah, these are definitelycontractions.
Sorry.
Three days, four days beforethat, they took out my circlage,
which was the most painfulthing ever, because they don't
(37:26):
medicate you for that.
Yeah, they literally open yourlegs wide and take the, take it
out and you literally feel everysingle thing.
Luckily, the surplus, I think,was just one stitch, so it
wasn't a lot, but like it was itreally hurt?
It was it really hurt.
So, yeah, I went into, I feltthe contractions, I spoke to the
(37:47):
nurse and I she said that sheshifted the monitor on my
stomach because obviously I'mbeing monitored 24 seven, and
they realized that oh, there arecontractions and they're coming
.
They're coming, you know.
And so my doctors called in andthe doctor that was like well,
you know, when you're admitted,there's like three different
(38:10):
doctors on rotation.
So the doctor that was on callthat evening she came in and she
was like you know, I think youshould call, like whoever you
would want, you know, in thedelivery room with me.
Mind you, she had been breachedfrom when I was admitted A day
before she was head down.
And the morning that Idelivered, that morning, before
(38:32):
my sisters and them came, shewas back to being breached.
So I knew most likely I wouldhave my first C-section.
So they're like call whoever.
And so I call my mom and she'slike well, the boys, like I
can't leave the boys, and you're, you know, your stepdad's not
home.
I call my sister.
She's like okay, I'm actuallygoing to the bar, like she was
going out with her friends.
(38:53):
She was like so, when it's likecloser in time, just call me,
because the bar is literally upthe road from the hospital.
And I was like okay, cool, sothey start to just prep
everything.
You know, prep, prep, prep.
I was one centimeter.
And then I called my sisteragain.
I was like you need to likejust make your way here, because
(39:16):
I don't know when I'm going todeliver.
She did make her way to thehospital in time and by the time
they knew I was 10 centimeters.
And now it's like get her intothe OR.
And now I'm like oh my God,like I, you know, like, because
my first two pregnancies were soI just didn't know.
Like.
I was just like what, I don'tknow how I felt in that moment.
There was like, no emotion butemotions.
(39:38):
It was just like, god please.
Like, just get me out of thissafely, get my child out of this
safely.
Like, like, just get me out ofthis safely, get my child out of
this safely.
Because you could hear thepanic and see it in my doctor's
face the baby's breached, she'sa preemie, she's 10 centimeters.
We need to get this baby out.
They rushed me to the OR and theanesthesiologist comes and I
(40:03):
felt the two first cuts whenthey started, because obviously
you know they're rushing, theyhave to start, and the medicine
it hadn't gotten anywhere in mybody.
I felt the two first and I waslike oh my God, I feel it.
And then I hear theanesthesiologist saying you have
to keep going because you gotto get the baby out, and then
the doctor saying like but shecan feel it, he's like just keep
(40:26):
going.
So he's just pumping me.
And all I remember next is thatI was awake and my first
question was like oh my God,how's my daughter?
And they're like oh my gosh,she's fine and she's at 30,
almost 32 weeks.
She's breathing on her own,she's on the lowest oxygen in
the NICU, the lowest, and that'sonly proportionary measure.
(40:47):
And I was like, oh, my God, howis she?
Is she cute, you know?
You start to like how is shecute, you know?
And they're like she's sopretty.
And I was like, okay, where'smy sister?
And they're like, oh, shewasn't allowed in because it
became like they had to get thebaby out.
We don't have time to call yoursister.
And I was like, okay, buteverything is fine.
They're like, yeah.
And then they, they were juststitching me back up and I was
(41:07):
just lying there and, yeah,eventually they rolled me back
into my room Did you havegeneral anesthesia.
Stephanie Theriault (41:15):
They put you to sleep.
Vanessa Gyan (41:16):
They put me to sleep.
I think at first they weretrying to like, not knock me out
, but because of thecircumstances they were, they
were like yeah, we got to getthis girl asleep and let's just
get things done and she made itto.
Stephanie Theriault (41:29):
You said 32 weeks she made it to.
Vanessa Gyan (41:32):
Yes, just about 32 weeks, 31 and five days, and
she was just under five pounds.
Yeah, so she was kind, she wasquite hefty.
So they kept asking like areyou sure the timeline?
Because they felt like she wasa little bigger for her age and
I was like, well, I'm going,based on Ghana, the one prenatal
(41:54):
appointment I had here.
Stephanie Theriault (41:57):
How was your recovery?
Having that kind of experienceas opposed to two vaginal
deliveries that kind of werelike smooth sailing.
How was that for you?
Vanessa Gyan (42:08):
so okay, so I it was.
I don't even know, becauseshortly after even going home,
my c-section area like basicallythere was like fluids leaking
from the incision.
Yes, so this was about justlike a week after I went home,
because I had already I had seenmy doctor and he said
(42:30):
everything looked fine.
But I well, they told me Icould shower and I could go to
the bathroom, but I think Ishowered too early, like a day
after the C-section.
I think I should have waited itout a bit and just done a wipe
down for some time.
That's what we are thinkinghappened.
But yeah, I oh my God, that wasa nut I got home and obviously
(42:55):
at that time I'm going back andforth to the hospital also
because baby girl is in the NICUand I remember this specific
day.
It was like walking was was liketiring for me, and even when I
went to the NICU, one of thenurses was like like is
everything okay?
And I was like, oh, yeah, she'slike, cause you seem a bit
slower today?
And I was like, oh, everythingis fine.
(43:16):
You know, not knowing there wasa lot going on in my body.
And that evening I was like onthe bed and I just also feel
like like water coming fromthere, and it was like.
It was like.
I was like, like what ishappening?
So again rushed to rush back tothe hospital and, um, one of
(43:38):
the doctors that was therethroughout the time I was there,
he was like let me check andsee what's going on.
And he's like yeah, it's almostan infection, but it's not yet.
So we have to.
You're going to have to comefor wound care every single day.
And I'm like so now I have tobe going to wound care going to
NICU this is like insane.
(43:58):
To wound care going to NICUthis is like insane.
Wound care was like that nightthat he had to even take out.
He took the bandaid off, takeout the gauze, pads, clean and
put.
It was painful.
It was painful and I was likeso now I have to do this.
For how long?
He was like it could be likesix weeks, Like it depends on
the healing process.
(44:19):
And I'm thinking, oh, mygoodness, Okay, All right, Fine,
so.
So then at that point I'm like,okay, I'm just going to go to
stay at downstate, stay at theirclinic, for them to do
everything for me, Like thewound care, the baby's.
Upstairs, I met this incredibleNigerian OBGYN.
(44:39):
Even up until today, like Ichat with her, she is incredible
.
So she realized that day that Iwent that I was not going to be
able to handle that pain everyday of cleaning.
I would not be able to.
And she was like, well, there'ssomething new that she saw one
of her colleagues use and withthat I would have to come once a
(45:03):
week for them to change it out.
And she was like, do you wantme to try it on you?
She's like girl, basicallyyou're my guinea pig, but trust
me, because I wouldn't doanything that I know would not
work.
And I was like I am trustingyou and if it doesn't work,
honey, I don't know what I'll doto you.
(45:23):
So I then started going once aweek for her to like clean it
out.
And it was a different type ofgauze pad that she would insert
and she would clean it.
And then she would, you know,and every every week it would.
Just, it got better and betterand better and it literally took
about eight weeks.
Yeah, so even after, like babygirl was discharged because she
(45:45):
only stayed for 30 days in theNICU, I still had to go, you
know, for wound care.
At the end she used like amatch stick to just make sure it
sealed, like at the likeproperly.
Oh my gosh gosh.
But that took about eight weeksof wound care.
The doctor that delivered me,she claims when she saw me that,
(46:06):
oh, when you rupture and you doa C-section, this can happen at
times.
But I still feel like it was thefact that I was bathing too
early and water got inside and,funny enough, I was talking
about this the other day in thesense of like I didn't show
suffering in my face or of likewhat I was going through.
And I say this because even whenI was going to the NICU, um,
(46:30):
and the nurses they actuallywere like, they loved the fact
that, like I always went inthere with like positive energy,
I would always have likemascara and lip gloss on, gloss
on because I felt like if Ilooked good, I could feel good
and I can give good energy inthe space that I was in, Because
what I was experiencing was noteasy.
It was very traumatic, but Iknew that I had a newborn to
(46:54):
take care of, the boys, to getthem back into they hadn't seen
me for so long also making surethey enjoy the rest of their
trip.
So I never allowed it to show,like no one would be able to see
me and say you've been throughthis, even till today.
So when I even talk about thisjourney, people are quite
(47:14):
surprised because they're like,but you don't look like what
you've been through.
And I said I actually do likethat because there's probably
people who wish I did look likewhat I've been through, but I
refuse, I refuse.
Stephanie Theriault (47:27):
But it was a traumatic experience it's a
lot when you think about this.
Is your third child, who youhad pretty close to your second.
(47:48):
Then you're going through anadmission antepartum.
You're in the hospital forweeks, yes, and you're away from
your partner.
You have an emergency c-sectionand then you're having these,
you're in pain, you have a childin the NICU.
That's a lot on your plate.
Vanessa Gyan (48:07):
It was, it was a lot.
And I think also you know fromday one her name is Amari Rose.
Her prognosis was always sopositive, um, from you know, she
was breathing on her own andevery day, every milestone she
had to meet.
Every single day she met it,which was like it just like
warmed my heart and like I wouldcall in the mornings before I
(48:30):
would go morning and evening.
But then when I started thewound care I was like, okay, I
have to at least just go once aday.
So I would like call in themorning, speak to a nurse, make
sure she's good, and thenafternoon, because this was the
only time out of my threepregnancies that for the first
two months milk was coming.
(48:51):
Like I was lactating.
I'd never my boys I had thehardest time breastfeeding.
So they were both formula babieslike from the beginning.
But baby girl was able to getstrictly breast milk for the
first two months, which made mevery happy because that was very
vital being in the NICU, and sothat I was like okay, the body
(49:14):
just knew like, okay, you'regoing to have to do this for her
because she needs it.
Like, at least because thedoctors were saying at least the
first couple of months andliterally it was the first
couple of months After that, itwas like okay, nothing was
coming.
Like nothing was coming, so shewent on formula.
But the formula was fine alsobecause if I was able to
(49:37):
breastfeed they were still goingto put her on extra formula
because she was a preemie, yeah.
So she ended up two and a halfmonths she started formula and
yeah, she's now, I guess youcould say, a formula baby like
her brothers.
But the first two months I wasactually able to pump enough for
her to be fed every single daywhile she was in the NICU For
(49:57):
the first month.
And then when she came home,yeah, you know, we continued a
bit until I couldn't anymore.
Stephanie Theriault (50:03):
It's amazing to hear how our bodies
just do what needs to be done.
You know, everybody knew thatthis is what she needed.
Vanessa Gyan (50:12):
Yes, yes, it was like wow.
And I also think the nurse wasvery patient with me when it
came to teaching me, you know,how to get the colostrum.
Yes, even though the first dayswere like little drops, she was
like that's fine, you know,just keep going, it's not
pumping, like just.
She taught me how to massagethe boob and then like squeeze,
(50:34):
like very patient with me, andthat really helped a lot the
whole NICU journey.
I praise the nurses so muchbecause they made, they made it
a bit easier.
You know, like on days they sawI was tired, they're like it's
okay, like you could have justcalled and you know we would
(50:55):
have updated you throughout theday.
You know, mommy, you need torest.
You know you do need to takecare of yourself.
You know she's safe with us.
You know she is, you know, butthey just conversations with
them, like they made, they madeit a bit easier.
The support that they weregiving, yeah, and that's why I
keep in contact with most of thenurses that took care of her.
(51:18):
You know, send pictures andupdates so they can see that.
You know, thanks to them, youknow, being a huge role she's,
she's thriving beautifully.
You, when you look at her, youwouldn't even think she was a
preemie, and she's 10 months.
Stephanie Theriault (51:32):
Yeah, were you ready to get back home after
all of this?
Vanessa Gyan (51:36):
I wanted to enjoy a bit more.
I wanted to enjoy New York abit more, which I did, and we
came back in October.
So what it was was she wassupposed to be born in August,
and my plan was actually, thistime around, to just be in New
York for two months after Ideliver, cause I felt like I've
had enough, like I can come backtwo months.
(51:58):
It's fine, but obviously shewas born in June.
So we were there, you know, butwe stayed until October.
So I still got to enjoy a bitand, you know, have time with,
like, my best friends.
But, yeah, I still got to enjoyNew York outside of being a
mother that's what I should say.
I got to still enjoy some solotime with my best friends.
(52:19):
I'm going for dinner, going forbrunch and like, with my sister
and my mom, and then still dothings as a family with the kids
.
And then my partner was in NewYork at a point too.
So, yes, yes, he was able tofly out.
So, you know, I still got toenjoy New York to some capacity.
And it was summertime too, soyou know.
Stephanie Theriault (52:40):
Yes, summer in the city is awesome.
Vanessa Gyan (52:42):
It's so amazing.
It's so amazing, yes, and thenwe came back and I flew back
with the kids all three solo.
Oh my gosh, you are a saint, youknow, and the thing is that.
So I didn't know, I would haveto buy my under no, he was one
at the time a ticket, becausenow I had my daughter who would
(53:06):
be the lap baby.
So, yeah, we ended up having tobuy him a ticket.
But I had her in the sling, Ihad the Duna stroller, so I had
her in the sling, I had him inthe Duna, obviously my almost
eight-year-old he's fine.
And then on the flight the Dunastroller turns into a car seat,
so I had it on the chair and hesat.
(53:28):
My son, the one-year-old, satin the Duna car seat and then I
had baby girl, but where we satthere was also the bassinet
where I could put her in attimes also.
And at that time, like I said,he was calm, he was, he was calm
.
It wasn't too hectic.
Until almost landing it waslike everyone wanted me to hold
them, like she wanted me, hewanted me.
I was like, oh my God, let mehold you both.
(53:50):
But it wasn't as terrifying asI thought it would be.
But once we landed I was justlike, thank you, jesus.
Where's the nanny?
I don't even want to see kidsat this moment.
Let me just give the nanny, thekids.
Let me just breathe.
I can't even imagine.
Oh, it was wow, but I made itand yeah, we're here.
Stephanie Theriault (54:11):
I want to hear about your work as a
postpartum transition coach andhow you got into that, and then
how you're helping women inGhana who've delivered in the
hospital, and how you got intothat, and then how you're
helping women in Ghana who'vedelivered in the hospital and
how you help them to bedischarged.
Vanessa Gyan (54:26):
Okay.
So I became a postpartumtransition coach.
Literally when my daughter wasdischarged from the hospital is
when I took the courses online.
When she would nap, I would goonline, do all my reading, take
all my tests, like 3 am feeds.
That's when I was still reading, doing my tests, and I felt
(54:46):
like this was the right timebecause I was already doing the
work.
I was already doing thecoaching for the past seven
years through my NGO, but Iwanted to become certified.
I wanted it to be more on paper.
So that was just recent.
That was last year, but itstems from almost eight years
(55:10):
ago.
You know my prenatal here, whatI saw the gap in the system and
wanting to do something more formothers in Ghana.
And when my son was threemonths and we came back while I
was away, I was contactingdifferent moms and mommy groups
like their experience of givingbirth in Ghana.
These are moms that were likeborn and raised in Ghana and I
(55:32):
was like I was taken aback and Iwas like, yes, definitely need
to do something.
I don't know what I want to do,but I just want to give back, I
want to.
I want like speakers, like Ijust had this whole vision of
what I wanted, but I didn't knowexactly what it would look like
.
I bought a lot of like beautyproducts.
I knew I wanted to give giftbags and I knew there was going
(55:53):
to be an event.
So, while away, after I had myfirst, I set up.
This whole event was in contactwith hospitals.
After I had my first, I set upthis whole event was in contact
with hospitals.
People connected me tohospitals and so we ended up
connecting with Ridge Hospital,which is in Accra, and that's
where we held our first event.
We had speakers from moms tohealth workers speaking to the
(56:21):
moms and the importance ofprenatal, postnatal care, you
know, taking care of yourself,taking care of baby.
We gave them gifts and that wasmy first experience of like a
mom coming and saying, you know,I'm admitted upstairs and I
don't have money to go home withmy baby.
And I was like what?
Like I've read it briefly, butlike, so, this is like, like
it's real.
So we gathered funds rightthere myself and the speakers
(56:44):
and we paid her bill and shewent home.
And that's when I startedasking like so are there more
moms?
And they're like yeah, there'sa, there's a lot more moms.
This is like a normal thing.
And I'm like, no, this is notnormal.
Like it is not normal for youknow, and some of the moms is
like six moms in a room there'sno beds, like there'll be like
(57:05):
three beds, and the other momsare like on the floor with their
babies, and so it was like no,we, we got to do our best.
Like, obviously we can't savethe whole of Ghana, but whatever
we can do, we will do so yearround.
You know, we raise funds and wedischarge patients from various
hospitals.
Now, social workers have mynumber so they do call me when
(57:27):
they need the assistance.
We hold baby showers for free,and that was something also that
was very like oh my God, babyshower, because our culture is
very like hide your pregnancy,do not celebrate your pregnancy
until after.
But you know, I grew up outside, I grew up in the Western world
and we love to celebrate.
(57:48):
You know, we love baby showers.
When I threw the first babyshower, the moms were just so
excited.
Then they were like we're goingto keep getting pregnant so you
can have more baby showers forus, and I was like, no, no, no,
no.
But yeah, we host baby showers,we host educational sessions.
We pay for the bills of themoms who you know are
(58:10):
financially, you know,distressed, and we also host the
fathers in the sense ofeducating them.
Also, we don't leave the dadsout, find it very important that
they are right there, becausethere are circumstances where
the mom is there and the man hasjust disappeared and she, like,
literally never sees him again,you know.
But then we also try to lendour support to those women also,
(58:33):
and this all stems from, yeah,my first pregnancy and being in
a private facility and seeingthe gaps, I was like, what about
a public facility, like thegovernment facilities must be,
like, if I'm getting thisprivately and I'm paying so much
?
Imagine, you know.
And yeah, so this year will beeight years.
We have a huge event in Julythat I'm excited about.
(58:54):
You know, last year we had toslow things down because I was
pregnant.
The year before we had to slowthings down because I was
pregnant.
The year before we had to slowthings down because I was
pregnant.
So we are coming back biggerand better and, yeah, so July,
we have a clinic that we've beenworking with for the past three
years and this is the lastshebang, because we have to move
.
Usually we choose a differentclinic every year, but they've
(59:16):
needed our help and I justcouldn't say no.
But now, july, we're going tohave a massive event for them
with food music.
An NGO from the States has comeon board.
We're going to be doing healthscreenings for them.
Everything is for free and I'vebeen trying to raise funds to
get a few medical devices forthem, and that's been quite
(59:39):
difficult because they're veryexpensive.
But this clinic specifically,they provide excellent care for
the community.
If they have these devices thatthey need, they can do so much
more.
So I'm still working on thatfor them.
Stephanie Theriault (59:54):
What devices are you trying to get
for them, so like an?
Vanessa Gyan (59:58):
incubator.
So they have a makeshiftincubator that one of the nurses
made with like a lamp, andthat's what they've still been
using for the past three years.
I don't know how they do it,but I did promise them an
incubator.
I have to, even if it's not likein July.
I definitely have to make sureyou know I get it for them
because, like, like I said, thestaff they're well equipped but
(01:00:21):
without you know the equipment,like, the staff themselves are
very good at what they do, butthe lack of equipment doesn't
allow them to work at their fullcapacity.
Stephanie Theriault (01:00:31):
I see.
Vanessa Gyan (01:00:33):
Yeah, yeah, we've been doing it for almost eight
years.
I say we as if it's like a bigteam.
It's literally myself and Ihave a friend called Kojo.
He comes on board when it'salmost time for the events and,
yeah, I just reach out.
In the beginning I wasfinancing it myself with my
family and, as time has gone on,I do the GoFund or I go on
(01:00:55):
social media like Twitter andI'll you know this is what's
happening, who can help?
And then some of the likeMalcolm is one of our biggest
neighborhood grocery stores.
They've come on board beforeGandoor Cosmetics.
They come on board every yearwith like tons of products, baby
products and mommy products.
(01:01:16):
So, yeah, we're just.
You know, we're always seekingsupport because it's not easy
and I'm honestly when I not tolike brag, but I think we are
the only NGO that has been doingthis consistently.
People get up and do it, maybefor their birthdays, like okay,
let me go and pay hospital bills, which is like incredible, but
we have been doing itconsistently for October
(01:01:39):
November will be eight years.
Stephanie Theriault (01:01:41):
Wow, yeah, yeah.
For those who are listening tothe episode and if they want to
support you and your cause, howcan they find you and get more
information?
Vanessa Gyan (01:01:53):
Okay, so I'm on social media Twitter, facebook,
instagram Vanessa Jan.
So if it's Instagram is atVanessa V-A-N-E-S-S-A,
underscore G-Y-A-N.
Instagram would be best becauseI see the messages right away
and I can give all the info thatis needed.
(01:02:14):
Supporting my maternal healthawareness initiative.
Stephanie Theriault (01:02:17):
We will have all your social media when
it's released and if anyonewants to reach out and help for
a good cause, this is one tosupport.
I can't even imagine being inthat situation and not being
able to go home with your childand, I think, or not being able
to go home period.
Vanessa Gyan (01:02:36):
And even sorry to cut you, there's been
circumstances where a mom haslost her baby during delivery
and you know she's detained.
They don't let her go home andthey place her in a room with
other moms who have deliveredsafely and with their babies.
I remember that day when we sawit the first time.
I was like this is like who can, who can, even like.
(01:02:58):
I didn't even understand, Icouldn't, the pain.
I I'm even speechless.
I was just like so she was.
When we saw that she was likeon the top of the list, like
even if she was the only one wewould have discharged that day,
depending on the cost, I wouldhave made sure she went home.
Stephanie Theriault (01:03:16):
You're right, there's no words.
I just he went home.
You're right, there's no words,I just it really hearing that
heart.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, thank you for doing whatyou do and thank you for helping
these women, and personally,from one mom to another.
I want to thank you for takingyour time to come and chat with
me and to share your story, tobring more awareness of what is
(01:03:39):
going on with the woman, andit's been an absolute pleasure.
Thank you.
Vanessa Gyan (01:03:46):
Thank you so much for this opportunity.
I'm really excited to hear thefinal edits and, of course, to
my cousin-in-law for introducingus.
I'm so grateful.
It's funny because top of theyear one of the things on my
list was to speak on what I doon an international platform and
(01:04:06):
specifically an internationalpodcast.
So I get to check that off thelist for this year already.
So I'm just really grateful.
I enjoy I think you can tell Ijust enjoy talking about, you
know, being a mom and myexperience and you know,
relocating and all of it.
It's a pleasure being able tospeak to you.
Stephanie Theriault (01:04:25):
Thank you so much.
I will be in touch.
You should send me the dateswhen you're in New York City so
we can get like a little familymeetup oh that would be really
fun, definitely will.
(01:04:50):
Thank you for listening.
Be sure to check out our socialmedia.
All links are provided in theepisode description.
We're excited to have you here.
Please give us a follow If youor someone you know would like
(01:05:15):
to be a guest on the show.
Reach out to us via email atinfo at maternalwealthcom.
And remember stay healthy,embrace your power, and you got
this.
Welcome to the Maternal Wealth Podcast, a
space for all things related tomaternal health, pregnancy and
beyond.
I'm your host, stephanie Terrio.
I'm a labor and delivery nurseand a mother to three beautiful
boys.
Each week, we dive intoinspiring stories and expert
insights to remind us of thepower that you hold in
childbirth and motherhood.
We're here to explore the joys,the challenges and the
(00:42):
complexities of maternal health.
Every mother's journey isunique and every story deserves
to be told.
Please note that this podcast isfor entertainment purposes only
.
It is not intended to replaceprofessional medical advice,
diagnosis or treatment.
Always consult with yourhealthcare provider for medical
guidance that is tailored toyour specific needs.
(01:03):
Are you ready?
Let's get into it.
Today we welcome Vanessa Jan, amother of three and a
postpartum transition coach.
Vanessa is here to share herthree birth stories and discuss
(01:27):
the birth experience for womenin Ghana.
She helps women who findthemselves in difficult
circumstances after giving birthin the hospital.
Vanessa and I connected throughfamily and friends when I lived
and worked in New York City.
I am excited and grateful thatVanessa has taken the time out
of her busy schedule to sit downand chat with me about her
(01:49):
personal experiences withpregnancy and childbirth, and
the childbirth experiences ofwomen in Ghana.
Vanessa, welcome to the show.
Vanessa Gyan (01:58):
Hi, stephanie, thank you so much for having me.
Thank you so much for having meThank you so?
Stephanie Theriault (02:03):
much for being here.
I was reading your article inAbout Her Culture, titled From
NYC to Ghana why Vanessa JanKnows she Made the Right Move.
I like to begin our episodeswith a backstory so our
listeners can learn about youbefore you became a mother and
the person you are today.
Can you share with us whoVanessa Jan was before you
(02:25):
became a mom of three and whatmotivated you to move from your
childhood home, NYC, to Ghana?
Vanessa Gyan (02:32):
Okay, so before I was a mom of three, I was living
in New York with my family.
My mom, my sisters, my bonusdad Went to school in New York.
I studied TV radiocommunications at Brooklyn
College and I was a working,growing, blossoming woman.
I've worked at everywhere, frompharmacies and, as I got older,
(02:55):
like Century 21 Macy's I was.
I enjoyed working, I've alwaysenjoyed working, so that's
that's always been number one.
I love making my money.
I love making my own money, soI've always enjoyed working, so
that's always been number one, Ilove making my money.
I love making my own money.
So I was always working, evenwhile I was in school.
But I always envisioned, evenwhere I am right now in life.
I envisioned it from a veryyoung age.
(03:17):
I wouldn't say it was going tobe in Ghana, but everything that
I am doing from when I was veryyoung, it was already what I
wanted it to be.
I am a go-getter, I love givingback.
I love my family, I love mytribe.
I love on them really hard.
But yeah, I'm a New York girl.
(03:40):
I wasn't born in New York but Iwas raised in New York from the
age of eight.
So I say I'm a full New Yorker.
Stephanie Theriault (03:48):
Yes, Tell us a little bit about the
decision, why you decided tomove to Ghana.
Vanessa Gyan (03:55):
So it's so interesting because it was never
on any of my vision boards.
It was never a thought in mind.
The last time I had been toGhana, I was about seven years
old and it was for seven, eightyears old, my grandmother's
funeral, and I hadn't been backto Ghana throughout my childhood
, and it was 2012.
It was this hype like come toGhana, Ghana in December, it's
(04:18):
the time, like you're going toenjoy it.
It's like a party central and Iwas like, okay, let me just go
there.
It was supposed to just be aholiday Came for about a couple
of weeks I think it was threeweeks, four weeks and I really
enjoyed myself At that time.
I had already gotten my degree,obviously, at Brooklyn College.
I was already working in themedia space in New York, so I
(04:39):
had the knowledge, I had theeducation when it comes to the
media space, the knowledge, Ihad the education when it comes
to the media space.
So when I got to Ghana, youknow they're like oh, you know,
Vanessa, why don't you see ifyou can get a job here?
Like, why don't you try to makethat transition here?
And I didn't even hesitate.
(04:59):
I was like you know what?
It's a cool idea.
I felt like the media space wasbooming.
It was now evolving in Ghana.
With my experience, why not try?
And if it didn't work, I couldalways go back to New York.
That was never an issue.
So, yeah, that Christmas I waslike, okay, I was introduced to
the owner of a TV station whopromised me a job.
(05:21):
Now, obviously, when someonepromises you a job, you're still
shaky.
Promised me a job Now,obviously, when someone promises
you a job, you're still shaky.
It's like no contracts weresigned.
But I had faith because it wasa family friend and that was it.
I went back to New York and mystuff was packed up and I was on
my way to Ghana to see whatlife was going to look like.
(05:42):
And almost 11 years later, I amstill here Loving life.
Yes, New York is me, but Accra,I think it's something where
you it's 11 years.
I wouldn't say it gets.
I don't know how to.
I'm still.
I love the fast paced life.
That's something that herehere's very slow, Like
(06:03):
everything is dragged, so I tryto keep a balance.
You know, I feel like when itcomes to, let's say, my workers,
I try to let them pick up theirspeed, Because for me, I think
about what if you decide totransition out of Ghana, you
can't have this like slowermentality.
You're going to have to, likeyou know, get things going and
(06:24):
be on the go and really you knowit's slow here, but even in the
slowness there's some type oflike peace.
I don't it's like weird toexplain the balance, but there
is this peace in it nowtransitioning our conversation
(06:52):
into motherhood.
Stephanie Theriault (06:54):
Did you know you always wanted to be a
mom so I always knew I wanted tobe a mom.
Vanessa Gyan (07:00):
Now, did I know I was gonna be?
Did I think, a mom of three?
No, and all my cousins cantestify to this.
I always said I would have onechild.
You know, one child.
It'll be a girl and she'll bejust a mini version of me,
that's you know.
I'm fine with that, but knowthat God had other plans and I'm
grateful because my threechildren are amazing and they've
(07:22):
they've helped me grow into thewoman I am today talking to you
.
Stephanie Theriault (07:29):
Tell us about the first time you found
out you were pregnant.
What did that look like for you?
Vanessa Gyan (07:36):
I was like whoa, okay.
But at the same time I was atan age where I didn't feel like
I cannot take on thisopportunity like this changing
my life.
You know, I knew that it wasthe right time.
It was the right time for meand, yeah, so I was very happy.
You know, I always had thismindset that once I get to a
(07:59):
certain age and a certain pointin my career, the kids will come
and I would be very joyful, itwouldn't be a regret, I wouldn't
feel like my child is comingand now my career is over.
I feel like it fell into placereally well.
Stephanie Theriault (08:14):
So I was happy, yeah, when I found out,
so for your first child duringyour pregnancy, did you receive
the prenatal care in Ghana or inNew York city?
Vanessa Gyan (08:24):
No.
So I did my seven months inGhana and then I traveled out to
New York.
So the seven months I was inAccra it was at a private
facility.
But even in the privatefacility I saw like little gaps
in the system.
And that's because when I wasdoing my many jobs in New York
there was a time when I actuallyworked at a hospital, so I had,
(08:48):
you know, firsthand experienceof how the maternal health
sector was.
Nowhere is perfect, obviously,but I feel like just little
things, like showing compassion,more compassion.
It shouldn't be.
You're just a number.
When you go and see your doctor, you know you should be able to
sit and have a conversation andfeel comfortable.
(09:10):
It could have been just aone-off for me for that first
situation, but even like apamphlet, you know something to
read little like samples of,like diapers, you know those
things.
Little like samples of likediapers.
You know those things.
It excites you, it gives youlike this joy.
You know, I just found it to beso like cold, like there was no
(09:45):
emotion between myself and myhealthcare practitioner, even
though she was recommended aslike one of the best in Accra
and I guess the service itself,her check-in, making sure
everything is good, okay, but Ifelt like there could have been
more compassion.
You know, from my first to mysecond, the compassion did
change.
So I guess, maybe, if that'sjust maybe, that was her
personality, I don't know.
Stephanie Theriault (10:00):
So seven months come along and then you
travel to New York.
Okay, and then, while you're inNew York, are you staying with
family?
Vanessa Gyan (10:26):
GYN there, I think I like Googled, I can't even
remember but someone recommendedI don't remember, but it turned
out he he's from Ghana and youknow, when you go at seven
months, a lot of facilities donot want to accept you because
you're late into your pregnancy.
They usually like you to be apart of the facility for, like
you know, long-term.
But because he was Ghanaian andyou know, you know he saw me as
like, uh, like a daughter.
(10:47):
He was like, okay, you know,we'll take you in.
As long as you have like allyour files up to date, we'll
take you, and I did the lastcouple of months of my prenatal
care there.
Stephanie Theriault (11:00):
For your delivery?
Did you wait to go into laboror were you induced For your
delivery?
Vanessa Gyan (11:05):
did you wait to go into labor or were you induced?
So first time around I waitedand went into labor.
Naturally, I startedcontracting, went to the
hospital.
They're like, oh, you're onecentimeter, Please go back home.
It got worse throughout the day.
I was like I'm going back again, Went back and they're like
you're still one centimeter, butyou're still in the system,
(11:26):
Like they.
They hadn't checked me out, soyou might as well like you can
stay, like whatever, like golet's get her a bed because
obviously she's going to keepcoming back every hour on the
hour.
But also, my mom works atdownstate hospital.
That's where I gave birth, youknow.
Obviously they knew her, sothey made sure I was like
comfortable, but not only me,cause when I see other moms from
(11:50):
the past over the past yearswho are there, they make every
woman feel very comfortable.
So, yeah, I was admitted andyeah, I've pushed through.
It was because we haven'tgotten to the other two, but
this was like the mildestexperience of childbirth for me.
It was.
Even the whole pregnancy wasvery easy.
Obviously, that was almosteight years ago.
(12:12):
I was much younger, but it wasa very smooth pregnancy and a
smooth delivery.
Stephanie Theriault (12:18):
Who was with you when you delivered.
Vanessa Gyan (12:20):
So it was my sister was with me.
So my mom was there for theearly portions, but then she
went home to rest and then mysister came.
She was there.
She cut the umbilical cord ofmy first son.
Stephanie Theriault (12:35):
I love when I have patients and sisters and
mothers.
I love when there's like thatfeminine energy in the room.
It's magical, it really reallyis, it really is Okay.
So you had a nice, smooth firstdelivery.
Did you have an epidural?
Vanessa Gyan (12:51):
I did.
I got an epidural at sevencentimeters, Just couldn't go
anymore.
I was like, ah, just just I,whatever it is you need to do,
to like let me calm down, justdo it.
So yes, I did have an epiduralat around seven centimeters.
Do you remember how long youpushed?
For I pushed, it wasn't long,Okay, Well, I don't know what.
(13:13):
What would you say is long?
Stephanie Theriault (13:15):
I would say like three hours is a long time
.
Vanessa Gyan (13:20):
Okay, no, it was way less.
Maybe it was like from whenthey said, okay, let's go, it
had to be like an hour or less.
Maybe it was like from whenthey said, okay, let's go, it
had to be like an hour or less.
Stephanie Theriault (13:26):
Okay, yeah, do you remember if you were
intact or you had any tearing?
Vanessa Gyan (13:34):
I did rip.
I think they gave me twostitches.
Okay, not bad, yeah, twostitches.
Stephanie Theriault (13:40):
So did you have a boy or a girl?
Vanessa Gyan (13:41):
A boy, aaron.
How much did he weigh?
So did you have a boy or a girl?
A boy, aaron.
How much did he weigh?
He was seven pounds eightounces.
Stephanie Theriault (13:48):
Okay, that's a good, nice, healthy
baby.
And then, how was your recovery?
How long did you stay?
Vanessa Gyan (13:56):
in the hospital, I think it was.
I think it was two days, andthen I went home and recovery
was smooth sailing, in the senseof like I was up as if I hadn't
given birth.
It was really smooth sailingfor me the first time around,
yeah.
Stephanie Theriault (14:13):
Giving birth over here in New York.
Did you miss Ghana, like wereyou ready to get back, or were
you like I want to stay here fora little bit?
Vanessa Gyan (14:23):
You know, in general when I'm in New York I
love being in New York.
I know eventually I have tocome back, but I'm not rushing
to come back.
I soak in all that I can andwith the baby I waited three
months so I made sure we didlike all the appointments up
until three months before wecame back to Ghana.
Stephanie Theriault (14:50):
We paused this episode for a quick message
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all of which can directly affectyour birth experience and
outcome.
How long did you wait beforeyou're like okay, I'm ready to
(16:16):
do this again.
Vanessa Gyan (16:17):
I want another baby a long time it was well.
Aaron is seven and my middle isgoing to be two.
So there's a gap.
There was a huge gap.
And that was more because, youknow, I was a single mom after I
had Aaron.
So you know, I wasn't dating, Iwas just.
It was just me and Aaron.
(16:39):
It was literally just.
I always thought that it wouldjust be me and him for the rest
of our lives and I was very okaywith that.
But again, you know, theuniverse had other plans and
yeah, then I met someone andthen we have our two youngest
now.
Stephanie Theriault (16:54):
When you got pregnant with your second
child, did you already likeenvision you going back to New
York city for the delivery?
Vanessa Gyan (17:02):
Okay, so yes going back to New York City for the
delivery.
Yes, okay.
So yes, yes, there was no doubtabout that.
I knew I would go back.
Yeah, there was no questionabout that at all.
Stephanie Theriault (17:13):
How was your second pregnancy?
Was it similar to your first?
Vanessa Gyan (17:16):
So the majority of it was very smooth sailing.
When I got to New York I didspot a bit which made me very
nervous, but when I went for mycheckup they didn't see anything
wrong.
They said I was fine.
But then obviously now there'sanxiety, like you know, you're
checking every like minute, likeis everything okay down there,
(17:37):
like you know.
But that was the only hiccupduring my second pregnancy was
the spotting, which it was onlyone day and it was very light.
It was like a speck.
But I'm one of those people.
A speck to me is massive.
So I need to go and make sureeverything is okay, even though
my uncle, who is a doctor, whenwe called him he was like I
(18:00):
shouldn't worry, I shouldn't goto the hospital, don't waste my
time.
But I did, I went and luckilyeverything, everything was fine.
But for him they did scrape me.
I was really tired.
At like 36, 37 weeks I wasliterally like I am tired, like
this is too much, and my doctorkept saying don't worry, we'll
(18:22):
do the I don't know the what'sthe term, I forgot what the
where they scrape your membranes.
A membrane sweep, yes.
The membrane sweep, yes.
So he did that at I think itwas 38 weeks and literally I
think it was like three dayslater I went into labor.
Stephanie Theriault (18:40):
I wanted to say, for anyone who's listening
to the podcast and how youmentioned, even a little bit of
blood is a lot.
Always.
Just go get checked right.
Yes, don't put it off, becauseyou just never know and you much
rather go to the hospital, goto your midwife and have them
check you out and say you'reokay, as opposed to waiting and
then you can't take it back ifsomething was genuinely wrong.
Vanessa Gyan (19:03):
Exactly, I absolutely agree.
Stephanie Theriault (19:06):
All right, so you go into labor with your
second.
Are you going back to the samehospital or did you go back to
the same?
Vanessa Gyan (19:12):
hospital Downstate hospital Because my first
experience there was lovely andyou know my mom working there, I
knew I would get, you know, anice room.
You know they give you some VIPcare when you work at the
hospital and my mom's been therefor I think like 20 years Could
be even more.
Yes, so I go there.
(19:32):
They admit me.
I'm trying to remember it wasliterally the same.
Like it's so weird, because myfirst and my second it mirrored
each other a lot, even the timeof birth.
They're both like foursomething.
Even their dates are like weird.
(19:54):
One is like not weird, but myeldest is July 7th 2017.
And then the middle is July 5th2023.
Cause, what are we in 25?
Yes, but um, yeah, I went intolabor and natural I don't
remember if I ripped this timearound, I can't remember.
But um, yeah, I went into laborand natural, I don't remember
if I ripped this time around, Ican't remember.
But yeah, it was smooth sailingalso, yeah, a bouncing baby boy
(20:14):
.
He was also about seven pounds,like eight ounces, seven ounces
, yeah.
Stephanie Theriault (20:20):
And then who was with you for this
delivery, so that one was, Ithink, my mom.
Vanessa Gyan (20:26):
Yes, because I remember Dr Nichols.
He was incredible.
Like he was so incredibleBecause my OBGYN he doesn't come
in to deliver but he has otherdoctors that come in to deliver.
So he recommended Dr Nicholswho was like incredible and I
remember like my mom talking tohim and I remember her being
(20:48):
scared to cut the umbilical cord.
Yeah, so my partner at the timewas in Ghana.
Stephanie Theriault (20:53):
Was your son with your partner at the
time or was he with you in NewYork?
Vanessa Gyan (20:58):
He was in New York .
So I'm that mom, that my kidsare everywhere with me.
Yeah, they're like on my hip,so like if I'm going to deliver,
we're going to take you out ofschool a little early, you're
going to do your school work inNew York, like they'll email it
and we'll get back when we getback.
That's, that's me.
Yeah, I have to.
My eyes have to be on them 24seven.
Stephanie Theriault (21:20):
So you had a nice smooth delivery with baby
number two.
How long did you stay in NewYork?
Vanessa Gyan (21:25):
City.
For him also, it was threemonths.
Yes, yes, made sure he got allhis other shots that he needed
and everything, and then weheaded back to Ghana.
Stephanie Theriault (21:36):
You know I have three kids and I'm just
envisioning you on the planewith a three month old and a
toddler.
Did you have some help or wereyou by?
Vanessa Gyan (21:45):
yourself.
I was solo.
But you wait till the thirdstory.
That's when you're going to belike whoa.
But yeah, no, it was justmyself, aaron and Amir.
My eldest has always been alittle mature, so he wasn't like
any struggle at that time.
My middle was very calm at thattime.
(22:08):
Traveling with the both of themback solo, it wasn't difficult
okay, good, yes, that that helpswhen the oldest.
Stephanie Theriault (22:17):
They's a little interesting.
Vanessa Gyan (22:30):
Interesting is definitely the word to use.
Stephanie Theriault (22:33):
How old was your middle child when you got
pregnant with your third?
Vanessa Gyan (22:38):
He was only three months.
We had like literally justgotten back to Ghana, basically
Maybe a month after July, AugustOK, four months.
And then we found that we'reexpecting again.
Stephanie Theriault (22:50):
How was that for you to realize that you
were expecting so soon afterdelivery?
Vanessa Gyan (22:54):
We had spoken about back to back, but I didn't
know it would be like back toback, like I didn't even get
time to really breathe, yeah andyeah.
So it was like whoa.
But at the same time it waslike, okay, we can get it over
with, and then I'm done.
You know, there was like bothends of the stick.
Stephanie Theriault (23:13):
I hear that that, like you think, okay,
back to back is overwhelming,but I like how you say that Just
do it, have the two kids andthen you're good.
Yes, how was your pregnancywith your third?
Vanessa Gyan (23:36):
Very tough, okay.
So what I forgot to mentionwith the first, because of my
age, they automatically had meon like progesterone, on the
progesterone shots.
I forgot to add that as justlike a safety precaution.
Going into my third, so theOBGYN that took care of me my
second in Ghana is who I went tofor my third.
Okay, because they are afertility clinic.
They deal with older, maturewomen and I felt like, you know,
(23:59):
as someone who was in her latethirties that was very important
.
Someone who specialized in thatso found out I was pregnant and
my OBGYN was just like laughingher head off and but the first
thing she said was let's put youon the progesterone again, just
to be safe.
So she started that on me.
We were fine, everything waslike quite smooth, didn't have
(24:22):
hiccups, until one day inJanuary.
So two days before this, oneday in January, I had a doctor's
appointment and everything wasfine.
I went to an event.
I came back, my mom was in townstill because she comes the
holiday season and we were in myroom just like chatting we're
chatting, like laughing gistingeach other and I kept saying I
(24:44):
feel like I need to do numbertwo, I feel like it and she's
like okay, and then I'm likeokay.
But then when I got up, therewas spotting on the bed and I
was like okay, I started to justhave super anxiety.
Stephanie Theriault (25:02):
Can I ask you how many weeks were you at
this point?
Vanessa Gyan (25:05):
At this point, I this point I was December,
january, okay, so I was probablyjust about two and a half
months, very early.
So I'm like, oh, spotting, ohmy God.
So then I'm like I don't evenknow what to think.
So, as I'm getting up fully andI stand, like it's just clots
(25:26):
coming out and I'm like, oh, myGod.
And my mom is like, oh, mygoodness.
So I'm just standing therebecause I don't know what to do,
you know.
So I call my doctor and she'slike this is odd, because I
literally just saw you but Ineed you to get to the hospital.
And it was around 8 PM and,honestly, if you are in Ghana
(25:49):
and you know our healthfacilities, saying you're going
anywhere to go get checked up at8 PM, it's like non-existent.
Like you can go to a healthfacility and they won't have
there's no one there to takecare of you.
Luckily, where I was going thatevening, the doctor who was on
call, he knew how to scan.
(26:11):
There's even doctors that don'tknow how to like properly scan.
They have someone else come andscan.
That's a whole nother story.
So I'm standing there and atthe same time I'm like talking
to her, but then I'm Googlingpictures to see, oh my God, is
this a miscarriage?
And the pictures look exactlylike what's coming out, like
clots, and I'm like holy shit.
So my partner luckily he camehome that same time he rushes me
(26:36):
to the hospital and obviouslyI'm like destroyed.
I'm like, oh my God, we'vemiscarried.
How could this be?
I don't understand how thiscould be.
We get to the facility and thenurses are just like you know,
don't worry, like let's justcheck first, you know.
So the doctor comes, likewithin like two minutes, we go
into the room, he starts to scanand the sack is still there.
(26:59):
So I'm like, let me breathe.
So now he's like we're puttingyou on extra progesterone.
As it is, the progesteronemakes you very nauseous, it
makes you very lethargic.
But now they're putting me onextra and he's putting me on
strict bed rest until furthernotice.
But a week later I would haveto head back to the facility to
(27:22):
get another scan.
So now I'm on strict bed restwith what?
That time he was like fivemonth old my six year old at the
time and I'm just like I havework to do and I'm just like
super stressed out.
Like what is happening, god,please, like what is happening.
A week later I head to thefacility, my OBGYN does a scan
(27:48):
and she sees like a sack that'shalf empty.
There's one full sack and asack that's half empty and she's
like the only thing this couldbe was that it was twins and one
didn't, you know, didn't stick.
And as weeks went on and I hadto go every week at that point
(28:08):
to get scanned, the other sackjust kept getting smaller and
smaller.
So I was still spotting a bit,but the other sack was fine,
like she was just chilling overthere.
But yeah, so basically it was atwin pregnancy and one didn't
make it.
But we didn't know that priorto this whole thing.
I think she said also at thattime we were doing, I think, the
(28:31):
vaginal scans and sometimes itdoesn't pick up on everything.
But then it came to a pointwhere she was like your cervix
seems to be wide, like it wasn'tlike this the last time.
So I'm suggesting a circlage ohmy God, what a circlage.
Getting that done in Ghana.
Like everything to me was justlike this is.
This is not real Like in Ghana,me get like you know, like
(28:55):
because I work in I do likematernal health work.
There's things that I just forme personally.
I just I'm like in Ghana'm likeshould I risk it, you know,
because I feel like it's stillvery risky.
I spoke to my partner, I spoketo my mom, I spoke to my uncle,
who's the doctor, who's in NewYork, and he was like, you know,
(29:15):
it's a very simple procedureand if they're suggesting it,
you know recommending it, thengo ahead.
And so, yeah, we went ahead andI got the circlage done in
Ghana.
Stephanie Theriault (29:26):
Did you have pain management for the
circlage?
Vanessa Gyan (29:30):
Yes, I did so.
I didn't feel anything for manyhours.
So I was like in the hospitalfor so long because I tried to
get up and my legs, like Ialmost like fell on my face
because I was rushing, Like I'mjust like I want to go home, the
kids are home.
But yeah, I stayed for quite awhile I think it was like eight,
nine hours before like, yeah,everything like wore off and we,
(29:52):
we, we headed home.
Stephanie Theriault (29:54):
Once you were home, were you still on
bedrest.
Vanessa Gyan (29:57):
I was still on bedrest until so.
The bedrest started in January.
They took me off bed rest.
It was like sometime inFebruary, but even that it was
like still be calm.
She kept saying, like V, I knowyou're a hard worker, but
you're going to have to justrelax, don't overwork, don't
(30:20):
overwork, just try to like relax.
So I tried, I tried.
Stephanie Theriault (30:28):
Yeah, it's hard.
Vanessa Gyan (30:29):
It really is, it really is.
Stephanie Theriault (30:31):
So after you had the sarcoge placed, did
you have any more spotting orbleeding?
Vanessa Gyan (30:36):
No, everything else was like smooth sailing.
But of course this anxiety wasjust still in me, because it's
like every day, you just don'tknow.
There was a point where I waslike, should I go to New York
earlier?
Literally ended up making it toNew York just in time.
Stephanie Theriault (30:54):
All right.
So how many weeks were you moreor less when you came to New
York?
Vanessa Gyan (30:58):
So I got to New York at 28 weeks.
Stephanie Theriault (31:01):
Talk to us about why you decided to come at
27 weeks and then like what wasthe trip like for you with
everything that's going on withyour body and the pregnancy and
having your kids, how was thatfor you?
Vanessa Gyan (31:14):
Okay.
So my sister actually flew toGhana to fly back with me to New
York, cause obviously I'mtaking the boys with me also.
And on the flight I thought Isaw spotting and I asked my
sister she's like girl, there'snothing like relax, like relax.
But we get to New York,everything is fine.
(31:34):
And at 29 weeks, or just ending28 weeks, I was home and I just
felt water and I'm like thiscan like I'm just like this is
not real, like am I in a movie?
Like what this is?
Like this is too much for likeone pregnancy.
(31:55):
And it's go to the bathroom andthe water's just gushing out
and I'm like, oh my gosh.
So I'm at my mom's house, but Ilike call her on the phone
(32:15):
because now I'm scared to likeget up and I'm like, oh, can you
please come to the bathroom,because I didn't want to like
give her anxiety as soon asshe's woken up.
Yeah, um, and this was around Idon't want to like give her
anxiety as soon as she's wokenup.
Yeah, and this was around, Idon't even know, maybe like 4 am
.
So she comes and she's and I'mlike, oh my God, like it's like
there's water I don't know if mywater broke so she like wakes
up my stepfather, and she's like, take her to the hospital.
(32:37):
You know she has to go to thehospital now.
Luckily, the hospital wasliterally it's literally two
minutes from the house, so wedidn't have to go far.
And so we get there and they'relike, oh, you've ruptured, we
need you to do like a scan.
So I go do the scan.
I'm trying to like so muchhappened.
I do the scan and they're likethe water around the baby was
(33:01):
very low, so they're going tohave to admit me.
And I'm like, oh my goodness,like I came to enjoy, like the
next few weeks in New York I'mhaving a baby sprinkle, like
that's so much.
And now I'm admitted and whenthey admit you, 99% of the time
they will not discharge you tillyou give birth.
Like downstate is very, veryit's like a lockdown.
(33:25):
Oh wait, my second, sorry, mysecond.
I was admitted for like okay,because I went in for the
spotting.
I was wait, was it the spotting?
No, this is what happened,sorry For my second.
It gave me a shot, a steroidshot.
It slowed down his movement andI got very scared.
(33:48):
Yeah, so I went to the hospitaland I don't, like, I did my
research after the fact of likeit could slow it down, like you
have to give like 48 hours andthe baby just starts to, you
know, start moving around it.
But I was nervous and becauseof that, because he slowed down,
it triggered, you know them,and they admitted me for because
of that, because he slowed down, it triggered, you know them,
(34:10):
and they admitted me for like no, like three or four days and my
OBGYN called, tried to get meout because he was like the baby
everything will start to pickup.
You know the steroid shot isstrong, but they literally were
not letting me out.
Eventually I had to likeadvocate for myself for them to
let me out because he was movingagain.
Like you know, your body whenyou're pregnant, like you know,
(34:31):
like I knew he was fine, yes, soeventually they let me out, but
obviously they let you signlike a waiver that if anything
happens to you, you know youwanted to leave.
So, yeah, that was my second.
Okay, back to the third.
So I get admitted, they scan,they say the water around the
baby is very low.
They admit me and from whenthey and the doctors entered,
(34:54):
they basically let me know likeyou're here until you give birth
.
So just prepare your mind, bodyand soul.
Obviously I was devastated, Iwas like crying.
And then they also had the NICUteam come in, because at 28
weeks you're early.
If you deliver, you know 28, 29, 30, 31, your baby's going to
(35:14):
be in the NICU.
Like this cannot be real.
Like this cannot be real.
But the staff was amazing, as Ikeep saying, very encouraging
(35:37):
For me.
It was like you know to be onbed rest there, where you know
they have to come and like cleanyou up.
Like you like, literally Iwasn't even allowed to go to the
bathroom Like I had to likehave like the little, like what
do you call it?
The little like potty type ofthing, call the nurse, and like
they would lift me to sit on.
That's the strict bed rest theyhad me on because they wanted
baby girl to stay in as long asshe could.
(35:58):
They wanted at least to passthe 30 week mark.
So, yeah, I was, I was justthere.
Every single day my sisterwould come, my mom would come,
like they didn't allow kids tocome.
So, you know the boys, I wouldFaceTime them, I was talking to
my partner, but it was like justthe wildest time of my life,
like I could not believe it washappening, and scary, because
(36:20):
I'm literally like, all right,you hear all these stories like
you hear incredible stories, youknow.
So, yeah, every day you hearall these stories, you hear
incredible stories Every day.
You're just nervous.
Every day, when they would comein, they would check the water,
they're just like, yeah, thewater around her is still very
low.
Yeah, you're just here, you'rejust here.
I'm like, yeah, I'm just here.
(36:41):
They gave me the shots thatwould help her lungs, just in
case she did deliver early.
And then, at almost 32 weeks, Iwas just there.
I was actually with my sisterand one of my good friends and I
could feel some contractions,but I wasn't seen on the monitor
.
At this point, like I knew howto read the monitor and
everything.
Like I felt like I was.
I was a nurse, but I could feelthe contractions but they
(37:04):
weren't showing up.
So when I would tell the nurse.
They were like we don't see it,but I feel something.
Fine.
My sister leaves, my friendleaves, it's about 6 pm and I'm
like, nah, these are definitelycontractions.
Sorry.
Three days, four days beforethat, they took out my circlage,
which was the most painfulthing ever, because they don't
(37:26):
medicate you for that.
Yeah, they literally open yourlegs wide and take the, take it
out and you literally feel everysingle thing.
Luckily, the surplus, I think,was just one stitch, so it
wasn't a lot, but like it was itreally hurt?
It was it really hurt.
So, yeah, I went into, I feltthe contractions, I spoke to the
(37:47):
nurse and I she said that sheshifted the monitor on my
stomach because obviously I'mbeing monitored 24 seven, and
they realized that oh, there arecontractions and they're coming
.
They're coming, you know.
And so my doctors called in andthe doctor that was like well,
you know, when you're admitted,there's like three different
(38:10):
doctors on rotation.
So the doctor that was on callthat evening she came in and she
was like you know, I think youshould call, like whoever you
would want, you know, in thedelivery room with me.
Mind you, she had been breachedfrom when I was admitted A day
before she was head down.
And the morning that Idelivered, that morning, before
(38:32):
my sisters and them came, shewas back to being breached.
So I knew most likely I wouldhave my first C-section.
So they're like call whoever.
And so I call my mom and she'slike well, the boys, like I
can't leave the boys, and you're, you know, your stepdad's not
home.
I call my sister.
She's like okay, I'm actuallygoing to the bar, like she was
going out with her friends.
(38:53):
She was like so, when it's likecloser in time, just call me,
because the bar is literally upthe road from the hospital.
And I was like okay, cool, sothey start to just prep
everything.
You know, prep, prep, prep.
I was one centimeter.
And then I called my sisteragain.
I was like you need to likejust make your way here, because
(39:16):
I don't know when I'm going todeliver.
She did make her way to thehospital in time and by the time
they knew I was 10 centimeters.
And now it's like get her intothe OR.
And now I'm like oh my God,like I, you know, like, because
my first two pregnancies were soI just didn't know.
Like.
I was just like what, I don'tknow how I felt in that moment.
There was like, no emotion butemotions.
(39:38):
It was just like, god please.
Like, just get me out of thissafely, get my child out of this
safely.
Like, like, just get me out ofthis safely, get my child out of
this safely.
Because you could hear thepanic and see it in my doctor's
face the baby's breached, she'sa preemie, she's 10 centimeters.
We need to get this baby out.
They rushed me to the OR and theanesthesiologist comes and I
(40:03):
felt the two first cuts whenthey started, because obviously
you know they're rushing, theyhave to start, and the medicine
it hadn't gotten anywhere in mybody.
I felt the two first and I waslike oh my God, I feel it.
And then I hear theanesthesiologist saying you have
to keep going because you gotto get the baby out, and then
the doctor saying like but shecan feel it, he's like just keep
(40:26):
going.
So he's just pumping me.
And all I remember next is thatI was awake and my first
question was like oh my God,how's my daughter?
And they're like oh my gosh,she's fine and she's at 30,
almost 32 weeks.
She's breathing on her own,she's on the lowest oxygen in
the NICU, the lowest, and that'sonly proportionary measure.
(40:47):
And I was like, oh, my God, howis she?
Is she cute, you know?
You start to like how is shecute, you know?
And they're like she's sopretty.
And I was like, okay, where'smy sister?
And they're like, oh, shewasn't allowed in because it
became like they had to get thebaby out.
We don't have time to call yoursister.
And I was like, okay, buteverything is fine.
They're like, yeah.
And then they, they were juststitching me back up and I was
(41:07):
just lying there and, yeah,eventually they rolled me back
into my room Did you havegeneral anesthesia.
Stephanie Theriault (41:15):
They put you to sleep.
Vanessa Gyan (41:16):
They put me to sleep.
I think at first they weretrying to like, not knock me out
, but because of thecircumstances they were, they
were like yeah, we got to getthis girl asleep and let's just
get things done and she made itto.
Stephanie Theriault (41:29):
You said 32 weeks she made it to.
Vanessa Gyan (41:32):
Yes, just about 32 weeks, 31 and five days, and
she was just under five pounds.
Yeah, so she was kind, she wasquite hefty.
So they kept asking like areyou sure the timeline?
Because they felt like she wasa little bigger for her age and
I was like, well, I'm going,based on Ghana, the one prenatal
(41:54):
appointment I had here.
Stephanie Theriault (41:57):
How was your recovery?
Having that kind of experienceas opposed to two vaginal
deliveries that kind of werelike smooth sailing.
How was that for you?
Vanessa Gyan (42:08):
so okay, so I it was.
I don't even know, becauseshortly after even going home,
my c-section area like basicallythere was like fluids leaking
from the incision.
Yes, so this was about justlike a week after I went home,
because I had already I had seenmy doctor and he said
(42:30):
everything looked fine.
But I well, they told me Icould shower and I could go to
the bathroom, but I think Ishowered too early, like a day
after the C-section.
I think I should have waited itout a bit and just done a wipe
down for some time.
That's what we are thinkinghappened.
But yeah, I oh my God, that wasa nut I got home and obviously
(42:55):
at that time I'm going back andforth to the hospital also
because baby girl is in the NICUand I remember this specific
day.
It was like walking was was liketiring for me, and even when I
went to the NICU, one of thenurses was like like is
everything okay?
And I was like, oh, yeah, she'slike, cause you seem a bit
slower today?
And I was like, oh, everythingis fine.
(43:16):
You know, not knowing there wasa lot going on in my body.
And that evening I was like onthe bed and I just also feel
like like water coming fromthere, and it was like.
It was like.
I was like, like what ishappening?
So again rushed to rush back tothe hospital and, um, one of
(43:38):
the doctors that was therethroughout the time I was there,
he was like let me check andsee what's going on.
And he's like yeah, it's almostan infection, but it's not yet.
So we have to.
You're going to have to comefor wound care every single day.
And I'm like so now I have tobe going to wound care going to
NICU this is like insane.
(43:58):
To wound care going to NICUthis is like insane.
Wound care was like that nightthat he had to even take out.
He took the bandaid off, takeout the gauze, pads, clean and
put.
It was painful.
It was painful and I was likeso now I have to do this.
For how long?
He was like it could be likesix weeks, Like it depends on
the healing process.
(44:19):
And I'm thinking, oh, mygoodness, Okay, All right, Fine,
so.
So then at that point I'm like,okay, I'm just going to go to
stay at downstate, stay at theirclinic, for them to do
everything for me, Like thewound care, the baby's.
Upstairs, I met this incredibleNigerian OBGYN.
(44:39):
Even up until today, like Ichat with her, she is incredible
.
So she realized that day that Iwent that I was not going to be
able to handle that pain everyday of cleaning.
I would not be able to.
And she was like, well, there'ssomething new that she saw one
of her colleagues use and withthat I would have to come once a
(45:03):
week for them to change it out.
And she was like, do you wantme to try it on you?
She's like girl, basicallyyou're my guinea pig, but trust
me, because I wouldn't doanything that I know would not
work.
And I was like I am trustingyou and if it doesn't work,
honey, I don't know what I'll doto you.
(45:23):
So I then started going once aweek for her to like clean it
out.
And it was a different type ofgauze pad that she would insert
and she would clean it.
And then she would, you know,and every every week it would.
Just, it got better and betterand better and it literally took
about eight weeks.
Yeah, so even after, like babygirl was discharged because she
(45:45):
only stayed for 30 days in theNICU, I still had to go, you
know, for wound care.
At the end she used like amatch stick to just make sure it
sealed, like at the likeproperly.
Oh my gosh gosh.
But that took about eight weeksof wound care.
The doctor that delivered me,she claims when she saw me that,
(46:06):
oh, when you rupture and you doa C-section, this can happen at
times.
But I still feel like it was thefact that I was bathing too
early and water got inside and,funny enough, I was talking
about this the other day in thesense of like I didn't show
suffering in my face or of likewhat I was going through.
And I say this because even whenI was going to the NICU, um,
(46:30):
and the nurses they actuallywere like, they loved the fact
that, like I always went inthere with like positive energy,
I would always have likemascara and lip gloss on, gloss
on because I felt like if Ilooked good, I could feel good
and I can give good energy inthe space that I was in, Because
what I was experiencing was noteasy.
It was very traumatic, but Iknew that I had a newborn to
(46:54):
take care of, the boys, to getthem back into they hadn't seen
me for so long also making surethey enjoy the rest of their
trip.
So I never allowed it to show,like no one would be able to see
me and say you've been throughthis, even till today.
So when I even talk about thisjourney, people are quite
(47:14):
surprised because they're like,but you don't look like what
you've been through.
And I said I actually do likethat because there's probably
people who wish I did look likewhat I've been through, but I
refuse, I refuse.
Stephanie Theriault (47:27):
But it was a traumatic experience it's a
lot when you think about this.
Is your third child, who youhad pretty close to your second.
(47:48):
Then you're going through anadmission antepartum.
You're in the hospital forweeks, yes, and you're away from
your partner.
You have an emergency c-sectionand then you're having these,
you're in pain, you have a childin the NICU.
That's a lot on your plate.
Vanessa Gyan (48:07):
It was, it was a lot.
And I think also you know fromday one her name is Amari Rose.
Her prognosis was always sopositive, um, from you know, she
was breathing on her own andevery day, every milestone she
had to meet.
Every single day she met it,which was like it just like
warmed my heart and like I wouldcall in the mornings before I
(48:30):
would go morning and evening.
But then when I started thewound care I was like, okay, I
have to at least just go once aday.
So I would like call in themorning, speak to a nurse, make
sure she's good, and thenafternoon, because this was the
only time out of my threepregnancies that for the first
two months milk was coming.
(48:51):
Like I was lactating.
I'd never my boys I had thehardest time breastfeeding.
So they were both formula babieslike from the beginning.
But baby girl was able to getstrictly breast milk for the
first two months, which made mevery happy because that was very
vital being in the NICU, and sothat I was like okay, the body
(49:14):
just knew like, okay, you'regoing to have to do this for her
because she needs it.
Like, at least because thedoctors were saying at least the
first couple of months andliterally it was the first
couple of months After that, itwas like okay, nothing was
coming.
Like nothing was coming, so shewent on formula.
But the formula was fine alsobecause if I was able to
(49:37):
breastfeed they were still goingto put her on extra formula
because she was a preemie, yeah.
So she ended up two and a halfmonths she started formula and
yeah, she's now, I guess youcould say, a formula baby like
her brothers.
But the first two months I wasactually able to pump enough for
her to be fed every single daywhile she was in the NICU For
(49:57):
the first month.
And then when she came home,yeah, you know, we continued a
bit until I couldn't anymore.
Stephanie Theriault (50:03):
It's amazing to hear how our bodies
just do what needs to be done.
You know, everybody knew thatthis is what she needed.
Vanessa Gyan (50:12):
Yes, yes, it was like wow.
And I also think the nurse wasvery patient with me when it
came to teaching me, you know,how to get the colostrum.
Yes, even though the first dayswere like little drops, she was
like that's fine, you know,just keep going, it's not
pumping, like just.
She taught me how to massagethe boob and then like squeeze,
(50:34):
like very patient with me, andthat really helped a lot the
whole NICU journey.
I praise the nurses so muchbecause they made, they made it
a bit easier.
You know, like on days they sawI was tired, they're like it's
okay, like you could have justcalled and you know we would
(50:55):
have updated you throughout theday.
You know, mommy, you need torest.
You know you do need to takecare of yourself.
You know she's safe with us.
You know she is, you know, butthey just conversations with
them, like they made, they madeit a bit easier.
The support that they weregiving, yeah, and that's why I
keep in contact with most of thenurses that took care of her.
(51:18):
You know, send pictures andupdates so they can see that.
You know, thanks to them, youknow, being a huge role she's,
she's thriving beautifully.
You, when you look at her, youwouldn't even think she was a
preemie, and she's 10 months.
Stephanie Theriault (51:32):
Yeah, were you ready to get back home after
all of this?
Vanessa Gyan (51:36):
I wanted to enjoy a bit more.
I wanted to enjoy New York abit more, which I did, and we
came back in October.
So what it was was she wassupposed to be born in August,
and my plan was actually, thistime around, to just be in New
York for two months after Ideliver, cause I felt like I've
had enough, like I can come backtwo months.
(51:58):
It's fine, but obviously shewas born in June.
So we were there, you know, butwe stayed until October.
So I still got to enjoy a bitand, you know, have time with,
like, my best friends.
But, yeah, I still got to enjoyNew York outside of being a
mother that's what I should say.
I got to still enjoy some solotime with my best friends.
(52:19):
I'm going for dinner, going forbrunch and like, with my sister
and my mom, and then still dothings as a family with the kids
.
And then my partner was in NewYork at a point too.
So, yes, yes, he was able tofly out.
So, you know, I still got toenjoy New York to some capacity.
And it was summertime too, soyou know.
Stephanie Theriault (52:40):
Yes, summer in the city is awesome.
Vanessa Gyan (52:42):
It's so amazing.
It's so amazing, yes, and thenwe came back and I flew back
with the kids all three solo.
Oh my gosh, you are a saint, youknow, and the thing is that.
So I didn't know, I would haveto buy my under no, he was one
at the time a ticket, becausenow I had my daughter who would
(53:06):
be the lap baby.
So, yeah, we ended up having tobuy him a ticket.
But I had her in the sling, Ihad the Duna stroller, so I had
her in the sling, I had him inthe Duna, obviously my almost
eight-year-old he's fine.
And then on the flight the Dunastroller turns into a car seat,
so I had it on the chair and hesat.
(53:28):
My son, the one-year-old, satin the Duna car seat and then I
had baby girl, but where we satthere was also the bassinet
where I could put her in attimes also.
And at that time, like I said,he was calm, he was, he was calm
.
It wasn't too hectic.
Until almost landing it waslike everyone wanted me to hold
them, like she wanted me, hewanted me.
I was like, oh my God, let mehold you both.
(53:50):
But it wasn't as terrifying asI thought it would be.
But once we landed I was justlike, thank you, jesus.
Where's the nanny?
I don't even want to see kidsat this moment.
Let me just give the nanny, thekids.
Let me just breathe.
I can't even imagine.
Oh, it was wow, but I made itand yeah, we're here.
Stephanie Theriault (54:11):
I want to hear about your work as a
postpartum transition coach andhow you got into that, and then
how you're helping women inGhana who've delivered in the
hospital, and how you got intothat, and then how you're
helping women in Ghana who'vedelivered in the hospital and
how you help them to bedischarged.
Vanessa Gyan (54:26):
Okay.
So I became a postpartumtransition coach.
Literally when my daughter wasdischarged from the hospital is
when I took the courses online.
When she would nap, I would goonline, do all my reading, take
all my tests, like 3 am feeds.
That's when I was still reading, doing my tests, and I felt
(54:46):
like this was the right timebecause I was already doing the
work.
I was already doing thecoaching for the past seven
years through my NGO, but Iwanted to become certified.
I wanted it to be more on paper.
So that was just recent.
That was last year, but itstems from almost eight years
(55:10):
ago.
You know my prenatal here, whatI saw the gap in the system and
wanting to do something more formothers in Ghana.
And when my son was threemonths and we came back while I
was away, I was contactingdifferent moms and mommy groups
like their experience of givingbirth in Ghana.
These are moms that were likeborn and raised in Ghana and I
(55:32):
was like I was taken aback and Iwas like, yes, definitely need
to do something.
I don't know what I want to do,but I just want to give back, I
want to.
I want like speakers, like Ijust had this whole vision of
what I wanted, but I didn't knowexactly what it would look like
.
I bought a lot of like beautyproducts.
I knew I wanted to give giftbags and I knew there was going
(55:53):
to be an event.
So, while away, after I had myfirst, I set up.
This whole event was in contactwith hospitals.
After I had my first, I set upthis whole event was in contact
with hospitals.
People connected me tohospitals and so we ended up
connecting with Ridge Hospital,which is in Accra, and that's
where we held our first event.
We had speakers from moms tohealth workers speaking to the
(56:21):
moms and the importance ofprenatal, postnatal care, you
know, taking care of yourself,taking care of baby.
We gave them gifts and that wasmy first experience of like a
mom coming and saying, you know,I'm admitted upstairs and I
don't have money to go home withmy baby.
And I was like what?
Like I've read it briefly, butlike, so, this is like, like
it's real.
So we gathered funds rightthere myself and the speakers
(56:44):
and we paid her bill and shewent home.
And that's when I startedasking like so are there more
moms?
And they're like yeah, there'sa, there's a lot more moms.
This is like a normal thing.
And I'm like, no, this is notnormal.
Like it is not normal for youknow, and some of the moms is
like six moms in a room there'sno beds, like there'll be like
(57:05):
three beds, and the other momsare like on the floor with their
babies, and so it was like no,we, we got to do our best.
Like, obviously we can't savethe whole of Ghana, but whatever
we can do, we will do so yearround.
You know, we raise funds and wedischarge patients from various
hospitals.
Now, social workers have mynumber so they do call me when
(57:27):
they need the assistance.
We hold baby showers for free,and that was something also that
was very like oh my God, babyshower, because our culture is
very like hide your pregnancy,do not celebrate your pregnancy
until after.
But you know, I grew up outside, I grew up in the Western world
and we love to celebrate.
(57:48):
You know, we love baby showers.
When I threw the first babyshower, the moms were just so
excited.
Then they were like we're goingto keep getting pregnant so you
can have more baby showers forus, and I was like, no, no, no,
no.
But yeah, we host baby showers,we host educational sessions.
We pay for the bills of themoms who you know are
(58:10):
financially, you know,distressed, and we also host the
fathers in the sense ofeducating them.
Also, we don't leave the dadsout, find it very important that
they are right there, becausethere are circumstances where
the mom is there and the man hasjust disappeared and she, like,
literally never sees him again,you know.
But then we also try to lendour support to those women also,
(58:33):
and this all stems from, yeah,my first pregnancy and being in
a private facility and seeingthe gaps, I was like, what about
a public facility, like thegovernment facilities must be,
like, if I'm getting thisprivately and I'm paying so much
?
Imagine, you know.
And yeah, so this year will beeight years.
We have a huge event in Julythat I'm excited about.
(58:54):
You know, last year we had toslow things down because I was
pregnant.
The year before we had to slowthings down because I was
pregnant.
The year before we had to slowthings down because I was
pregnant.
So we are coming back biggerand better and, yeah, so July,
we have a clinic that we've beenworking with for the past three
years and this is the lastshebang, because we have to move
.
Usually we choose a differentclinic every year, but they've
(59:16):
needed our help and I justcouldn't say no.
But now, july, we're going tohave a massive event for them
with food music.
An NGO from the States has comeon board.
We're going to be doing healthscreenings for them.
Everything is for free and I'vebeen trying to raise funds to
get a few medical devices forthem, and that's been quite
(59:39):
difficult because they're veryexpensive.
But this clinic specifically,they provide excellent care for
the community.
If they have these devices thatthey need, they can do so much
more.
So I'm still working on thatfor them.
Stephanie Theriault (59:54):
What devices are you trying to get
for them, so like an?
Vanessa Gyan (59:58):
incubator.
So they have a makeshiftincubator that one of the nurses
made with like a lamp, andthat's what they've still been
using for the past three years.
I don't know how they do it,but I did promise them an
incubator.
I have to, even if it's not likein July.
I definitely have to make sureyou know I get it for them
because, like, like I said, thestaff they're well equipped but
(01:00:21):
without you know the equipment,like, the staff themselves are
very good at what they do, butthe lack of equipment doesn't
allow them to work at their fullcapacity.
Stephanie Theriault (01:00:31):
I see.
Vanessa Gyan (01:00:33):
Yeah, yeah, we've been doing it for almost eight
years.
I say we as if it's like a bigteam.
It's literally myself and Ihave a friend called Kojo.
He comes on board when it'salmost time for the events and,
yeah, I just reach out.
In the beginning I wasfinancing it myself with my
family and, as time has gone on,I do the GoFund or I go on
(01:00:55):
social media like Twitter andI'll you know this is what's
happening, who can help?
And then some of the likeMalcolm is one of our biggest
neighborhood grocery stores.
They've come on board beforeGandoor Cosmetics.
They come on board every yearwith like tons of products, baby
products and mommy products.
(01:01:16):
So, yeah, we're just.
You know, we're always seekingsupport because it's not easy
and I'm honestly when I not tolike brag, but I think we are
the only NGO that has been doingthis consistently.
People get up and do it, maybefor their birthdays, like okay,
let me go and pay hospital bills, which is like incredible, but
we have been doing itconsistently for October
(01:01:39):
November will be eight years.
Stephanie Theriault (01:01:41):
Wow, yeah, yeah.
For those who are listening tothe episode and if they want to
support you and your cause, howcan they find you and get more
information?
Vanessa Gyan (01:01:53):
Okay, so I'm on social media Twitter, facebook,
instagram Vanessa Jan.
So if it's Instagram is atVanessa V-A-N-E-S-S-A,
underscore G-Y-A-N.
Instagram would be best becauseI see the messages right away
and I can give all the info thatis needed.
(01:02:14):
Supporting my maternal healthawareness initiative.
Stephanie Theriault (01:02:17):
We will have all your social media when
it's released and if anyonewants to reach out and help for
a good cause, this is one tosupport.
I can't even imagine being inthat situation and not being
able to go home with your childand, I think, or not being able
to go home period.
Vanessa Gyan (01:02:36):
And even sorry to cut you, there's been
circumstances where a mom haslost her baby during delivery
and you know she's detained.
They don't let her go home andthey place her in a room with
other moms who have deliveredsafely and with their babies.
I remember that day when we sawit the first time.
I was like this is like who can, who can, even like.
(01:02:58):
I didn't even understand, Icouldn't, the pain.
I I'm even speechless.
I was just like so she was.
When we saw that she was likeon the top of the list, like
even if she was the only one wewould have discharged that day,
depending on the cost, I wouldhave made sure she went home.
Stephanie Theriault (01:03:16):
You're right, there's no words.
I just he went home.
You're right, there's no words,I just it really hearing that
heart.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, thank you for doing whatyou do and thank you for helping
these women, and personally,from one mom to another.
I want to thank you for takingyour time to come and chat with
me and to share your story, tobring more awareness of what is
(01:03:39):
going on with the woman, andit's been an absolute pleasure.
Thank you.
Vanessa Gyan (01:03:46):
Thank you so much for this opportunity.
I'm really excited to hear thefinal edits and, of course, to
my cousin-in-law for introducingus.
I'm so grateful.
It's funny because top of theyear one of the things on my
list was to speak on what I doon an international platform and
(01:04:06):
specifically an internationalpodcast.
So I get to check that off thelist for this year already.
So I'm just really grateful.
I enjoy I think you can tell Ijust enjoy talking about, you
know, being a mom and myexperience and you know,
relocating and all of it.
It's a pleasure being able tospeak to you.
Stephanie Theriault (01:04:25):
Thank you so much.
I will be in touch.
You should send me the dateswhen you're in New York City so
we can get like a little familymeetup oh that would be really
fun, definitely will.
(01:04:50):
Thank you for listening.
Be sure to check out our socialmedia.
All links are provided in theepisode description.
We're excited to have you here.
Please give us a follow If youor someone you know would like
(01:05:15):
to be a guest on the show.
Reach out to us via email atinfo at maternalwealthcom.
And remember stay healthy,embrace your power, and you got
this.
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