GRAAFF-REINET — The DA's mayoral candidate Samantha Jankovich decided to share some joy this Mother’s Day at Graaff-Reinet’s Midland Hospital.

Accompanied by Dewald Pienaar, the Constituency Manager, and one of the DA’s Kroonvale activists, Ricardo Smith (who has five children!), Cllr Jankovich visited the new mothers and their babies, presenting each with a small gift.

Cllr Jankovich was extremely surprised to learn that most women who have natural childbirth at the hospital are discharged within six hours of the birth. Only those who have had a caesarean birth are kept in and generally, this is only for one or two days.

First- time mothers may be kept in a little longer, but once the nursing staff is happy that they are breast-feeding effectively, they are discharged. “Gone are the days when mothers had to first prove that they were able to bath and change and feed their babies themselves. Now, it is every woman and child for themselves” she said. She discovered to her surprise too that the babies do not even get bathed at the hospital, as it is expected that this be done at home.

Each new mother was made to feel special, and some time was spent chatting to each one about the joys and trials of being a new mother. “Being a new mother is exciting and daunting and the start of the greatest journey a woman can take” Cllr Jankovich enthused.

A much-appreciated gesture was the small gift presented to each of the nursing staff to thank them for the role they play in assisting these women become mothers.

With her own children well on their way to being grown up, Cllr Jankovich said that she was touched that the moms were happy to allow her to hold their babies, one of whom was only three hours old!

'We bring you the latest Graaff-Reinet, Karoo news'