Security officer helps deliver baby

Exhilarating but nerve-racking — that is how CityWide security officer Andre Janse van Vuuren described helping deliver a baby after a Sherwood domestic worker unexpectedly went into labour at home on Sunday.

Janse van Vuuren said he was nervous when he was called to help Phaphisanani Madanda, who had no idea she was pregnant.

Minutes later, the baby was born, and Janse van Vuuren, 31, cut the umbilical cord.

He said he only relaxed when little Lingonso let out his first cry.

“It was about 3am when I had just finished eating my lunch for the night shift,” he said on Sunday afternoon.

“Then, about eight minutes later, I received a call from the control room informing me that a client in Sherwood was essentially in the process of giving birth.”

He said he rushed to the scene, grabbed his medical bag, put on his latex gloves, and attended to the situation.

“I was very nervous at the time — delivering a human life is, how shall I put it, magnificent, exhilarating and nerve-racking all at once,” Janse van Vuuren said.

“But in that moment, my instincts kicked in.

“When I arrived, the baby was already halfway out.

“I calmly reassured the mother and told her to keep pushing.”

He said the delivery went smoothly.

“It was almost as if the baby slid out like a skateboard, with no complications at all,” he said.

“I checked to ensure the umbilical cord wasn’t wrapped around the baby’s neck, as that can be extremely dangerous.

“Fortunately, everything was in order.

“The baby came out effortlessly — like skating out on a board.

“The umbilical cord wasn’t wrapped around the neck, and the baby started crying and took his first breath.

“I clamped the cord, cut it, and handed the baby to the mother.

“It was a healthy baby boy — lively and full of energy from the moment he was born.”

Madanda’s employer, Nelisa Dyani, said though it was “heartwarming, it was a very dramatic experience”.

“I heard a scream from her at 6pm, and so I thought she was just in pain, so I gave her some pain meds,” Dyani said, adding that Madanda was living with her.

“I went back to watching series until midnight. I then went to bed.

“She kept going to the bathroom, and I heard the door opening and closing.

“When I checked on her, she said the pain in her tummy was unbearable.

“I asked if we should take her to the hospital, but she said later in the morning, so I went back to bed.”

But at 2.40am, another scream sent Dyani rushing to her room.

“She said it felt like something was coming out of her womb,” Dyani said.

“I asked if she was pregnant, and she said not that she knew of but she thought there was a baby inside her womb.

“I immediately phoned my neighbour and called CityWide.

“Andre came right away.

“We took out a towel to keep her warm, but the ambulance was taking longer than expected.

“I told him the baby was coming, and we needed to cut the umbilical cord.”

She said he had Googled how to do it, as he had not done it in a while.

“I helped him measure everything, and he cut it. He was so kind.

“The ambulance arrived 45 minutes later.”

Dyani said both the baby and mother were in good health and back home.

She said it was Madanda’s second child.

CityWide director Stephen Moore said he was proud of Janse van Vuuren.

He said security guards usually had first-aid experience.

“We’re always there for our clients,” he said.

The Herald