My Mother's Child Birthing Experience
I have not personally given birth or experienced one however I was able to get my mom's perspective on her birth of me. To start off I am an only child, my mom had me at the age of thirty. She was married to my father for five years before my conception. Her nine-month pregnancy with me went smoothly she did not have any morning sickness and went to regular doctor visits. I was conceived naturally and my mom took pre-natal vitamins when she was pregnant. She did not have any tests done during the pregnancy to see if I had any ailments or disabilities. My mom believed in having natural childbirth with no epidural or induced labor. She had been in a hospital and I was five days late for delivery. She was in active labor for six hours before having me. I was a healthy baby weighing seven pounds and five ounces at birth.
The Troubling Reality of Child Birth in Latin America
My mother was very lucky with her smooth pregnancy with me. Many women who live in the united states have prenatal care and are given the proper resources and tools to ensure healthy childbirth. However, this is not the case for other counties. I chose to look into childbirth in Latin America and found an article discussing the high rate of death while in labour for these mothers. "On average, approximately 16 women die every day in Latin America and the Caribbean from maternity-related complications, according to April 2015 figures from the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO)" (Frayssinet 2015). The proper care for prenatal health is not a fundamental right in these areas. Since they are not receiving the proper care they are having many difficulties in child delivery resulting in many mothers not making out alive.
“When you look at the basic causes of maternal deaths you don’t have to be highly intelligent to see that they are related to lack of access (to the health system) and to abortions, which are the main cause of maternal deaths in Argentina and in Latin America." -- Juan Reichenbach
Prenatal care needs to be a fundamental right for all women to have healthy and successful childbirth. We have come along way with our advancements in child delivery and proper care for taking care of mom and baby and we have to make sure that all mothers around the world are granted this necessity of proper prenatal care.
Resource:
Kisten,
ReplyDeleteYour description of your mother's pregnancy is similar to mine. I delivered with no epidural or pain medication and I wish I had of. The attention to prenatal care on Latin America is very disturbing. How fortunate that we live in a country that provides so many resources and options for health care. You would think in this modern time of science and technology that there would be available and reptible means of health care for women and children.
Cynthia Hunt
Kirsten,
ReplyDeleteIt's great that your mother was able to share her story with you. I also do not have children and have not gone through the experience, but my mom never said much about when I was born and she is no longer here to ask. I have been surprised to find many countries that have many home births and so little care to assist, especially when it means babies die. We are lucky to have the health care we do for mothers.
Susan Totter
Hello Kristen.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such a nice story. I think that sometimes we take these western customs for granted. While we are afforded many opportunities and resources through pregnancy and for birthing, it is disheartening to see how a lack of such services can cause increased risks to mother and child.