I have never witnessed a birth other than ones I have seen on TV. I would imagine it's an unforgettable experience.
I was the second child of our family. According to my mom, I did not waste anytime arriving. She barely made it to the hospital.
I researched the African Region and learned that 29% of their infant mortalities are due to premature labor and low birth rate. Another major cause of infant mortatlity is birth asphxyia and/or birth trauma. Another 28% is of infant deaths is neonatal infections.
http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/media/CAH_death_u5_neonates_afro_2008.pdf
In comparison to my own birth, I was a healthy 8 lb. full-term baby girl with no complications.
Maggie,
ReplyDeleteI personally do not have any children. My friend’s labor lasted for approximately sixteen hours. She received one shot for pain. It was her first and only childbirth experience. Your research about African women birth experiences was very informative. The trauma that babies suffer during their birth touched me deeply.
Maggie, Well I had 2 children via C-section and am constantly saying how lucky I am to be in our country where I received excellent care. The African woman has been a suffering woman. We hear so much terrible things that happen to them because of poverty, lack of health care, war, and famine. It is a shame that conditions in their country persist regardless of the wealth and knowledge of the world.
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