1: Mental preparation for childbirth

EPISODE 1 OF PREPARING FOR CHILDBIRTH

This basically involves preparing, training and strengthening the mind of a pregnant woman to become more aware and adapted to support her physical body for childbirth.

Once a friend of mine, a first time mother went for delivery with her mother, she said,
” I was in labour for 2 days and the pain was too much I almost passed out.

The midwife said it was time to deliver, so we went to the labour suit, and was assigned a bed immediately. I was told to lie on my back, I felt dizzy like I was passing out. I told my mother and the midwife about it .

“But to my shock, both my mother and midwife were yelling,You will kill the child Start pushing, before I knew it my mother held my nose , mouth and told me to push, I was in horror, shock & confusion” .

Ask around from those you know, what does birth look like in our region. For instance what is done, when and how so that you don’t get shocked.

I suggest the following to mentally prepare for child birth

👉Make an effort to learn more about child birth. For instance you can register for a childbirth class if available and if you can afford it.

👉Attend antenatal care and be proactive to ask questions regarding your pregnancy and childbirth.

👉Research about Childbirth:
You can also do research by visiting the labour suit to see what happens there or read birth related educational materials to give you an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the two birth processes ;

For example, what are the pros and cons of having a C-section or a normal delivery? What is a C-section birth or normal delivery? What kind of postpartum care will you need depending on the birthing method you may have? What can you do to manage pain during labour? And what labour positions are most comfortable for you? Plus many other relevant questions.

Having the answers to these questions equips you with information and mentally prepares you for what to expect.

When you’re a mentally prepared, you will not be so shaken up mentally or physically like Malika was when the news of a C-section comes up. To Read Malika’s story click here

I know others will say we shall cross the bridge when we get there or my mother gave birth to all of us 7 or it’s too scary to learn about delivery, the stories are so traumatizing.

It’s better to be prepared and know what you’re up against than get to the labour room and wonder what to do. Having the right information will make your delivery process less stressful.

👉Exercise :
Childbirth is tough. Therefore, you have to train your body to be able to go through the whole process. You can make sure you go for walks for at least 30mins or check for pregnancy safe exercises online or with the guidance of your health care provider.
Exercise also helps ease anxiety related to child birth or other stresses that may come up.

👉Seek counselling/therapy:
Some women go through prenatal depression which is a kind of depression experienced in pregnancy. It is characterized by extreme sadness, anxiety, loss of interest in the pregnancy, fatigue and rare cases thoughts on self harm. Don’t ignore some of these signs. Get in touch with your health care provider and get help.

How was your delivery process, share with us…

creating_awarness_on_maternal_health_and_Safety

If you missed part 2 of preparing for a childbirth click here

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Author: Ajal Mary Theodorah
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Preparation for childbirth series

In the following weeks,  we share the details of how couples , parents and women among others can prepare for childbirth irrespective of the birthing process or method.

This is a continuation of preparing for child birth (Cesarean birth/Normal delivery) series with a focus on  six areas majors ;
-Mental preparation for child birth
‌ -Building or choosing a child birthing team , partner or companion
‌ -Finance /Savings for Childbirth
-Prayer
Documentation and organization of health information

Each of these areas shall be covered weekly as we create awareness on maternalhealth and safety.

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Author: Ajal Mary Theodorah

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Preparing for childbirth: Part 2

Picking up from last week where we shared on Malika’s delivery journey;

The C-section birth was a success. Both Malika and her baby boy were fine for a few hours. However, Malika’s condition drastically changed. She complained about feeling like she was going to faint yet she was in bed. She was restless, dizzy, had shortness of breath and was bleeding more than what was considered normal after a C-section.
In summary Malika had low blood pressure and also needed more blood (blood transfusion).

Most pregnant women, couples, parents etc in Uganda by default prepare for a normal delivery for various reasons, maybe limited resources or it’s what many are familiar with etc .

However, I think, it’s important to have an open mindset and prepare for either a normal delivery or a C-section to avoid certain unforeseen circumstances.

There are some categories of women who will prefer having a C-section to having a normal delivery This is wonderful for them. However, for others, it is as a result of health conditions here and there.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a first time mother or a veteran mother who has had a couple of normal deliveries. Childbirth is a 50/50 risk situation. Anything can go wrong at any point. Prepare well.

This is not to discredit the contributions done by various actors to improve maternal health. It is rather for educational purposes to promote maternal safety:

In Uganda, especially in some up-country health care facilities that I have visited and have accompanied a couple of my friends for antenatal care ……

The usual conversation surrounding the birth process details or the preparation is not something focused on. However, you will get your tetanus jab, vitamins, treatment for any infections but the child birth process is a silent area .

For instance, the midwife will check for the baby’s heartbeat and casually ask,
“will you have a normal delivery or you want to have a C-section so that we book for you one of our best doctors”.(written as stated)

But they will do less to prepare you mentally or in any other way for childbirth or to embrace either normal delivery or C-section. Less information about what entails normal delivery which is the preferred birth method is shared.

To be continued….

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Author: Ajal Mary Theodorah

To read part 1 click on The Two sides of Theodorah – WordPress
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Preparing for child birth/delivery(Cesarean birth or normal delivery/vaginal birth)- Part 1

Disclaimer: I am not a medical practitioner and These are my personal views as someone passionate about promoting maternal safety.

Pregnancy news is sometimes both exciting and filled with anxiety for couples or intending parents when they think about the child delivery process.

A story is told about Malika and Paul.

Malika and Her husband Paul were excited about their pregnancy  however, as the pregnancy progressed , Malika became  anxious about the delivery process and all the stories that surround it.

She was a woman in her mid twenties and believed there are minimal delivery risks associated with younger women as compared to older women .

She exercised whenever you could, ate like any other pregnant woman, went for antenatal care,took her vitamins and did what every average pregnant Ugandan Woman does.

Two weeks before her due date she came into labour. And because she was yet to get leave from work, she hadn’t travelled back to her mother’s place and  her husband was on work safari for a week. A colleague at work took her to the hospital.

She made a few phone calls to her husband and mother . Her mother was in Arua city which is 14  hours away from Busia where she was.

Malika was a first time mother, and after an agonizing 16 hours, she was just 4cm dilated with very little progress. Her college Rachael suggested they do a scan just to check if things are okay. They requested for a scan and during the scan it was discovered that the baby was in a  breech position and had a very weak heart beat. Which prompted  that an emergency C-section be done in order to save both the life of the baby and Mother .

Malika was this strong woman, who even when the contractions came in (labour pain),  she only held onto  the hospital bed and closed her eyes but not a single sound did she make.

But upon receiving the news about the C-section, Malika started wailing like someone had passed on,  all her bravery was gone. She even almost collapsed but was supported by the doctor and Rachael.

They were then asked to  make a deposit of Ugx.400, 000/= which she did and was rushed to the theatre for an emergency C-section.

To be continued….

Photo credit: E.P.Photografia

Author : Ajal Mary Theodorah
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The Dream & Vision Twisters

Have you ever been  caught up in a situation that left you wondering
“How did I get here ?”
And because it was  un-expected , you didn’t prepare an  exit or mitigation plan.

As we passionately strive to better our lives and  the world around us , we should be aware of tactical opposing forces or opportunists.

For instance, You may have such a magnificent vision that shakes and shapes society for the better. However due to the  outstanding nature of your vision it attracts individuals from all walks of life each with their own perspective about things.
These individuals will convince you  they’re in support of your cause and give you offers that seem life changing.

Slowly but steadily they start taking the front seat,  making suggestions, giving you assurance because of who they are and they know how to go around certain things.
Ignorantly or  innocently you grant them the platform to use your vision or cause or dream as a stepping stone to promote their totally different goals. Due to your current limitations or laxity  they invest  very huge resources that when they speak you can’t say no or even when you say no they threaten to take out the support..

By the time you realize,  you’re deep to a point that you don’t recognize whose vision or what exactly  you are working towards.

Be careful of dream and vision twisters, be focused on your vision, don’t get so excited about the resources or categories of people approaching you to support you.

Be humble enough to start small in honesty and grow with time .

Author: Ajal Mary Theodorah

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