5:PRAYEREPISODE 5 PREPARING FOR CHILDBIRTH SERIES

Today I conclude the preparing for childbirth series which was aimed at #creating_awarness_on_maternal_health_and_Safety  as we handle the last topic which is prayer .

Prayer has been proven in many ways to be very helpful in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression and other scientifically unexplainable experiences among others.

Prayer gives hope, calms you, gives confidence and assurance that all will be Well.
Prayer strengthens you and also builds you up mentally, emotionally and physically. which gives you balance irrespective of what will happen or not happen during and after the childbirth.

According to Boelens et al., participants in their study showed great improvement in dealing with anxiety and depression after receiving prayers( link to Journal: https://doi.org/10.2190/PM.39.4.c )

Many pregnant women struggle with anxiety, depression, fear, and several emotions that prayer can help remedy.

According to a study on the Prevalence of depression in Uganda, the pooled prevalence of depression among postpartum or pregnant women was 26.9%.( https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0276552#:~:text=Out%20of%20the%206296%20postpartum,0.001)%20(Fig%207). )

It is therefore important for both pregnant women and their partners, friends or well wishers to pray .

Good luck to all intending parents, couples and new mothers.

#creating_awarness_on_maternal_health_and_Safety

Episode one mental preparation for childbirth:https://marytheodorahakoth.wordpress.com/2023/06/30/mental-preparation-for-childbirth-preparing-for-child-birth-series/

Episode Two: Choosing a childbirth companion: https://marytheodorahakoth.wordpress.com/2023/07/07/intentionally-building-a-team-or-choosing-a-childbirth-companion/

Episode Three: Finance/ Savings for Childbirth : https://marytheodorahakoth.wordpress.com/2023/07/14/3-finance-savings-for-childbirth/

Episode Four: https://marytheodorahakoth.wordpress.com/2023/07/21/pre-existing-maternal-medical-conditions/

Author: Ajal Mary Theodorah
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTwoSidesOfTheodorah
WordPress: https://marytheodorahakoth.wordpress.com/
Photo credit : E.P.Photografia

4: PRE-EXISTING MATERNAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS

EPISODE FOUR OF PREPARING FOR CHILDBIRTH SERIES

Pregnancy is a life defining journey in many ways that,  after the nine months every mother or couple should all go home happy with no one lost due to avoidable circumstances.

As a pregnant woman or couple with child, it’s important to go for a thorough medical check to ascertain any underlying medical conditions or pre-existing maternal medical conditions.
This will enable the medical personnel to better help you prior to your delivery time and during childbirth.

For instance Fibroids have become an issue among many women of reproductive age in Uganda.It is estimated that at least 20 per cent of women by the age of 30 have fibroids in Uganda.(Link to the information : https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/fibroids-can-multiply-to-61-3324846)
Therefore pregnant women and their partners should check for some of these conditions and prepare appropriately for childbirth.

Knowing your pre-existing maternal medical conditions will be what stands between saving your life and death.

As you draw near to your delivery due date, arrange all your medical documents with all the important information.Clearly stating  your medical conditions to save time.
For instance what is  your blood group, do you have hypertension, do have a heart disease, are you epileptic, what medications are you allergic to, or what are your allergies among others.

Make the work of the medical personnel easier by providing them with the information they need to help you better.
Don’t think they know everything,  withholding important information about your health will instead work against you .

Don’t feel ashamed about whatever health conditions you might be having, shame could cost you your life.

Share this information or medical documents with your birthing companion so that they can best communicate with the medical personnel.

Sometimes if you sense your body is acting up, especially if you’re aware of some of your pre-existing maternal medical conditions please don’t try to prove how strong you’re, seek help, talk about how you’re feeling so that you can be helped timely.

#creating_awarness_on_maternal_health_and_Safety

Episode one mental preparation for childbirth:https://marytheodorahakoth.wordpress.com/2023/06/30/mental-preparation-for-childbirth-preparing-for-child-birth-series/

Episode Two: Choosing a childbirth companion: https://marytheodorahakoth.wordpress.com/2023/07/07/intentionally-building-a-team-or-choosing-a-childbirth-companion/

Episode Three: Finance/ Savings for Childbirth : https://marytheodorahakoth.wordpress.com/2023/07/14/3-finance-savings-for-childbirth/

Author: Ajal Mary Theodorah
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTwoSidesOfTheodorah
WordPress: https://marytheodorahakoth.wordpress.com/
Photo credit : E.P.Photografia

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
The Two Sides Of Theodorah – WordPress
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Navigating Blended families -Part 4

As we conclude this chapter of blended families , I share a few suggestions that migt be of Help to someone transitioning into blended family life. 

Disclaimer:
I am not a relationship expert , therapist or counselor , but these views I share are based on the interactions and experiences I have had  with various individuals who are or were raised in a blended or step family.

Plan your blended family structure and all in advance with certain basic principles to rely on as you all adjust and find your rhythm later as the family  gets to be more stable. However do not go into a blended family with a lot of expectations. Things can be unpredictable but prepare and brace for whichever situation.

Give yourself time to heal before starting a new relationship so that you have a great fresh start to prevent moving forward unhealed wounds from the previous relationship to the next one .

Just like any relationship , communication is an important aspect. Mentally , emotionally prepare yourself and the children before the commencement of building a blended family. Establish clear communication between you , your partner and the children.  Talk to your children, communicate, children understand more than they can express. Talk about things together and forge ahead together. Give them a simple explanation or insight on why the family situation is changing in the simplest way possible to match the child’s age group.

Work together as a team with your partner on various issues concerning your family so that matters concerning the family are agreed  upon  in advance to avoid contradicting opinions which may confuse the children or other parties involved or make you seem divided.

Seek professional help if you can afford to help you find balance in your life and family as well.

There is so much to share about blended families , but all in all you have to be more intentional and disciplined to make  your blended family an enjoyable experience for the children , yourself and partner.

You can also read part 1 to 3 on the links below

Navigating Blended Families Part One

Navigating Blended Families Part Two

Navigating Blended Families Part Three

Author : Akoth mary Theodorah

The Two Sides Of Theodorah – WordPress
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NAVIGATING BLENDED FAMILIES

According to research, 1,300 step or blended families are formed everyday and 30 million children under the age of 13 are living in a step or blended family.

Currently many of us are born or raised or related to someone in a blended family.  And for some reason, we are struggling with several issues like identity crisis, hot temperedness etc. But how can we ensure that the past mistakes are not passed on to the younger generation?

On the other hand, having children doesn’t mean that your life has ended.  But, it means you have a responsibility to raise them into responsible adults who can take care of themselves and not become a burden to you and society at large.

A story is told of Amelia, a young woman, 35 years of age who met Josef and they fell in love and got married. Josef was divorced with 5 children (1 girl  and 4 boys aged  15, 12,10 , 8 and 4 respectively) and Amelia had none but they were committed to raising their children in a safe and harmonious home.

Before marriage , Josef introduced Amelia to the children on her birthday as a friend after which they would casually meet and try to let the children know Amelia and for Amelia to know the children as well.

Josef’s children quickly warmed up to Amelia except for the 10 year old boy who openly shared his feelings about how he never wanted Amelia to replace his mother and his mother would soon come back. This boy was equivalent to 10 mischievous children, he pulled all sorts of stunts  on Amelia, some even life threatening .

All in all, it is difficult to get children to blend in a blended family. Often, there will be a child or several of them who are against the whole idea of the blended family. But, there are also those who are warm and will even request their parents to get a partner. It takes a lot of patience and being intentional about several aspects of the relationship to actually make it work.

How do you as a parent maintain or create that bond between you and your children when your children are being raised by someone else. What is the fate and future of those children?

And what are the pros and cons of bringing your children into the relationship?

We have also witnessed or  heard of children being abused in some of these relationships by either partners.

How do you create a peaceful and a safe environment for the children and the spouses?

Author: Ajal Mary Theodorah

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