Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

When I was in my late twenties, I experienced the birth of my best friend’s first child.  She wanted me to be there.  It was so exciting and scary at the same time.  I watched a tiny human being enter the world in such a miraculous way.  My friend carried her son for the entire 9 months without any problems or complications before, during, or after the birth.  During her pregnancy she took her prenatal vitamins, exercised regularly, and kept all of her doctor’s appointments.  He son was very healthy and weighed 7lbs and 13 ounces.  She eventually had five more sons.  The thing that sticks in my mind the most when I heard the first sounds coming from this tiny being and I chose this example because it was an experience that I will never forget. 

I think that God gives each of us children for specific reasons.  In order for a child to be healthy and develop well after being born, you have to take care of yourself and do the right things.  You should reframe from activities that will increase the risks of a child having developmental problems, such as drinking, smoking, doing drugs, etc.   Although sometimes you can take care of yourself and the child may still have problems due to a variety of reasons. 

Births in Africa are somewhat different from those in the United States.  Skilled attendance by midwives at all births is considered to be the single most critical intervention for ensuring safe motherhood, because it hastens the timely delivery of emergency obstetric and newborn care when life-threatening complications arise.  Most births in Africa are performed at home.  Just before the birth, the midwife prepares and ingredient for application to the child’s umbilical cord.  These ingredients consists of ash, sugar, an egg-shaped poisonous fruit called Umtuma, and grass from the roof of the mother’s hut.  The ingredients are all mixed together and applied to the umbilical cord and it falls off within three days.  The mother remains in the hut for approximately 7 days before she can resume her normal activities.  Both United States and African births are performed by skilled medical persons.  Some of the differences are in the United States most births are performed in a hospital and we put alcohol on the umbilical cord to stop infection.  The cord usually falls off in three days; this is also true for African women.   In the United States if you are doing ok you can go home in 2 to three days but African women have to remain in their hut for   approximately 7 days.  You have to be extra careful in foreign countries because there are many serious diseases that women can catch if they do not take care of themselves, especially involving the drinking water.