The birth of my niece. My sister was 22 years when she gave birth to her daughter. On what should have been a regular visit to her gynecologist since she was expecting her baby in two weeks time she was given a letter to report to the General Hospital the following morning at 7.00 a.m. She was not experiencing any pain at all. I accompanied her to the hospital. By 8.30 a.m. she was taken to the delivery room. The doctor induced labor, however, the nurses were not very pleased because they felt that the natural birthing process should be attempted before inducing labour. The nurses burst the water bag and my sister began experiencing contractions like every fifteen minutes which then reduced to every ten minutes followed by every five minutes. The nurses told her if she felt as though she need to free her bowels it is a sign that she was about to give birth. She was given a small incursion to allow for the passage of the baby’s head and in a split second my niece was born. A bouncing baby girl weighing 8lbs 2 ounces; much to the delight of the entire family. By the following day my sister and her baby were at home. It was a very smooth process.
I chose this example because I never gave birth and it was the only one I witnessed. The birth process is a very joyous moment for families because it is the bringing forth of life and as such it is a beautiful opportunity to nurture children’s development and ensure that they contribute meaningfully to society.
Miskito Communities in Honduras
Women generally give birth at home with a midwife, family member, or nurse with a private healthcare practice. Health center personnel rarely attend births, and few women leave their villages to give birth at hospitals or other facilities. The health clinic in Palacios is slightly better staffed and equipped than local health centers. Should the need arise for obstetric care women would need to travel for about 2 hours for emergency by motorized canoe. However, the clinic's capabilities remain limited and underused. For instance, during 218 reproductive histories, no woman reported undergoing an emergency cesarean section delivery there (Arps, 2007). Women experiencing obstructed labor and other complications are referred to regional hospitals for surgery.
In both instances the mothers received assistance in delivering the baby and there were family support. In the case of my sister, there was the doctor and trained nurses to assist her and the delivery occurred in the hospital. However, with the Miskito women their births occurred at home with the assistance of the midwife or nurse.
How wonderful that you were able to be by your sister's side while she delivered her baby! I an curious, what was the determining factor in sending her to the hospital to deliver when she was clearly not in labor--where there other medical issues the doctor's were dealing with? I was also surprised that prior to her delivery, she was given an incursion; is this common practice? In the States a woman is not given an incursion unless it is absolutely needed.
ReplyDeleteThe information you provided regarding labor and delivery in Honduras is astounding. I cannot imagine needing to travel 2 hours by canoe to receive obstetric care. How often does this happen and why is there no such care at the clinics?
Evlyn I have the similar concerns as Geof. I do not understand why they would induce your sister without her being past her due date and clearly not in labor. But it is good that you were there every step of the way for support. It amazes me how quickly she was released as well. I was admitted and stayed 2-3 days after birth and believe me I was ready to go home :) Thank you for the research for child birth in Hondouras. I could not imagine being transported by motorized canoe while in labor or needing extensive care but that just comes to show that mothers will always do what they have to do for themselves and their children. This was great info. Thanks for sharing.
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