I have never watched a programme on SBS before, but recently my mum was watching a Christmas programme which she found whilst channel surfing, during the break there was an ad for a series called "toughest place to be a...", this weeks programme was on a midwife from Britian who went to Liberia to experience midwifery there. Having just given birth 4 months ago, I was intruiged to watch this to see the difference in childbirth.
This show ripped at my heart! The conditions these women give birth in are terrible, they have next to nothing to assist these women, and the care for the mother after birth is sad. The room is full of women all at different stages, some just have given birth, some are in labour, some have just had an abortion, some are experiencing severe bleeding because of home births with untrained people. There is no privacy.
Although all these stories broke my heart one in particular got me choked up. A lady who had 5 children had just given birth at home with the help of a neighbour who was untrained. She was bleeding and in a critical situation. This lady needed to have to blood transfusions which cost her 2500 each, which is equivilent to one months pay for a person in Liberia. This lady was talking to the midwife from Britain and was pleading with her to go to her home and take one of her children because she could not afford to pay this money back, and if she did she would not be able to afford food. She was also saying that she wished she had died because she would not of then had to of worried about the financial costs and providing for her family.
I have never experienced anything so confronting and even although it is a tv show it was real and its got me thinking on what I can do to do my part. I am really stumped to what I can do, because I don't feel I can do enough. My first thought is that I would love to sponser a child and to write to them and really take an interest in their life. I think having my own child has really opened my eyes to how blessed I am. I have a really happy and healthy child. I will always be able to provide for her even if we do struggle.
I really feel blessed that my birth of Emery was in excellent conditions that there where experienced midwives, doctors and nurses around if anything were to of gone wrong. I feel blessed that I was in control of my birth experience and that I had the privacy that I needed. I feel blessed that I have so much and I want to do my part to assist those who have nothing.
Although all these stories broke my heart one in particular got me choked up. A lady who had 5 children had just given birth at home with the help of a neighbour who was untrained. She was bleeding and in a critical situation. This lady needed to have to blood transfusions which cost her 2500 each, which is equivilent to one months pay for a person in Liberia. This lady was talking to the midwife from Britain and was pleading with her to go to her home and take one of her children because she could not afford to pay this money back, and if she did she would not be able to afford food. She was also saying that she wished she had died because she would not of then had to of worried about the financial costs and providing for her family.
I have never experienced anything so confronting and even although it is a tv show it was real and its got me thinking on what I can do to do my part. I am really stumped to what I can do, because I don't feel I can do enough. My first thought is that I would love to sponser a child and to write to them and really take an interest in their life. I think having my own child has really opened my eyes to how blessed I am. I have a really happy and healthy child. I will always be able to provide for her even if we do struggle.
I really feel blessed that my birth of Emery was in excellent conditions that there where experienced midwives, doctors and nurses around if anything were to of gone wrong. I feel blessed that I was in control of my birth experience and that I had the privacy that I needed. I feel blessed that I have so much and I want to do my part to assist those who have nothing.
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