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In a disturbing incident that came to light recently, a man convinced his pregnant wife to have a natural delivery at home, and tried to perform this complex procedure himself with the help of a Youtube video.
Owing to the lack of proper medical attention his 28 year old wife lost her life due to excessive blood loss. This event took place in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu.
It’s not clear what led the couple to make this decision, but this episode does bring into focus the fact that despite technological advancement in the medical field, India still has a high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR). One reason for this is that not all women have the benefit of having safe childbirth with proper medical attention, due to cost issues, lack of awareness or logistics issues.
The government has introduced many schemes like Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) for the poorer sections of society so that they can receive proper medical care during pregnancy. Another step in this direction by the government has been to introduce Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) across villages and towns. They are community health workers who amongst other duties, create awareness about government hospitals and convince women to opt for going to a hospital for childbirth.
However, in many government hospitals, the facilities present are limited and out-of-date. The doctors are overworked and at times women in labour are treated insensitively and cruelly. Institutionalised deliveries were incentivised to reduce maternal and infant mortality, but most women do not receive the care promised to them as per the above mentioned programs. Instead they have to face what can only be termed as obstetric violence. Some women have even complained of being hit during childbirth in these facilities. Though they are entitled to free treatment, often, members of the staff bully and extort money from them. Their harrowing experiences make them wary of going back to these hospitals for their next pregnancy and they prefer delivering at home through midwives. While midwives can be a good option for the delivery in many cases, not all midwives are well-trained.
Some childbirths are complicated procedures and at times, can even be fatal. Post childbirth issues like infection, haemorrhage or high blood pressure can kill the new mother if not treated immediately.
Ensuring that women reach the hospital for safe childbirth is only the first step. The more vital step is to guarantee that they receive proper medical attention. Our government medical facilities should be updated and properly staffed. An expectant mother must receive care by experienced doctors in a sensitive manner so that what is supposed to be the most beautiful moment of her life is not scarred with a traumatic experience.
India has received commendation from UNICEF for having the fastest decline in MMR, but it is no reason to celebrate as it still as high as 130 per lakh. Let’s work towards reducing this number and ensuring we have healthy mothers and babies.
Image source: YouTube
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We are conditioned to normalise domestic violence out of fear of abandonment. Thinking that 'trauma bonding' is better than no bonding holds us back from speaking up!
(Trigger Warning: This post may be triggering for survivors of domestic violence. This post has been published especially to honour the International Day For The Elimination of Violence Against Women.)
Everyone said my perfect husband was like Lord Ram…. but this is how he took unfair advantage of my tolerance!
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Alone in the apartment the whole day, Riya used to feel claustrophobic. She could not imagine anyone living in with just one bunk to call one’s own. She thought about the clean air and the verdant hills of Siliguri.
The Muse of the Month is a monthly writing contest organised by Women’s Web, bringing you original fiction inspired by women.
Harshita Nanda is one of the winners for the November 2021 Muse of the Month, and wins a Rs 750 Amazon voucher from Women’s Web. The juror for this month, Anuradha Kumar commented, “This is truly an unusual, and moving mother-daughter story, set dually in Dubai and Siliguri. This story of courage, determination, and love of the mother, and the growing awareness on the daughter’s part is really insightful and very moving. A very contemporary story, featuring characters not much written about before.”
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First woman Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman will present the new government’s first budget today. A perfect moment to look at the Modi 1.0 government and what the Ministry of Women and Child Development has managed to accomplish (or not accomplish) in 2014-19, and put out what women expect from it in 2019-24.
Resuming periods after delivery is a challenge, and a new mom needs support for it, along with the bigger challenge of caring for a baby.
Childbirth is a life changing event for a woman. And we all know the hitches that come tagged along with periods every month. Now imagine a time in your life when you have to deal with periods along with a new born baby by your side plus the postpartum issues. Sounds like a spine chilling experience right?
The funny part is that although the newborn child has a set of parents, it is the mother whose life turns upside down. Of course the biology has a huge role to play here, but in our Indian society, the role of a father all along has not been more than to pay for the hospital bill and other miscellaneous costs.