Giving birth somewhere in Europe...

As my days wane by, I can't help thinking about all those women who have lost their infants at birth or the men who lost both infant and mother during delivery. Margaret Kenyatta is an opportunist, a productive opportunist since what she is doing now with the #beyondzero campaign, is something that she could have done even before the husband became influential. That does not mean I don't applaud her efforts, not that it's going to change anything. She is using her position as a First Lady to collect funds in order to put right what the government has failed to. Never mind that it is its duty to ensure that the health system is apt enough for the population.

I am scheduled for a Caesarian, and thinking about how medicalised even natural birth is in the West for damage contro,l and trying to compare that with what's taking place in Kenya just leaves a lot to be desired.

There's the doctor -the gynecologist without whom nothing much can take place. One has to be always present or on stand-by just incase.

A nurse does the bulk of the work. He/she executes the gynaes orders and is the one who is mostly present after the procedure has long been done. She'll make the follow-ups and updates the gynae who'll just come to check that everything's okey.

There's the midwife, who works under the nurse. The midwife will know everything about the patient. He/she reports to the nurse and the gynae. The midwife veils on the wellbeing of the mother. Asks whether there'll be help in the house, does the house-rounds upon return to ensure that everything is okey.

Then there's the puéricultrice, who takes duly care of the infant from birth, teaches you how to wash it, follows up on the first injections etcetera. Ensures that the feeding is going on well, that the baby has all that it needs etcetera.

Then there's auxiliaire de vie. This lady is there to maintain cleanliness of the patient. Changes the beddings, the pads, wipes the patient, etcetera.

Then there'll be the cleaning lady who ensures that the room is impeccably clean.

Last, I guess there's the one who serves meals. 

I don't have all the details as my first birth was planned to be natural and all over sudden we had to undergo a CS.

And just incase anything goes wrong and there's death (which is inevitable), there'll be conselling. Tonnes of counselling session! A couple is never left to their own devices as is the case in Kenya. And it is for this reason that #istandwithmamanjeri - You can click on the link to watch the video and get the concept.

https://youtu.be/6BXEEzu1KdU #istandwithmamanjeri