Insight: Midwives are life savers

When growing up, I only heard of Life guards- the people that help rescue people from drowning in water bodies. However, of late I have come to learn that there are other life guards. The midwives are yet another perfect example of life savers. Has it ever crossed your mind that the lives of a mother and child lay in the hands of the midwife? Well if it has never, for me it has, on more than a thousand counts. One day I visited a hospital, where I had gone to see a friend who had given birth. I came across a woman who seemed to be having labor pains, her facial expression loudly called for help. I tried to give her support up the stairs. When we reached the maternity ward, I called a nurse who took her straight into a room. All I could see through the glass window was the nurse putting on gloves. Half an hour later, I heard a baby cry. I then began to think—oh, so this was a midwife. I could not afford not to share with you this incidence because it got to my thoughts that midwives are life savers in the delivery rooms. They will always give a mother and child the best pre-natal care, support and encouragement at birth and post natal care. Even when a village woman thinks they can do it themselves, a midwife would certainly make it easier because she is a professional in what I may call “life saving.” I am very sure that the moment of giving birth is very delicate for any woman and their baby. Therefore, the presence of a midwife is very vital in order to avoid any circumstances that may result into deaths. Midwives are not only supposed to present themselves at a time when there are complications but right from the time of conceiving, they give advice, care and support to expectant mothers until the time of delivery. Midwives are people who give several mothers reason to smile at the end of the day. Even when things do not go well, they will be in position to give a good explanation because that is what they are trained to do. With their professional ethics highly upheld for the good of saving the mothers and the future generation, people should respect and have great expectation for them. Therefore, expectant mothers and the society should make use of these great life savers. We should not allow circumstances make us ignorant of the tremendous role that midwives play in our societies. jacqueuwera@yahoo.com