International Midwife’s Day: Celebrating Midwives In Our Community
At one time you will most probably have some questions on pregnancy, giving birth and weaning that only a midwife and a doula can answer them. Maybe you have already sought the assistance of a doula or a midwife and you had a successful pregnancy and birth.
Apart from encouraging women to love their marks, Bio Oil also works closely and supports midwives as they share bits and pieces about their car. To show appreciation for midwives and doulas, we feature a midwife and a doula as they share advice, insights, midwifery myths and so much more.
Esther Kimani The Doula: She has delivered a 1000 babies and has worked with mums in the village to answer their pregnancy and baby related questions.
What is your philosophy regarding pregnancy, birth and your role in it?
Pregnancy and birth is a normal, natural process that women were designed to experience. My role as a doula is to provide emotional, physical, and educational support to a mother who is pregnant, during her labour and continue on to the postpartum period. My dream is to help women have a safe, memorable, and empowering birthing experience
What is your philosophy on weight gain, nutrition, prenatal supplements and exercise?
During pregnancy, a woman will experience some weight gain as the pregnancy progresses. It is important to eat the right foods and in addition, take prenatal supplements to ensure the healthy growth of her baby. Eating a balanced diet also ensures that she does not add too much weight during pregnancy. Exercise during pregnancy helps to reduce pregnancy discomforts, improves the mother’s moods and helps her prepare her body for labour and birth.
What are some of the midwifery/doula myths that you have come across?
Myth – “Do you deliver the baby?”
No. Even though a doula is a trained professional, she does not deliver a baby or administer medical care or advice. A doula is a woman who is trained to assist another woman during childbirth and who may provide support to the family after the baby is born. She is a non-medical person who assists a woman and family before, during and after giving birth.
What is the most rewarding part of your career?
Being there to support and having a mom have an empowering and positive birth experience and further seeing parents gain confidence as they begin their parenting journey.
How has your midwife/doula experience been and how did you get started doing this?
Its been an exhilarating and extremely fulfilling journey. I became a doula after I got my first child. I had such a tough and crazy start to my motherhood journey and that inspired me to get training so that I could support a mum to have a better experience than the one that I had myself.
How many babies have you brought in this world?
1000.
What are some of the most challenging aspects of being a midwife?
People do not get understand the role of a doula so it can be difficult to practice in our local setting.
What advice would you give to a young person looking to go into this career?
You need a lot of passion, patience and heart to serve these families.
What’s the one thing that you’d want people to understand about midwives and doulas?
We are passionate about seeing women have a natural, empowering and safe birth experience.
Lucy Munoru the midwife: She has birthed 60 babies throughout her nursing career.
What is your philosophy regarding pregnancy, birth and your role in it?
Pregnancy is intertwined with all stages of development and birth is a process of creating a new life role entails preparing children, women and men for this through the proper promotion of good health.
What is your philosophy on weight gain, nutrition, prenatal supplements and exercise?
Weight gain is limited to ensuring a normal body mass index, nutrition should provide all components of good health and taken in moderation. Prenatal supplements are necessary especially folic and iron. Exercise ensures the well-being of mother and baby.
What are some of the midwifery/doula myths that you have come across?
That the mother should kneel during childbirth and that cow dung is applied to the cord of a newborn.
What is the most rewarding part of your career?
The satisfaction a mother and her family has on holding their baby after I have assisted in the process.
How has your midwife/doula experience been and how did you get started doing this?
Good and it started with training for it.
How many babies have you brought in this world?
60.
What are some of the most challenging aspects of being a midwife?
When a mother develops complications and is far from more specialized help.
What advice would you give to a young person looking to go into this career?
That it requires passion and is very rewarding and has growth opportunities.
What’s the one thing that you’d want people to understand about midwives and doulas?
Having been present through the ages, they are very important in society. They are human and have prerequisite skills, knowledge and attitudes towards pregnancy and childbirth.
Happy International Midwife’s Day To all The Midwives and Doulas in The World. Thank you for the great work you do. We celebrate you.
Happy International Midwife’s Day!
You may also like; Choose your Birth Companion Carefully
Don’t forget to register for our weekly newsletter and follow us for interesting highlights on MumsVillage Facebook page!
