My Personal Birthing Experience~Traditonal birth attendants in Liberia.

Having my second child a little over a year ago was nothing like my experience when I had my 10 year old in 2000. They were two different experiences. With my first child I was in labor for 10 1/2 hours and had a c-section after the long labor. While in recovery, the nurse brought my new born to me to nurse she immediately latched on with no problems, everything was perfect. She passed all test, and she had no medical complications. However with my second child, my pregnancy presented some minor challenges, as well as the delivery. My second child had a merconium plug (intestinal blockage) which caused a few problems and required us to be in the NICU. Being there made me sensitive to the hardships families face when things go wrong during the delivery process. It can be quite scary, however through innovative technology, and a caring team of medical professionals we were able to overcome the challenges that my little one faced. My thoughts regarding birth and the impact on child development are earmarked by my personal experiences. I believe that from the beginning children need observant, caring, knowledgeable caretakers/parents who will responsive to their specific needs. I am an avid believer of early intervention because intervention is just that, intervening before delays onset. Intervention helps with the fostering of healthy development in young children. As a parent, having an awesome support system in place to help us through some of the hurdles that we experienced made it possible to lovingly guide my little one.

I choose Liberia as a place to research birthing experiences. I found interesting facts regarding the efforts that have been implemented to ensure that women and children have safe, clean deliveries in a country that is recovering from years of war. The video clip shares the birth attendant’s perspectives as trainees as well as live footage of the hands on experience that the organization provides. What I found most unique about the methodology for teaching was the use of songs and drama skits to re-enact scenarios that might occur. This is done because most of the women are illiterate; however they are able to possess the remarkable strength to be leaders in their communities as birth attendants. The video is a bit lengthy, but I am sure you will enjoy the perspective of a resilient country on the rise from war and oppression.