I have two wonderful kids, my little girl is turning seven, she was born in 2004 at Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah and my little boy is turning one, he was born last year at Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, and both celebrating their birthday this April. I love them so much and I will do everything for them.
My mom used to tell me that giving birth is not easy, it is the time in a woman's life when one of her feet is on the grave. Perhaps she was right if a woman gives birth in a place where there is not much of a facility or at home without having a qualified person to deliver the baby.
Today I stumbled upon a video documentary by BBC on YouTube about some toughest places to be as a midwife they featured Liberia in West Africa - one of the world's poorest countries where there is a very high infant mortality rate. The documentary was divided into five parts and in every segment, Suzanne a practicing midwife for nine years in Sutton Coldfield learned and discovered a world of midwifery different from hers where they lack the basic resources. All first four parts is a learning experience and in part five, she was allowed by the co-midwives to help a woman deliver a baby pleasantly and less painfully by simply waiting and letting the woman's body do the natural way of birth, Suzanne was very gentle, calm and helpful and the woman seems happy about it, she showed them how they do it in her country, she said that birth must be a wonderful time for a woman having a baby.
I definitely agree with her. I gave birth to my two kids here in the UAE and there was a big difference when the people around you seem to care especially when loved ones and family members are not around to help you out. Between my daughter and my son, I can say that I have suffered more with M's delivery. It was in Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, a quite strict emirate, government hospitals wouldn't allow husbands to be with their wives while they are in labor and delivery, well simply men are not allowed in the maternity ward. The nurses at Al Qassimi are kind, helpful, and gentle, the facility is almost modern, and they have what was needed. With Prince whom I had at Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, nurses are also kind, and helpful but more gentle and vocal. It seems as to my observation that the facilities and equipment are more high-tech now, well there was a six years difference so I am giving the other hospital the benefit of the doubt that they must have upgraded their stuff over there. Not only that, the best thing was that they allow my husband to be with me every step of the way until Prince was delivered. I was very happy about it and grateful to the nurses and doctors that allow him to stay and helped me.
I was lucky, in some parts of the world where there are less or no resources at all, a lot of babies and mothers die for no reason at all.
Update 04/05/2011: unfortunately the videos I sourced from youtube are no longer available
My mom used to tell me that giving birth is not easy, it is the time in a woman's life when one of her feet is on the grave. Perhaps she was right if a woman gives birth in a place where there is not much of a facility or at home without having a qualified person to deliver the baby.
Today I stumbled upon a video documentary by BBC on YouTube about some toughest places to be as a midwife they featured Liberia in West Africa - one of the world's poorest countries where there is a very high infant mortality rate. The documentary was divided into five parts and in every segment, Suzanne a practicing midwife for nine years in Sutton Coldfield learned and discovered a world of midwifery different from hers where they lack the basic resources. All first four parts is a learning experience and in part five, she was allowed by the co-midwives to help a woman deliver a baby pleasantly and less painfully by simply waiting and letting the woman's body do the natural way of birth, Suzanne was very gentle, calm and helpful and the woman seems happy about it, she showed them how they do it in her country, she said that birth must be a wonderful time for a woman having a baby.
I definitely agree with her. I gave birth to my two kids here in the UAE and there was a big difference when the people around you seem to care especially when loved ones and family members are not around to help you out. Between my daughter and my son, I can say that I have suffered more with M's delivery. It was in Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, a quite strict emirate, government hospitals wouldn't allow husbands to be with their wives while they are in labor and delivery, well simply men are not allowed in the maternity ward. The nurses at Al Qassimi are kind, helpful, and gentle, the facility is almost modern, and they have what was needed. With Prince whom I had at Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, nurses are also kind, and helpful but more gentle and vocal. It seems as to my observation that the facilities and equipment are more high-tech now, well there was a six years difference so I am giving the other hospital the benefit of the doubt that they must have upgraded their stuff over there. Not only that, the best thing was that they allow my husband to be with me every step of the way until Prince was delivered. I was very happy about it and grateful to the nurses and doctors that allow him to stay and helped me.
I was lucky, in some parts of the world where there are less or no resources at all, a lot of babies and mothers die for no reason at all.
Update 04/05/2011: unfortunately the videos I sourced from youtube are no longer available