For the mothers, mothers to be and general women thinking about motherhood.....

[Rahima]

^ Why wouldn't we be? Happy and normal that is- no words to describe the ensuing joy.

 

Blessed- as part of my MPH, i undertook research which looked at the maternity care needs of Somali women in Australia and the results were alarming to say the least, especially with regards to the C-section rates amongst Somali women. Here in Oz they seem to lay the blame with FGM, interestingly though the rates were just as high with women aged 20-30- many of whom who grew up in Australia and therefore did not experience FGM.

[NGONGE]

Malika,

 

That and the madness of women. The crazy thing about it is that the midwives are also usually women, the doctors are women and everything in the place is all about women. Then they drag a poor, reasonable man into the middle of this mayham and ask him to try to find his way through it all.

 

The wife tells him she can't bear the pain.

 

The midwife tells him it's still early days.

 

The wife who a minute ago was at death's door shouts "midwifta xun siday na eegaysa ma argtay?"

 

The mother-in-law plays it all Somali and gives him a look that says "you really shouldn't be here"

 

Some cadaan or tima jilic woman is screaming her heart out in the next room and he starts thinking this sort of screaming is going to start coming of his wife soon (only to later find out that Somali women don't scream like that!).

 

The midwife pushes him out of the way to get something or other. The mother-in-law pushes him out of the way to get closer on that side.

 

The wife demands that he reads some quran loudly.

 

The mother-in-law makes a passing comment in Somali about the midwife. The wife stops her frantic breathing to join in with the gossip.

 

A sister-in-law hovers outside the room but is not allowed to come in because only a maximum of two relatives are allowed. The husband gets kicked out.

 

The husband gets called back in again.

 

A new sister-in-law arrives. The husband gets kicked out.

 

An epidural discussion begins. The husband is called back in.

 

They agree to have an epidural, the mother-in-law disagrees. They agree not to have an epidural.

 

The sister-in-law, who has a friend that is a midwife starts talking about C section and the great possibility that it may take place.

 

The mother-in-law panics and starts reading quran.

 

The wife stops the heavy breathing to ask if anyone had thier dinner yet!!!

 

The midwife sticks her head into the room to ask if everything is ok.

 

The wife goes back to breathing heavily and pulling faces.

 

The screaming from next door gets louder and now even louder sobs are being heard from the room on the other side.

 

Suddenly, the waters break. The midwives rush in. The heavy breathing increases. A baby is born and someone says "Mabrook". Bloody hell!

 

Never again, says the mother. NEVER AGAIN, says the father.

 

A couple of years later, the whole movie is played again. But this time, the midwife hits you with sarcastic comments about experience and knowing when things are really serious. Neither the wife nor the husband are any the wiser and every contraction seems like the end of the world.

 

Naga daaya.

[Rahima]

^- exactly how it happens. I don't think many Somalis would say never again though- certainly not in my neck of the woods anyway. Four wheel drives and caruur are the new points of competition here.

[raula]

NGONGE;935676 wrote:

 

A couple of years later, the whole movie is played again....Neither the wife nor the husband are any the wiser and every contraction seems like the end of the world.

 

Naga daaya.

Men just don't learn their lessons !

 

I have no idea what you are talking about NGONGE; is this what husbands experience/recall..coz i don't ?? ma anaa waalan mise ??

[NGONGE]

^^ Adiga waalan of course.

[Blessed]

^Maya.. Cadan baa laga heesayaa.

 

Rahima, your study would make for an interesting read hon. I think in England there was a general rise and then a c-section reduction policy around 08 but I think the numbers remained the same, would be great if someone looked at the Somali community in the UK.

[-Lily-]

What little research exists shows that there is a clear lack of communication and more than enough stereotyping on the part of midwives and healthcare professionals. But still, is it not too easy to say midwives and doctors are prejudiced and are all just helping Somali mothers along to the operating theatre…isnt it a mothers responsibility to educate herself about the system? Her options? Even if she has to use a translator?

 

p.s. Faduma, there is a small study by Strauss et al, (2009) called ‘Somali women’s experience of childbirth in the UK: Perspectives from Somali health workers’. You can google it, it was done by a team at UCL.

[Reeyo]

Interesting ladies, thanks for sharing.

 

I've always wondered why there are never a therapy/counselling sections in the birth/women hospitals. I also never believed my ayeeyo for claiming she gave birth on her own while with the ari in the miyi. Supposedly she carried a single kitchen knife and a extra dirac and went on with her duties, at the end of the day waay so caarabatay with all 12 iido and baby uncle Ayaanlee.

[-Serenity-]

That was insightful - thanks for sharing gabdho.