Midwives celebrate big day despite Covid-19 challenge

For the 38 years she has been a midwife, nothing has brought Louisa Muteti joy like holding a baby whose umbilical cord is still attached to the mother.

“It is magical, godly and out of this world,” she says.

Ms Muteti says watching a woman carry a pregnancy, assuring her that things will be fine as she grunts and yells in the process of delivering, and finally hearing the baby’s cry as life is brought into the world, give her a lot of joy. She sometimes finds tears welling up in her eyes as she rushes to clean the baby.

“Midwifery gives a different kind of connection. Being the first to hold a baby and watching the mother’s face light up in anticipation is so beautiful. Placing that baby on the mother’s breast and seeing them form that first bond is a good feeling. Midwives should be celebrated forever,” says Muteti, also the chairperson of the Midwives Association of Kenya.

Interrupted plans

If Covid-19 had not interrupted their plans, today would have been a day of great celebration for widwives. They would have had events in different parts of the country to teach communities the importance of good maternity care. They would have also had meetings among themselves to talk about their experiences as midwives, and new technologies being used in reproductive and sexual health.

“The International Day for Midwives is a day for us to pause and think of how to improve lives and our practice. This time, we will use virtual meetings through technologies like zoom and WhatsApp. It is not the same, but we have to do something,” she says.

Every year since 1992, the day is marked on May 5 to honour and celebrate midwives globally. This year’s theme is, “Midwives with Women: Celebrate, Demonstrate, Mobilise, Unite – Our Time is Now!”

The focus is on how midwives and women can unite toward a shared goal of gender equality.

“Midwives should speak up in community discussions around female gender mutilation, child marriage, contraception, and sexual reproductive health and rights. They can and do play an active role in driving progress towards gender equality in their communities and countries,” said a statement by the International Confederation of Midwives that champions the rights of midwives globally.

Dr Dan Okoro, an obstetrician and sexual reproductive health advisor at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), says men also have a big part to play in supporting women’s reproductive health.

“Birthing and bringing up a child is not a women-only affair. Men need to take position by supporting women in pregnancy and caring for the child,” he says, adding that he is impressed by the number of men now taking up midwifery as a course.

“Culturally, people thought that midwifery was about women, but things are changing. We now have male midwives, and there are women who prefer them,” he says.

Christina Vugutza, who is expecting her third child, says with the anxiety that Covid-19 has brought, pregnant women need emotional support. She says she is constantly worrying about what would happen to her if she went into sudden labour during curfew.

“I am paranoid because my due date is mid May. I constantly talk to four taxi drivers telling them that I may need them at any time. I also remind my husband of how much he needs to be present. It is a delicate time for pregnant women,” she says.

Muteti says they are encouraging pregnant women to seek prenatal care in smaller facilities to avoid waiting in long queues as most doctors and nurses have shifted their attention to Covid-19 patients.

Ms Vugutza admits that she has missed many of her clinics because she does not want to risk her health by going to a health facility. Doctors are, however, advising that sick people and those with appointments should not cancel them as it might endanger their lives.

Topele Mepakoli, a traditional birth attendant for more than 50 years, says the government should empower more traditional birth attendants to enable them deliver safely, especially those in rural areas who cater for mothers who cannot access good medical care.

Until recently, Mukurian location, Laikipia North where she was born and raised, did not have a hospital to provide maternity care. All mothers to be depended on traditional birth attendants to deliver their babies.

“Midwifery is a sacred job. You have a duty to keep the mother alive, bring forth life, and make sure that you do not ruin the mother and make it impossible for her to give birth to more children,” she says.