We have raised a lot in these pages about the ideal place to give birth, whether home or hospital, where mothers and babies would choose to give birth, accompanied by whom ... The World Health Organization notes that the best place to give birth It is one in which the woman feels safe and the necessary conditions for a conveniently attended delivery are given.
These conditions can occur in very different types of births, either at home, in hospital, in delivery houses ... However, we rarely notice that there are many women who are not allowed to give birth where they want, in a place where they feel safe and are cared for, even though they have that possibility.
We do not talk about generalized cases in our environment, but in some cultures and countries this situation is not uncommon.
When they don't let the woman go to the hospital
Certain societies in which the man decides on his wife and she has no choice, must submit to the wishes of their husbands and their relatives and this environment prevents her from being seen by other people, even if they are doctors.
The most radical or traditionalist sectors of certain cultures that do not give women any consideration are clear examples. Women there are also victims of this injustice and marginalization in childbirth.
These women often stop at home, isolated and "abandoned", hopefully attended by mothers or grandmothers who have gone through the same situation and do not have the necessary knowledge. And this despite the fact that there are doctors, midwives and hospitals available to attend deliveries.
When there is no hospital
In addition, there are communities that do not have a nearby hospital or means of transfer. For women who are going to give birth in these places, there is no choice, and the home becomes the traditional place to give birth.
In these cases, when there is no pressure for the woman to be alone or not seen naked by other people, they usually accompany people who in each society have traditionally exercised the work of midwives, although often they are not well prepared for it.
The definition of "midwife" or "midwife" of the different international organizations is that of a person competent in obstetrics, specially trained for the care of normal delivery. However, there are wide differences between countries regarding the training and tasks of midwives.
This does not mean that the person accompanying the birth must have the corresponding official qualification, as that would be practically impossible in the places we are talking about, but it is capable of acting in case of complications and has certain knowledge and training in obstetrics and related topics, such as pediatrics, family planning, epidemiology ...
Many recommendations point to midwives as the ideal professionals for obstetric care in small towns, villages and homes, even in hospitals. However, even in many developed and developing countries, midwives do not exist.
Deaths for not giving birth where you would like
In short, they are women who are not cared for at a crucial moment in their lives, as are their babies, conditions that increase risks and increase childbirth-related mortality to figures that are too high.
The reality of childbirth and pregnancy in other countries very different from ours, and very crude, and on these data continue to fight international health agencies, to ensure the safety of mothers and babies and that all deliveries are carried out in The best possible conditions.
I cannot help feeling hurt by those neglected births when there are no medical professionals or adequate care for women and babies during childbirth in poor countries, but what especially outrages me are the cases of women "incarcerated" and subjected to solitary confinement and abandonment of them and their babies during and after their births.
For all these women who cannot give birth where they would like, the criteria for attending a home birth should also be taken into account, and in no case neglect the health conditions or pre and postnatal care, something that is also sometimes difficult.
