Page 42 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 22

Health & Healing

have this mama so and so who is the legs crossed, prayer requests, fear of think as we proceed we will embrace
one taking care of this woman, and what will happen to me. Will I come it more and more.
if you look at her, her mother was out well? Will I be operated on?
the one in the previous generation, What drugs will I get? Will my baby I think so, I think there really
her grandmother and now she’s with be fine? And we’ve really lost that is a kind of restoration going
her daughter teaching her daughter attachment to joy, and you know on. I know in the west you
for the next generation and it kind the poem you read earlier really just really see people jumping on
of went on like that. So there were describes how joyous this would this whole homebirth midwife-
these midwives who would be the be. Songs, especially in the Afrikan ry thing and now it’s become a
ones taking care of the women. The setting, I know now it’s the world
amazing thing about our culture was over, but songs always communicate trend again, which now brings
that women never gave birth alone peace and joy and enthusiasm and in more money and more
in those olden days, they always everything; so, this woman waiting issues, but there is still that
had other women around them and for a song to usher in her child purity which you are working
secondly, you were so encouraged to how will they be fearful? That’s to preserve. You’re not only
keep it positive. I know I joke about what we’re doing one woman at a interested in the moms by
it, we need to pray when someone time just bringing out the joy that is themselves, but you also want
goes into labor but it is not for childbirth. to bring in more midwives into
“Everybody stop! Prayer requests, your fold?
we are in labor! Call God.” It was And you’re finding that wom- Big dream but I believe it’s achiev-
not that fear factor it was for “Yeah! en are responding to this invi- able. I see – and it’s nice to put this
Lucy is in labor, she’s going to have tation back to joy and celebra- out there – I see a time when we
her baby today.” tion of life? will actually have more midwives
With a lot of pressure, I would say, get out of the hospital and really
There are some cultures in Kenya externally and internally, because start serving moms in their homes.
that really made me happy they even you try tell your mom “Oh, I’ve Many reasons, one because I just
called the traditional dancers of the decided to have a home birth.” And believe it’s right and I believe if
village to come and wait there, and she’s thinking “What? Why? You nothing is wrong with the mom or
there was this whole dance and sing- don’t have money? We can contrib- the baby, birth should just honestly
ing that went around when the baby ute, we can look for people to give be let to go the way that it does.
came. I especially love the Luhya you money. What is it? Midwife? We’ve limited the strength and
tribe because there was a song we How midwives are in hospital. capacity that women have and the
sing, and I sang it as a little girl in What’s happening?” So, there’s power that they were created with
school, that goes Mwana wa mberi always that internal pressure then for childbirth, so just getting to a
and that was because it was the first there’s other people who look at place where we allow that to unfold
child, and it backdates to those old- you like “There must be something and for every woman to experience
en days where they would really cel- wrong, we thought you’re weird that power they have for childbirth,
ebrate and dance around and there but… you’re really pushing it. Are getting that back will be really, really
was a fireplace and everybody rallied you your cousin in shags (the vil- super. Honestly, it might sound like
around. There were some places lage)?” But then I know of families a joke but you get more common
where they would blow horns and who are like initially it would be colds than you give birth to chil-
they would communicate that it’s a “Wow what a drastic change.” And dren so it’s better to enjoy the 2, 3,
boy or a girl. In my actual tradition I laugh about it when, especially 4 experiences you will have in your
once the baby came out the women the moms who are the soon to be life. They had better be memorable,
came out doing, we called them in grandmas, are like “You know, I was especially because your children will
Kikuyu aririris and there would be a actually born at home, yeah I gave be with you for a lifetime.
number for the boys and a number birth at hospital but I was born at
for the girls and that would commu- home.” And we have a few grand- Have you ever tried to talk to a
nicate to everybody that in Lucy’s mothers who are really happy with woman even in her 70s-80s just ask
homestead, a boy has been born. it, “This is normal, this is what it her how her childbirth experience
And that really brought in a joy is. It will be okay. This is what we was? You will be very surprised she
which unfortunately we miss today. did.” So, we’ve come full circle and I will narrate it to you like it happened
Today it’s all for fingers crossed,

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