The Birth of My Cousins
Nineteen years ago, my aunt gave birth to my twin cousins. As is common in being pregnant with twins, she was put on bed rest months before they were born. Following going into labor, she had to have a cesaran section. The twins were born three minutes apart from one another. She went into labor before 38 weeks, which is common with twins. The older twin weighed about a pound more than the younger twin. They weighed four pounds 3 ounces and three pounds, 15 ounces respectively. I do not recall much more about the birth as I was very young. I choose this example because it was a special day. While all births are special, it is always amazing to witness the birth of multiples. At the moment, I knew immediately that our lives would be different. I knew that my identical twins would have to decipher their identity from one another and that this would uniquely impact their childhood. I knew that they would have to develop a way to coincide in experiences but yet have identify themselves as individuals. Now that they are nineteen I see two very different individuals despite what genetics may say.
Childbirth in Ethiopia
Very few women in Ethiopia are able to get to health care facilities because of their distance or they are unable to pay for the services. Most women give birth at home in an unassisted manor. Very few women have access to prenatal care. The facilities of which they give birth are not the most sanitary and often only have minimal staff. Due to the lack of prenatal care and birthing assistance, women who are in need of help during labor often labor for days at a time, only to give birth to a still born child. Efforts are then made in repair centers to assist the women with any damage that results from childbirth.
Hello Deirdre,
ReplyDeleteI know how enjoyable childbirth can be. My sister had a set of triplets in 1970, but I was too young to really remember much about. But I was told she was real big and had to be put on bed rest. The triplets are different as night and day, and they are all healthy with their own families.
It is sad to read how woman in other countries do not receive the medical treatment that is needed during labor. I could not imagine giving birth alone or without any medical assistance. Sometimes I think woman in our country forget how blessed we are to have a system where everyone is able to get medical treatment during pregnancy. We often complain about our healthcare system and we forget about the people that are less fortunate than us.
ReplyDeleteDeirdre, I think it's neat that you were able to be in the lives of twins to watch them grow and become their own person, having similar traits and their own unique quirks.
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