March 2024
After reviewing the previous session, we started today with the question of what do you know about safer motherhood? We didn’t know what to say and therefore we looked into each other’s faces.
Then our trainer said that safe motherhood means ensuring that all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy throughout pregnancy and childbirth. Safe motherhood also means women should have the right to decide if they will have a baby or not. This, in practice, means addressing all the factors that make pregnancy unsafe. It also means that no woman, fetus, or baby should die or be harmed by pregnancy or birth. It begins with the assurance of basic safe living as a girl and a woman in society.
BUT in our society, we don’t have the right to say “YES” or “NO” ! If we don’t give birth to a son, then we must give birth to more children until a son is born. In my case, I had three daughters and after these three daughters I was very weak. Still, I had to give birth to an additional child and luckily my fourth child was a son. However, my family wanted one more son, and therefore I became pregnant again and gave birth to number five child and luckily, he was also a son.
We also discussed the importance of safe motherhood, which reduces the mortality rate of a child and improves the health of the mother physically as well as mentally. It also provides the proper care to pregnant women and the child. After the birth a proper and balanced diet should be given to pregnant woman so that a baby can get nutritious food for his/her proper body development. And the main thing is that the family environment should be a peaceful environment during pregnancy. Because the outer environment affects the baby in the womb, and it also determines the future of the baby. While discussing, I was recalling the time I gave birth to a girl, and I did not get enough food. Instead, my mother-in-law scolded me every day. Additionally, family members should also have a good role towards a pregnant woman, so that both baby and mother can get proper and sufficient care. And a pregnant woman should also take care of their own body and health. We also discussed, never feeding milk to the baby, whenever a mother is angry. Because it passes the negative energy from the mother to the baby.
Suddenly, I remembered my past and my habit of caring for my children. My tears just flowed.
I committed myself, so that whatever happens in my life and the tradition, I will change everything; I will take good care of my daughters-in-law after my sons get married.