Sensitive Midwifery - Issue 44 - October 2019

Group leader Patricia Musarurwa comments: ‘Pregnancy is not only about getting booked, doing bloods and having some check-ups. From the early embryonic days, it’s about relationships, the growth of a family, and the health of the nation at large. I have learnt from the moms in our clinic just how important it is to them to be well-informed before they go into labour. Clued-up moms go through pregnancy, birth and parenting in a satisfied mode, and don’t struggle to raise their children. Time and again we hear how useful what they learnt in our pregnancy groups was in the hospital and their early days as a mother. Their active participation in the group helps them to recall tips far more easily.’ From the mouths of HMBC moms • ‘The group really helped me know what to expect. I’m a first-time mom and I live alone, so I didn’t know where to start. I got support from the group leaders and from my peers. I learnt how to manage labour and breastfeeding, how to love my baby and all the reasons a baby cries. Now I am able to grow my baby on my own because of this education. I want to encourage other clinics to do these sessions and all women to attend for they have been very helpful for me.’ Ntombizadwa Schoeman • ‘I am very grateful for the sessions because as a first-time young mom, I went into labour with no fear at all. This is because I was taught all the stages of labour, the signs of labour and when to go to hospital. I trusted my body to do what it’s supposed to do. Even now, raising my baby, I use all the knowledge I was given, from breastfeeding to healthy eating. I have not struggled at all with my baby. I feel I was very empowered and I am very thankful for the sessions.’ Nyasha Chinyahara • World Health Organization, ‘WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience’, 2016. Available at: http://apps.who.int. Accessed July 2019. • Benediktsson J, et al, ‘Comparing CenteringPregnancy® to standard prenatal care plus prenatal education’, BMC Pregnancy Childbirth , 2013, 13 www.babycity.co.za 53545FireTree e&oe 33 Hyperstores Nationwide The best advice you can give Mom is to trust Baby City to meet her and Baby’s needs. Pregnancy 14 eSensitive Midwifery Magazine Issue 44