Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

                                                                My Birth Experience

I was pregnant with my first child in 1984. I was laying in the bed one night watching tv and I felt a sharp pain in the bottom of my stomach. I didn't move; I just laid there thinking the pain will stop. I was only seven months pregnant. All of a sudden,blood begin to run down my leg. My underwear was full of blood. I started crying and screaming for my mother. My mom came in and called 911. The paramedics came and immediately said, "She is going to lose this baby!" I remember asking God to let my baby live, and to take me! That was the last thing I remembered. When I woke up, I was so sore, and felt like my skin was so tight. My mother said, "Baby you had a baby boy, and take it slow, because you have staples, and running a temperature." I looked at my mom, dad, and my child's father and noticed their eyes was filling up with water. I asked my mother to tell me what was going on. Mom said, "My grandson is so tiny and his lungs are not fully develop." mom said, "He cannot breathe on his on!" I said, "I want to see my son now!" Mom helped me out of the bed, and put me in a wheelchair. We started going down the hall, and I began to pray, and asked God to heal my son. I went in the NICU unit and there he was laying there with tubes from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet! OMG!! He was so tiny! I asked the nurse how much did he weigh. She said, "2lbs and 10oz. My baby looked so helpless. I asked the nurse to get the doctor for me. The doctor came in and told me that my placenta was separating and he did an emergency C-section. He told me that there was nothing that he could do to help my baby. He stated that my baby wouldn't make it through the night. My mom said, "Please help my grandchild; there has to be something that you can do!" The doctor said, "I am so sorry." The nurse told me that I needed to go back in get in bed, because I was still running fever. We went back to the room, and I told everyone to leave, because I needed some time to myself. I laid there crying all night. The nurse came in and whispered in my ear; "he is breathing on his own!" I started crying harder and thanking God for answering my prayers. My walked in and said, "he is going to make it! mom said, "I was not going to leave you are my grandbaby! Today, De' Mikael is 31 years old, a UPS driver, and a daddy himself!
 
What do you remember about the event?
I remembered being afraid. I was puzzled, because I couldn't remember what I had done to make this happen! I kept saying, "What have I done!"

Why did you choose this example?
I chose this example, because so many women go through different experiences having babies. C-sections and early births can come from different things pertaining from prenatal care and childbirth. My experience may help someone.

What are your thoughts regarding birth and its impact on child development?
My thoughts are; birth and child development is very essential, because the birth of  a child is amazing. The mom bonds with the child and from day one, make sure that the child is developing normally. Mom notices things that can be fixed, before it gets overlooked. She sees all the early inventions in her baby.

Choose a region in the country.....Africa
babies in Africa chances are very low. There are 11 million premature births in Africa. ten percent of the births are premature.
The similarity is Africans just like Americans both are 37 weeks pregnant when premature babies are born.
The differences...We have quality heath care with doctors and they have their moms or grand mothers delivering their children, without professional training. If emergency happens when have transportation. Africans have to walk while they are in labor to get help.
I can say that I would not make it living in Africa having a baby without meds, and the proper equipment for my baby and me to live!