Reflections on Maternal Healthcare
by Lexi Conley for Connect Global
With Christmas recently upon us, many people across the world used this season to reflect on the birth of Jesus and all the joy that the holiday brings.
Scriptures found in the Bible illustrate a picture of the difficult journey Mary went through to bring Christ into the world. We can imagine the arduous conditions in which women gave birth at that time, yet many women across the globe today still give birth in these similar conditions.
While maternal healthcare has significantly improved since the birth of Jesus, it is still far from perfect and needs immediate attention, not only for the well-being of mothers but for children as well.
Maternal mortality rate is defined by the death rate of mothers who have given birth within 40 days, from pregnancy/birth-related complications.
According to medical journals, 99% of the total maternal mortality rate comes from developing countries like where Connect Global works in Honduras. This can be attributed to social, economic, and political instability in these various counties. With these factors in mind, the issue of providing adequate healthcare to citizens is exacerbated further. Additionally, babies who are born to malnourished, sick, or deceased mothers are at significantly higher risk of experiencing sickness or death as well.
Therefore, to protect both the mother and the baby, it is essential that maternal healthcare is made a top priority everywhere. Healthcare is a fundamental human right that should know no bounds of any social status; no matter the race, gender, nationality, or socio-economic status of a person.
Connect Global has made it their mission to alleviate some of the pressure mothers face after giving birth. In La Ceiba, Honduras the Maternity Home was opened by Connect Global in 2019 and has since served over 1,200 mothers who have recently given birth. Prior to the opening of the Maternity Home, women who have just given birth were asked to recover outside of the hospital to make room for other patients.
Now, mothers have a safe place to recover and wait while their babies are receiving care from the hospital. As previously mentioned, this not only benefits the mother to keep her safe, but it also has impacts on the baby when they come out of the hospital, they both get to go home healthy and safe.
It is through giving and prayer that the Maternity Home is able to stay open and help these new mothers. With motherhood already being a huge challenge by itself, these women should not have to worry about how or where they will recover immediately after giving birth, they should only have to focus on resting and holding their precious baby.
If you are interested in reading more about Connect Global’s Maternity Home, click here.
If you would like to give to ensure women receive adequate healthcare after giving birth, click here.
This article was created and posted for Connect Global by one of our Social Media Content Creators, Lexi Conley, who was recruited via:
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