courtesyphotoWhenIfoundoutIwaspregnant,thefirstthingonmymindwasnothowIwasgoingtoactuallydelivermychild.Butitprobablyshouldhavebeen.
After10yearsofbeingmarried,myhusbandandIweredefinitelyreadytohaveachild,butwewerestillworriedaboutwhetherwewouldreallyhavethetimeandmoneytobringupachild.Andforme,thepregnancyprocessitselfseemeddaunting-howwouldIchange?WouldIevergobackto“normal?”
Thesewereimportantquestions,butlivinghereinChina-acountrystilldefinedasadevelopingcountrydespitetheskyscrapers-thedeliveryitselfshouldhaveoccupiedmymindtoo.
AccordingtotheUN,in2015,aroundtheworld,303,500womendiedduringchildbirthand2.7millionbabiesdiedwithinthefirstmonthoftheirlife.Atotalof99percentofthesewomenliveindevelopingcountries.Thankfullyformeandmyson-to-be,Chinawasamongstthesafestfordelivery.Inthesameyear,accordingtotheWorldHealthOrganizationstatistics,forevery100,000births,27womenpassedawayinChina.ThemajorityofwomeninChinaareabletodeliverinahospital,althoughtherearelargeinequities.Therearecertainruralareas-especiallyinwestandcentralChina-whichhavemuchhigherratesofdeathfromchildbirth.Chinesewomenwhoaremigrantstolargecitiesalsosufferdisproportionatelyduetotheirlackofaccesstoinsuranceandothermaternalhealthentitlements.
Iwasluckynottobeoneofthesewomen.AsaforeignerlivinginChinamyself,myworkattheUNatthetimehadcoveredmeformaternityinsurance,meaningIhadaccesstosometopprivateinternationalhospitalsandVIPsectionsatpublichospitalsinBeijingforthedelivery-accessworthover$6,000.IevenexploredthepossibilityofhavingawaterbirthbutfoundoutthattheonlyhospitalinBeijingthatoffersthiswasafairlysmallprivatehospitalinthesouth,severalkmawayfrommyhomeandIwasworriedaboutcomplicationsifIhadtositinBeijing’straffic.
So,Icontinuedtovisitthelargerinternationalhospitalthatmyinsuranceproviderrecommended,andgotmoreandmoreexcitedastheduedateneared.LittlewasItoknowthattherewasanotherchallengeIshouldhavepreparedmyselfbetterfor.
Formaternalhealth,Chinaisknownaroundtheworldbecauseofitshighrateofcaesareanorc-sections.C-sectionsarenotdangerousinthemselves,butthereisevidencetosuggesttheyareassociatedwithchildhoodobesity,postpartumdepression,andotherproblems.In2010,astudybytheUNsuggestedthatalmosthalfofallbirthsinChinawerebyc-section,comparedtoaround18percentaroundtheworld.Thereareotherdevelopingcountrieswherec-sectionratesarehigh-forinstanceBrazilandEgypt,buttheissuehereisthevolume-inChinathat’saround8millionbabiesdeliveredbyc-section.
Asaresult,inrecentyears,theChineseGovernmenthasputinplaceseveralpoliciesandprogramstotrytobringtheratesdown.StatisticsfromChina’shealthauthorityshowthatChina’sc-sectionratehasdroppedto35percent.Nevertheless,Iendedupbeingoneofthose35percent.Mydoctorshadexpectedanormaldelivery-mybabywasnotinabreachpositionandtherewerenootherabnormalsigns.Butintheendafterapainful12hoursoflabor,allthewatersurroundingmybabyhaddrainedoutofmeandhewasunabletogetouteasily.Sohestartedtosufferandthedoctorsrushedmetotheemergencyroom.Irequestedforthedoctorstoallowmyhusbandtobewithmeasthedoctorsdeliveredtheboy,andassoonaswebothheardhimcrywewererelievedandhappybeyondwords.
TodayweareluckytohaveahealthyamazingsonwhoislearningtospeakChinesefluentlyaswebringhimuphere…butthat’sanotherstoryforanotherday.
**ThewriterisaKenyan-Britishdiplomat,
economistandwriterlivinginBeijing**Commentsto