Introduction
Elsie: Halo olgeta, I’m Elsie, welcome to the RoundTable Podcast. We’ve created this space for Ni-Vanuatu women to speak freely on issues affecting us today. Let’s navigate life in the islands together. Join me as I speak to a new guest every episode and ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Ale yumi storian. This project is made possible with the support of the WeRise Coalition and PECMAS.
TRANSLATIONS: Hello everyone, I’m Elsie, welcome to the RoundTable Podcast. We’ve created this space for Ni-Vanuatu women to speak freely on issues affecting us today. Let’s navigate life in the islands together. Join me as I speak to a new guest every episode and ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Let’s discuss. This project is made possible with the support of the WeRise Coalition and PECMAS.
Interview Intro
Elsie: Ladies, do you really know what you expect when you’re expecting? I’m sure you’ve heard of different pregnancy and birthing journeys from the women in your life, but have you ever thought about the support available for new moms currently being provided by Vanuatu’s health system? Have you ever wondered where mothers can get information and support for themselves after they’ve had their baby? It’s something that most women go through. However, effective and compassionate support for mothers before, during and after giving birth is still very limited in Vanuatu. Today, joining me on this episode is Alison, Ineth and Audrey from Wings, who will help give us a little more insight on what to expect when you’re expecting in Vanuatu. Alison Harris, Eneth Eliza and Audrey Eliza are three remarkable women from Wings. I will give it to Alison to share a little bit about what Wings does.
Alison: Good morning Elsie, thank you so much for having us. Mifala tri, mifala kam long saed blo Wings, which stands for Women in Numbers Gaining Strength Vanuatu. Mi nao mi founder blo Wings since 2017. And shortly after that, aunty Ineth and I launched the Vanuatu Breast Feeding Association or VBA, wan program, wan association, sorry, with a robust breast-feeding program and support for mothers after delivery in a direct response to the need for that support at the Vanuatu Central Hospital and at the MCH clinics in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
TRANSLATIONS: Good morning Elsie, thank you so much for having us. The three of us, we come from Wings, which stands for Women in Numbers Gaining Strength Vanuatu. I am the founder of Wings since 2017. And shortly after that, aunty Ineth and I launched the Vanuatu Breast Feeding Association or VBA, an organization, sorry, with a robust breastfeeding program and support for mothers after delivery in a direct response to the need for that support at the Vanuatu Central Hospital and at the MCH clinics in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Elsie: Thank you, Alison. And thank you all three of you, for joining me on this episode. I’m really excited for the discussion that we’re going to have. Before we delve into all of my questions, I just wanted to share this interesting resource I found developed by the Ministry of Health called the REMCA, so Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health Policy strategy and implementation plan that states statistics from 2010 and 2018 showed that maternal mortality remains constant and 76% of these maternal deaths are actually preventable, The resource also found that only 70% of designated health facilities provide antenatal care, which is care during pregnancy, and 89 to 93% of women deliver their babies at an actual health facility. In the resource, it also stated that at the time there was a slow increase in students who were graduating with a diploma of midwifery at the Vanuatu College of Nursing Education, which is great. And I was really glad to see that in this resource. In your experience with the work that you guys have done, do you think there is enough support for women during their birthing journey here in Vanuatu? So before giving birth, during the labor process and after?
Eneth Eliza: Good morning nem blo mi Ineth Eliza. Mi mi co-founder blo Breast Feeding Association lo Vanuatu. Mi wan retired Midwife. Olsem yu talem bai yumi nomo gat ol health resource people blo nara 5 yias emia hemi lo mi lo personal experience blo mi, mi luk se hemi nogud from ol mama lo communities not only Vila but mi tokabaot ol other islands lo communities weh taem yumi nogat ol human resource meanim se ol plante health clinics ol health center bai nogat ol qualifiy people weh oli stap mo information nao bai hemi no save reachim olgeta people lo communities. So hemia nao mi mi luk se from naia population blo yumi hemi stap rise and human resource blo yumi hemi short and hemia bai fulap lo yumi instead bai blo yumi ko antap bai yumi ko daon weh ko daon weh bai fulap mama blo yumi bai oli sava mo ol pikinini mo ol niu bon.
TRANSLATIONS: Good morning, my name is Eneth Eliza. I am the co-founder of the Breastfeeding Association in Vanuatu. I am a retired midwife. As you mentioned, we won’t have health resource people for the next five years. From my personal experience, I see this as problematic for mothers in communities not only in Vila but also on other islands. When we don’t have human resources, it means many health clinics and health centers will lack qualified people, and information will not be able to reach all the people in the communities. So, I see that as our population is rising, our human resources are decreasing, which will cause many of us to face a decline. Instead of moving forward, we will move backward, affecting many of our mothers, children, and newborns.
Elsie: So, from your answer, I, it’s clear that there isn’t enough support for mothers who are expecting. You’ve clearly explained that with the population growing and with the current health facilities, we still don’t have enough human resource to help with the growing population and to help with supporting our moms.
Eneth Eliza: Yes, yes. Emia bai mi talem se yes i true even lo Vila Central Hospital, there’s just wan midwife weh hemi wok bai lo whole time bai hemi mekem admission lo antenatal clinic bai hemi lukaotem olsem ol Niku ol pikinini weh oli bon premature afta bai hemi lukaotem labor ward. So bai hemi nogat taem blo hemi sitaon wan tu wan blo emi kim gud information lo ol mama taem oli kam deliverem babies. And on discharged bai nogat gud information given out to the mothers blo helpem ol babies blong olgeta taem oli ko home.
TRANSLATIONS: Yes, yes. What I mean is yes, it’s true, even at Vila Central Hospital, there’s just one midwife who works all the time. She handles admissions at the antenatal clinic, looks after NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) for premature babies, and takes care of the labor ward. So she doesn’t have time to sit down one-on-one to give proper information to the mothers when they come to deliver their babies. And upon discharge, there is no good information given to the mothers to help them with their babies when they go home.
Alison: Also, I would like to add, it’s not that the staff at the hospital is lacking in education or the information. As aunty Ineth says, it’s because they are understaffed. So, you know, we’re saying, what are you to expect when you’re expecting? Well, sadly, expect to be treated as a number and instead of having that one-to-one care or even one to 20 care, the midwives on the ward they don’t have time to give that information out because they are helping birth the baby. And that just the reality, unfortunately. Olgeta weh oli kam midwife finis all of incredible people who have gone on their journey, they have had a calling to become midwives and nurses. They too they suffer because now they have to carry a massive load to help people. They went into the profession from heart blong olgeta i gud you know. They went because they see the beauty in bringing new life into the world and they want to be a part of that journey, as you call it. What a beautiful word, a journey. Beh problem se taem weh mama i ko blo experiencem wan bigfala change long laef blo hem, even if it’s not her first baby, it doesn’t at the moment the way we’re doing it, it doesn’t feel like a gift. And maybe that’s overstepping by stating that. But I think, you know, as a woman and as a mother myself, you have to be prepared to create your own journey, unfortunately, and back yourself up with your immediate family and your extended family and whoever’s in your corner. From pos yu wantem gat wan gudfala experience, yu mas save gud finis se hospital hemi gat limits blo hem. And it’s not just the maternity ward. It’s there many of the, dare say all of the wards.
TRANSLATIONS: Also, I would like to add, it’s not that the staff at the hospital is lacking in education or information. As aunty Eneth says, it’s because they are understaffed. So, you know, we’re saying, what are you to expect when you’re expecting? Well, sadly, expect to be treated as a number, and instead of having that one-to-one care or even one-to-20 care, the midwives on the ward don’t have time to give out that information because they are helping birth the baby. And that’s just the reality, unfortunately. Those who have become midwives, all of them incredible people who have gone on their journey, they have had a calling to become midwives and nurses. They, too, suffer because now they have to carry a massive load to help people. They went into the profession with good hearts, you know. They went because they see the beauty in bringing new life into the world and they want to be a part of that journey, as you call it. What a beautiful word, a journey. But the problem is when a mother goes through a big change in her life, even if it’s not her first baby, the way we’re doing it at the moment, it doesn’t feel like a gift. And maybe that’s overstepping by stating that. But I think, you know, as a woman and as a mother myself, you have to be prepared to create your own journey, unfortunately, and back yourself up with your immediate family and your extended family and whoever’s in your corner. If you want to have a good experience, you must already understand that the hospital has its limits. And it’s not just the maternity ward. Many, dare I say, all of the wards have these limitations.
Audrey: Bai mi addem smol nomo abaot fes question blo yumi ia. Mi really interest long hem from se yes hemi tru. Ol yangfala, ol mothers today oli no sta karem enaf information. Even before pregnancy and after pregnancy. Mi ting wan lo ol routine blo since yumi save talem finis se oli understaff beh wan lo ol routine hemi kivimaot ol pepa lo or maybe last manis bifo giving birth which emi late. I think suppose weh bai i gud tumas blo bai yumi luk se information ia bai emi pas long olgeta taem oli ko karem fes visit blong olgeta. Afta blo oli stap prepare olsem. Yumi save se fulap oli gat gudafala wok beh sam oli nogat wok. So olsem ia lo period taem blo pregnancy oli sta redi. Bai yumi, emia emi responsibility weh yumi self tu yumi mas, yumi save finis se bai yumi gat. Blo yumi gat wan period blo ko kasem yumi bonem baby beh yumi mas tekemap responsibility blo yumi self blo prepare kasem taem weh pikinini i arrive.
TRANSLATIONS: I’ll just add a little bit more about our first question. I’m really interested in it because yes, it’s true. Young people, mothers today are not getting enough information, even before pregnancy and after pregnancy. I think one of the routines, since we already know they are understaffed, is that one of the routines is giving out papers or maybe the last month before giving birth, which is late. I think it would be much better if we see that this information is passed to them when they have their first visit, so they can be prepared. We know that many have good jobs, but some do not have jobs. So, during the period of pregnancy, they should be ready. It’s our responsibility, we must understand that we have a period from when we conceive until we give birth, and we must take on the responsibility to prepare until the baby arrives.
Elsie: Thank you. So emi clear se, there’s not enough support currently. Beh, wanem nao sapot I stap like naia taem wan woman hemi ko lo hospital taem hemi pregnant? So, during the pregnancy stage, what support is available?
TRANSLATIONS: Thank you. So, it’s clear that there’s not enough support currently. But what support is available when a woman goes to the hospital when she is pregnant? So, during the pregnancy stage, what support is available?
Audrey: Okay thank you, sapot weh I available ating taem weh hemi kam long hospital bai yumi tokabaot long setting. Sapot nao taem weh hemi kam hemi kam wetem wan family member. So bai sapotem hem long taem, mi tokabaot during labor nao and ol midwives oli stap oli sapotem hem. Beh pos yumi lukluk gud sapot bai hemi very important sapos weh bifo, bifo hemi kam into labor. Yumi need blo, okay yumi putum wan list hemia, beh yumi need blo educatem olgeta pipol ia tu. Ol mama ia tu se taem weh ko tru long pregnancy, i gat ol jenjes weh oli happen, step by step yumi kivim long olgeta wanem nao bai yu expectem. Plante taem bai yumi kivim hemia nomo beh bai yumi educatem olgeta long step by step long wanem bai hemi happen, nao kakae weh bai hemi ko blo bai hemi developem pikinini ia. Yumi tokabaot 200 deis ia emi stap insaed ia nao kasem hemi bon tu 5 yias. Yumi mas, ating bai yumi mas jensem yumi mekem step by step long development blo piknini mo jens long body blo mama taem hemi ko into labor hemi save hemia emia, fes stage yumi explainem fes stage bai emi olsem ia, second stage olsem ia or last stage bai everisamting i finis bai olsem ia blo mama hemi save hemi gat in mind oh ol jenjes ia wanfala cycle ia weh mi sta ko tru long hem. Thank you.
TRANSLATIONS: Okay, thank you. The support that is available when she comes to the hospital, let’s talk about it in context. The support is when she comes with a family member. So they support her during that time, I am talking about during labor, and the midwives are there to support her. But if we look closely, support before she goes into labor is very important. We need to, okay we make a list, but we need to educate these people too. These mothers need to know that during pregnancy, there are changes that happen. Step by step, we need to give them information about what to expect. Many times we just give this information, but we need to educate them step by step about what will happen, and what food they need to eat to develop the baby. We talk about the 200 days from conception to birth and up to 5 years old. We must, I think we must change and make a step-by-step development plan for the baby and the changes in the mother’s body. When she goes into labor, she knows this is the first stage, we explain the first stage will be like this, the second stage like this, and the last stage, when everything is finished, will be like this. So the mother knows and has in mind the changes and the cycle she is going through. Thank you.
Alison: I think also point weh yu also touch long hem Elsie, to do wetem, what’s the support for once you’re pregnant, right? So, taem weh mama ia i gat bel beh naia bai wanem I happen? What are we giving our mothers who are pregnant? So, we have an antenatal department, an antenatal ward, and women go and they are weighed, so oli pas long scale, their blood sugar is often taken. So oli ko pispis long wan cup afta oli save what’s going on long hemia and often they are treated for STIs or sexual transmitted diseases whether or not they have them. That’s something that happens. They are given schedule. Samtaem oli pas lo scan, depending on where they are in their pregnancy. So, really hemi depend lo what time mama hemi pas iko lo hospital. So taem weh mi talem what time mama hemi pas iko lo hospital, so we go back to personal responsibility and the mother taking on that personal responsibility as a patient. That’s. So, taking on personal responsibility as a patient is a really interesting topic. And it’s something as I touched on before, that, olsem bai yu mas wan advocate blo yu wan. You have to ask the right questions and advocate for yourself. Excuse me. And this means taking responsibility for your health and be proactive. What does it mean to be proactive? Beh yu mas gat need blo wantem save. Yu mas tingbaot se emia emi bodi blong mi olsem Audrey hemi talem. Emia emi body blong mi wanem hemi stap happen? Mi stap growem wan baby, wanem meaning blong hem? Olsem aunty Ineth I talem, mi need blo kakae wanem nao, mi need blo stopem wanem nao, mi need blo slip, mi need blo drink wota. Beh emia oli need blo kivim wan tablet long mi, bai tablet ia wanem ia? Yumi ol mama yumi mas ask se beh from yu askem mi blo mi ko pispis long wan cup, emia blo wanem? Emia mi drink samting ia blo wanem, tablet ia blo wanem? Yumi mas start blo tekem responsibility blo yumi askem se from wanem emia. And that is how bai yumi save jensem system, public system of health. And that is how bai yumi luk wan change weh, naia medical system bai mas luk, Ministry of Health and olgeta weh oli deliverem ol health services long yumi, bai oli tingbaot se okay yumi mas educatem yumi. I no se yumi educatem olgeta no, yumi educatem yumi, and taem weh yumi start blo mekem emia bai yumi luk wan radical change insaed long health system and then the Government can no longer ignore that we need more people on the ward at the antenatal clinic explaining explaining olsem weh aunty Eneth I talem se what’s happening in this stage, what’s happening in that stage of the pregnancy. You know things that we should know, every woman should know, okay I’m in my first trimester. This is normal or this is not normal and I need to come to the hospital. And that can save a mother’s life, a child’s life. And these people are people in our family. So, yes it’s important. Absolutely. It’s important.
TRANSLATIONS: I think also the point that you touched on, Elsie, regarding what’s the support for once you’re pregnant, right? So, when the mother is pregnant, what happens next? What are we giving our pregnant mothers? So, we have an antenatal department, an antenatal ward, and women go there to be weighed, they step on the scale, their blood sugar is often checked. They urinate in a cup, and then they know what’s going on with that, and often they are treated for STIs or sexually transmitted diseases whether or not they have them. That’s something that happens. They are given a schedule. Sometimes they have an ultrasound, depending on where they are in their pregnancy. So, it really depends on when the mother goes to the hospital. So, when I say when the mother goes to the hospital, we go back to personal responsibility and the mother taking on that personal responsibility as a patient. That’s it. So, taking on personal responsibility as a patient is a really interesting topic. And it’s something, as I touched on before, that you must be your own advocate. You have to ask the right questions and advocate for yourself. Excuse me. And this means taking responsibility for your health and being proactive. What does it mean to be proactive? Well, you need to have the desire to know. You have to think, this is my body, as Audrey said. This is my body, what’s happening with it? I am growing a baby, what does that mean? As aunty Ineth said, what do I need to eat, what do I need to avoid, I need to sleep, I need to drink water. If they need to give me a tablet, what is this tablet for? We mothers must ask, why are you asking me to urinate in a cup, what is it for? Why am I drinking this, what is this tablet for? We must start taking responsibility by asking why this is necessary. And that is how we can change the public health system. And that is how we will see a change, where the medical system, the Ministry of Health, and those who deliver health services to us will realize, okay, we must educate ourselves. Not that we educate them, but we educate ourselves, and when we start doing this, we will see a radical change in the health system. Then the Government can no longer ignore that we need more people in the ward at the antenatal clinic explaining, as aunty Eneth said, what’s happening in this stage, what’s happening in that stage of the pregnancy. These are things that we should know, every woman should know, okay, I’m in my first trimester. This is normal, or this is not normal, and I need to come to the hospital. And that can save a mother’s life, a child’s life. And these people are people in our family. So, yes, it’s important. Absolutely. It’s important.
Elsie: So, it’s very important to ask the right questions because I think it really does come back to having that ownership of your body and knowing what you need to know to ensure that you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. So, the Ministry of Health has developed several useful resources that I was surprised to find available. In the 2017 second edition of the standard guidelines for obstetrics, gynacology, and new born care, I read that at the end of the women’s first visit usually when she’s about 12 weeks along the health worker, that she visits or the clinic, Vila Central Hospital, they should help her develop a provisional birthing plan. Is that still a thing?
Alison: We are looking at each other and smiling because to the best of our knowledge, that’s not something that sounds great on paper. And I would I’m quite curious as to where you dug that resource up because we’ve done some trainings about kangaroo care and other things with regards to postnatal and baby – friendly hospital initiative, which we’ve helped make sure that the accreditation was up to date with for the hospital for VCH. The birthing plan, you probably hear the humor in my voice. That it’s look, it’s a lovely idea. But the reality we go back to the reality of the pure understaffing at the hospital and…Yes, what can I say? It’s not the actual midwives or nurses. It’s not their fault. The situation, it really comes down to the Ministry of Health. And at some point somebody has to take responsibility and it is the Ministry of Health’s responsibility to care for its people and to provide a good standard of health. But at the end of the day, it is the government’s responsibility, the Vanuatu government’s responsibility, to allocate funds that they get for maternity and antenatal health to the hospital and to grow the capacity of their staff. And if they can do that, then they need to look at the non-governmental sector, for example, Wings, Vanuatu Breastfeeding Association, any other, there are many organizations that are out there trying to lift up the quality of life for women and children in Vanuatu. And they should be utilizing and empowering this to happen for our people. So, really mi luk olsem mifala sta singaotem olgeta nao se come on guys lets leftemap yumi. And the weight we have the knowledge, yumi gat fulap midwives, fulap registered nurses, weh oli gat save lo saed blo antenatal. Knowledgeable, incredible professional people already here. Putum yu ko daon yu ko luk ol midwives, they are busting their bottoms to to give service and they want everything for those mamas. Oli gat lav lo heart blong olgeta. It doesn’t mean that every birth is going to be a magical transformative experience because the reality unfortunately is that there are overrun and understaffed. And sometimes oli no even karem pay blong olgeta blong long taem and they are still there day in and day out. So, really my heart goes off to those women. They are incredible professional, driven, dedicated, hardworking and olgeta nao oli showem pawa blong yumi blong Vanuatu where they still going. It’s just, it’s remarkable. But at the same time, yu mi no, yumi no save securem wan necessarily wan perfect, look nothing in life is perfect, but one positive experience. So many people don’t have, we’ve all heard the stories. Huh? So many women don’t have good experiences when they go.
TRANSLATIONS: We are looking at each other and smiling because to the best of our knowledge, that’s not something that sounds great on paper. And I’m quite curious as to where you dug that resource up because we’ve done some trainings about kangaroo care and other things regarding postnatal and baby-friendly hospital initiatives, which we’ve helped ensure that the accreditation was up to date for VCH. The birthing plan, you probably hear the humor in my voice. Look, it’s a lovely idea. But the reality is we go back to the pure understaffing at the hospital. Yes, what can I say? It’s not the fault of the midwives or nurses. The situation really comes down to the Ministry of Health. At some point, somebody has to take responsibility, and it is the Ministry of Health’s responsibility to care for its people and provide a good standard of health. But at the end of the day, it is the government’s responsibility, the Vanuatu government’s responsibility, to allocate funds they receive for maternity and antenatal health to the hospital and to grow the capacity of their staff. If they can do that, they need to look at the non-governmental sector, for example, Wings, Vanuatu Breastfeeding Association, and many other organizations that are out there trying to lift up the quality of life for women and children in Vanuatu. They should be utilizing and empowering this to happen for our people. So, really, I see it as we are calling out to them, saying, come on guys, let’s lift ourselves up. And the weight we have, the knowledge, we have many midwives, many registered nurses who have knowledge about antenatal care. Knowledgeable, incredible professional people are already here. If you go and look at the midwives, they are busting their bottoms to give service and they want everything for those mothers. They have love in their hearts. It doesn’t mean that every birth is going to be a magical transformative experience because the reality, unfortunately, is that they are overrun and understaffed. And sometimes they don’t even get paid on time and they are still there day in and day out. So, really, my heart goes out to those women. They are incredible professionals, driven, dedicated, hardworking, and they show the strength of Vanuatu by continuing. It’s just, it’s remarkable. But at the same time, you and I know, we can’t necessarily secure a perfect experience—nothing in life is perfect, but a positive experience. Many people don’t have, we’ve all heard the stories. So many women don’t have good experiences when they go.
Eneth: Ol midwives long weh bai yu ko bai yu luk oli stress out finis from olgeta wan. So kavman usually Ministry blong Health emi mas, ating hemi lukluk nursing olsem wok blong ol woman. Emi luk midwives se wok blong ol woman mekem se emi no push tumas long saed blong education blo provide ol nurses mo midwives blong yumi lo Vanautu. I think hemia hemi responsibility blong government blo Vanuatu, mo Ministry blong Health blo lukluk long hemia. Blo hemi no strainem aot olgeta weh oli stap wanwan department olsem long maternity. Lo maternity emi lukaotem labor ward tu which is emi no stret. Maternity hem wan should gat blong hem hem wan. Mama weh hemi kam long antenatal olsem weh hemi kam long labor ward hemi mas stap hem wan and delivery room i mas gat midwife long weh ol grup weh oli wok. Beh naia long Vila Central Hospital, yu lukaotem whole labor ward, delivery ward, wetem maternity ward, wetem Niku, olgeta pikinini pram. So midwife hem wan I karem and hemi gat responsibility blong hem long home olsem wan mama and then hemi kam hemi playem hemia blong thousand people blong Vanuatu. So, Ministry blo Health hemi should luk hemia, hemi should pourem money kam in blo helpem more midwives and nurses blo oli lukaotem gud wellbeing blong yumi especially future blong hem mo ol pikinini oli stap born.
TRANSLATIONS: The midwives, when you see them, you’ll notice they are stressed out completely from everyone. So, the government, usually the Ministry of Health, should, I mean, they should consider nursing as the work of women. They should see midwives’ work for women to ensure they don’t overstrain on the side of providing education to our nurses and midwives in Vanuatu. I think this is the responsibility of the Vanuatu government and the Ministry of Health should consider this. They shouldn’t overburden all those who are in each department like in maternity. In maternity, it includes the labor ward too, which is not easy. Maternity should have its own separate space. A mother who comes for antenatal care, as well as those who come to the labor ward, should stay in one place, and the delivery room should have a midwife from the group that works there. But now, at Vila Central Hospital, you see the whole labor ward, delivery ward, and maternity ward, along with NICU, all under one roof. So one midwife carries the responsibility at home as well as here, for thousands of people in Vanuatu. So, the Ministry of Health should look at this, they should allocate more funds to help more midwives and nurses for our well-being, especially for the future of them and the children being born.
Elsie: Shout out to the midwives. They seem very…I can’t you guys are talking about it and I’m already stressed. I’m like, oh my God, yeah, they have the work, but then they have their own responsibilities. And that’s a lot. And yeah, shout out to them for continuing, like still be there, still dedicating themselves to the job for looking after all these women who come in and out of the maternity and antenatal clinic. So if, no, I’m not gonna say if, when the government decides to put in the money that is needed into our health system, then I’m sure this birthing plan will be there. They’ll be able to provide that support to the young mamas, to those who are expecting. I know currently, I think Audrey mentioned it, nearing the due date, the mothers are given a piece of paper. Maybe, Audrey, can you share what exactly is on the piece of paper?
Audrey: I think ol information weh emi stap lo piece of paper ia emi just information blo wanem weh mama emi sapos blo bringim I kam long hospital, blo hem, blo baby, wetem, yes I think emia nomo ol smol smol information we hemi stap. Beh mi long personal tingting blong mi olsem mi been talem finis se sam oli wok sam oli no wok. Spos weh bai emi much better spos weh information ia emi given out maybe long fes visit from olsem ia oli stap prepare. Or even wan family member I save letem olgeta I save se, pos olsem ia for example, spos mi weh mi gat pikinini finis mi luk se wan younger sister blong mi emi no, emi gat fes baby blong hem bai mi sta letem hemi save se you need to have this and that and that for preparation olsem that comes, I faldaon bakeken lo responsibility blo yu or blong family member. Beh blo antenatal oli sta kimaot lo last manis finis blo bifo yu kivim birth. So, ating ating I much better blo kivim long fes visit blo oli stap prepare. Prepare pem smol smol putum I stap lo saed kasem taem weh yu actually ko kivim birth. Blo some weh oli wok emia ating last minute olsem bai no save wan problem beh for others that oli no wok mo oli no. Yes ating emia placenta blo hem I fulap long information ating olsem I still concernem piece of paper ia. Olsem mi for example, mi tu wan weh, yes mi read beh nomo taem oli kim mi talem thank yu mi squeezim mi putum ko insaed long basket afta tumoro afta tumoro yu kasem lo mi, mi mi nomo save wea ples mi putum. Bai much better spos yumi displayem ol samting or yumi mekem actually wan awareness oli staon olsem ia everiwan oli listen blo oli save kasem wanem information weh yumi sta traem blo transferem I ko lo olgeta.
TRANSLATIONS: I think the information that is on that piece of paper is just information about what the mother is supposed to bring to the hospital, for her, for the baby, and yes, I think there are also small pieces of information there. But in my personal opinion, it seems to me that I’ve said before, some work and some don’t. Perhaps it would be much better if this information is given out maybe during the first visit as they prepare. Or even a family member can inform everyone, like, for example, if I, having had a child already, see my younger sister who is having her first baby, I can tell her that she needs to have this and that and that for preparation, like, I take on a little bit of responsibility for her or for the family member. But for antenatal care, they usually come in at the last month before you give birth. So, maybe it’s much better to give it during the first visit as they prepare. Prepare and gradually put things in place until the time you actually give birth. For some, they do it last minute, which may not be a problem for them, but for others, they may not. Yes, maybe its placenta is full of information, maybe I still consider that piece of paper. Like, for example, I too, am someone who, yes, I read it but sometimes when they come, I say thank you, I squeeze it and put it in the basket, and then tomorrow, I don’t know where I put it. It would be much better if we display something or if we actually raise awareness like this, everyone listens so that they can get the information we are trying to convey to everyone.
Alison: I think the idea blo mekem wan awareness emi really good. Wan samting weh yumi mestem smol daon lo hospital se olsem blo kobak long reality taem weh yu ko blo pas lo scan or lo antenatal visit blo yu bai yu faenem se yes yu wan namba. You were just a number and you’re a number with a lot of other numbers. So, bai yu prepare se bai yu no ko long wok tedei. So, that’s a day off of work and that cause you money. So you are there all day so yumi tingbaot se yumi gat wan room I fulap long fulap mama beh Janis blong mekem awareness ia nao. That’s when we should have the people doing, you know, someone standing up and talking about bai yu kakae wanem the time weh yu gat bel. So, pepa ia wan samting hemi talem, like maybe last manis before you bornem bebe I talem se yu mas kakae tri kaen kakae taem weh yu gat bel. Beh man yu yu gat bel lo hamas week finis ia. 40 weeks for a pregnancy, typical pregnancy. So already, like, you’ve been pregnant for 32 weeks mi hope se yu been kakae tri kaen kakae pos no beh development blo baby blo yu bai emi olsem wanem? We need to be relevant and we need to be current. And yes, I true. Yes women have been giving birth ko ko ko ko since the beginning of time. Yes yumi kivim titi taem baby I born. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean its straightforward, and doesn’t mean it’s going to be successful. If we want to have a successful country, yumi tokbaot development, beh development emi start lo taem weh yu gat bel and it’s not just the woman that emi gat bel. See, she’s the vessel beh hemi no mekem hem wan. It’s a family problem, it’s not a woman’s problem. It’s not a woman’s issue. I no wok blong woman. Emi issue blong yumi, yumi, yumitu, yumieveriwan. We have to start to empower our people.
TRANSLATIONS: I think the idea of raising awareness is really good. It’s something you must realize when you go to the hospital, that in reality, when you go for a scan or your antenatal visit, you’ll find out that you’re just a number. You were just a number and you’re a number with a lot of other numbers. So, you prepare that you won’t go to work today. So, that’s a day off of work and that costs you money. So, you are there all day, so we think that we have a room full of mothers, and it’s the chance to make this awareness now. That’s when we should have the people doing, you know, someone standing up and talking about what to eat when you’re pregnant. But you’re already in the last weeks. 40 weeks for a typical pregnancy. So already, like, you’ve been pregnant for 32 weeks, I hope you’ve been eating well because it’s important for the baby’s development, isn’t it? We need to be relevant and we need to be current. And yes, it’s true. Yes, women have been giving birth since the beginning of time. Yes, we’ve been breastfeeding when babies are born. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s straightforward, and it doesn’t mean it’s going to be successful. If we want to have a successful country, we talk about development, but development starts when you’re pregnant, and it’s not just the woman who’s pregnant. See, she’s the vessel but it doesn’t make it her problem. It’s a family problem, it’s not a woman’s problem. It’s not a woman’s issue. It’s not just a woman’s issue. It’s our issue, yours, mine, everyone’s. We have to start empowering our people.
Audrey: Okay bai addem smol nomo bakeken about the checklist oli sta kivimaot lo ol mama lo hospital gat fulap ol gudfala samting that oli kivimaot. Sori lo checklist ia I gat ol klos ol samting weh I need blo preparem blo ol pikinini, blo ol bebe especially nao, napkins, towels, yu mas karem plate, cup blong yu I ko long hospital, then clean klos blong baby, powder wetem oil, set blo socks.
TRANSLATIONS: Okay, let me add a little more about the checklist they provide to mothers at the hospital, which includes plenty of useful items. Sorry, on the checklist, there are clothes and things that you need to prepare for the babies, especially now, like diapers, towels, you should bring your own plate, cup to the hospital, then clean clothes for the baby, powder, oil, and a set of socks.
Eneth: Bai mi addem smol nomo bakeken about list ia. I gat fulap gudfala samting weh oli putum long list ia weh sapos blo karem I ko long hospital especially for mothers and babies. One thing mi noticem se emi missing emi wota, from emi very important blo mama I mas drink wota blo hemi stay hydrated. And narafala samting hemi oli putum long ples ia se cortex, which is stayfree.
TRANSLATIONS: Let me add a little more about this list. There are plenty of useful items they include on this list especially for mothers and babies if they’re going to the hospital. One thing I noticed is missing is water, which is very important for the mother to stay hydrated. Another thing they include on this list is cortex, which is a stayfree pad.
Elsie: Thank you for joining me for the first part of this conversation on how we can better support our mothers to be. Make sure to tune into the second part of this conversation where we explore the types of support that is given to mothers to be and the current gaps that we need to fill in our health system.
Ending: Make sure to check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok at sistavanuatu and our website sista.com.vu. This is Elsie from the Round Table. If you want to hear more from the Round Table podcast, make sure to tune into the next episode.
