"Prácticas Saludables y Respetuosas del Parto"
Workshop for public health personnel (Peruvian Ministry of Health) who maintain a conventional biomedical approach to maternal care & Birth
This 3 hour-workshop intended to give Peruvian public health personnel in Ancash a fresh & evidence-based medicine perspective on natural birth, that is, non medicalized birth. We emphasyzed that when we interfere with unnecessary interventions in birth, many time there is more harm we do and change the course of a physiological birth.
Women need to feel safe, cared for, and respected. We emphasized the need of darkness in the room,
The discrimination issue was addressed: I corrected that it is easier to work with Andean women than conventional urban women based on their lifestyles in Birth. Birth is biological, this respect not of one particular culture but to support the physiological process of birth.
Vertical positions: showing the facts why lithothomy (laying-down) is not benefitial for birthing women and their babies. Vertical positions (including preventions of vaginal perine tearing) are the recommended physiological birthing positions for all healthy birthing women, whatever their ethnic group
Health personnel which attended the workshop questioned their routine practices concerning birth and the director of the health center (behind Sophie in picture) and the other obstetras reflected that they should reinstall the "Culturally Adequated Birthing Room" in the health center. This was their own initiative (before we even suggested it!) They were putting it in agenda again and were excited to start its planning.
