In the system of obstetric and neonatal care, the midwife plays a leading role.
The world celebrates International Midwives Day today. In the Adamawa region, these healthcare professionals play a vital role in supporting pregnant women and
their babies for up to 42 days postpartum. In health facilities, midwives are in direct contact with pregnant and other women through counseling during prenatal consultations, during labor and delivery, and even in providing initial postpartum care. « I met midwife Guylaine Tchouppé Fangueng during my first prenatal appointment for my first child. She became like a second mother to me. Whenever I have health problems, I turn to her for advice, to the point where she’s practically a doctor herself. Even my husband has taken to her, » explains Mélissa, a mother. Like Mélissa, many other women and girls of childbearing age praise the dedication of midwives to the well-being of pregnant women.
While some women praise the dedication of midwives, others continue to place their trust in traditional birth attendants. « Since I was little, my mother was always assisted by midwives during the births of my younger brothers, » says Aïssatou, who remains attached to traditional birth attendants.
At the Ngaoundéré Regional Hospital Center (CHRN), 14 midwives provide daily support to the obstetrician-gynecologists. On the front lines of the maternity ward, they are, according to midwife Bettazi Bouta Priscille, the first to carry the baby and play a crucial role before, during, and after pregnancy. « After delivery, we begin family planning. It’s not just about stopping labor, as some people think, but about spacing births to achieve the desired number of children, » she explains. On this International Day of the Midwife, the midwives from this second-category training program in the region are conducting a campaign to promote family planning methods, offering guided tours and a conference and discussion this afternoon. The aim is to present the various contraceptive methods to the community so that families can choose the method that best suits their needs.
Collaboration with the midwives
According to Bettazi Bouta Priscille, traditional birth attendants or matrons and midwives trained in modern medicine maintain good relations. « We consider the matrons or traditional birth attendants as community liaisons. They are the ones who identify pregnant women and refer them to us for appropriate care, » she explains.
As the world celebrates midwives, pregnant and breastfeeding women in the Adamawa region, particularly those in Ngaoundéré, applaud the dedication of those in early and late pregnancy. Beyond providing care, for many, these women are true mothers.
Jean Besane Mangam
