Sadness and joy: giving birth in Zimbabwe

With the problems of limited birth options and a lack of job satisfaction within the midwifery profession in the UK, it is easy to lose sight of the hardships faced by pregnant women in other countries. Following time he spent working in rural Zimbabwe, David Stanley tells the stories of three women who gave birth in conditions of extreme poverty and suffering. Not all women are able to deliver in the relative safety and comfort of NHS hospitals or have the security of professional midwifery care in their own homes. The following are three stories based on my experience of working for over two years as a midwife and midwifery tutor in a rural mission hospital in central Zimbabwe. Women in Zimbabwe have the option of giving birth is neither a hospital, rural clinic or with a traditional birth attendant (Ambuya). All names have been changed to protect the women's anonymity.