Saving mothers prepared me for motherhood

As part of her community healthcare training to become a nurse/midwife, in 2007, Nomso Ibe was posted to a mission hospital in Iyienu, Idemili North local government, Anambra state, where her encounter with pregnant women changed her life forever.She could remember how antenatal care attendance was very poor at the hospital; pregnant women would patronize traditional birth attendants (TBAs) rather than the Mission hospital, so maternal mortality was alarmingly high.Between the TBAs and the hospitalIn a community where traditional practices ruled every aspect of existence, the pregnant women were very keen to fulfill the dictates of cultural protocol. Nomso was told the story of a woman who delivered by herself eight times but didn’t survive the ninth time because she bled to death. But they wouldn’t know that excessive bleeding was why she lost her life that ninth time. There was another woman whose baby’s leg got stuck and she labored for three days while the TBA struggled to save her life. Both she and the baby died.“That was what I met. Maternal deaths were very high and I became very concerned. My training is to save lives but how could I if they wouldn’t come to the hospital?” Nomso asked herself.Maybe a talk could help?Nomso started community mobilization activities, going from house to house, encouraging pregnant women to attend antenatal care and deliver their babies at the hospital to avoid unnecessary deaths. Like magic, she started getting good responses. A ring of trust started forming as the women began listening to her and welcoming her in their homes.The pregnant women really did want to use the hospital, but they complained to Nomso that the health workers were harsh and unfriendly. The TBAs were family members and would not treat them badly (although death was sometimes the consequence of the familial treatment).“As the women complained of unfair treatment, I discussed developing encouraging attitudes towards them with my fellow health workers and we addressed our own gaps as health service providers”, Nomso said.Hope rose and fellTo some level, Nomso was confident that pregnant women in Iyienu would start coming for antenatal care, deliver in the hospital, and the community would no longer lose its pregnant women and newborns.But the confidence soon melted; pregnant women who patronised the hospital were detained because they couldn’t pay their bills. “That would never happen at a TBA’s! Why was Nomso causing them this trouble?” They started complaining, as they were well monitored so they wouldn’t escape.The realisation that there was financial implication to pregnant women's hospital patronage suddenly hit Nomso. She felt the weight of blames about the women's detention on her shoulder and she needed a solution. Only one thing came to her mind, which she knew could truncate her training. But she had to do it.“I settled the bills with my final year registration fee, as I felt responsible for their travails. I couldn’t tell my parents in what pot I had planted my career tree to grow; they would scold me. But they were proud of me when I told them; that was after three years though!”Her charity, and accoladesNomso’s experience with pregnant women at Iyienu showed her the next path in her life. At the end of her training in 2007, she started Traffina Foundation for Community Health to help promote maternal and child health.In 2012, Nomso was one of the 3 best out of 200 applicants for Young Champions of Maternal Health award in Arusha, Tanzania. Maternal Health Task Force, Harvard School of Public Health, facilitated the award. Nomso was recognised for her numerous contribution to saving lives of pregnant women and babies.Nomso was also recognised for her support in maternal and newborn health when she was given an award during the launch of MamaYe Nigeria, a campaign committed to saving lives of mothers and babies, in February 2013. She has been a great supporter of the campaign in Nigeria ever since.Nomso once said that all her works have helped her to prepare for motherhood, so she is so passionate about making motherhood joyful for everyone. She is now a proud mother of a baby girl, Morgen, who was born on April 10, 2013.Nomso's husband, Obioma Peter, was also part of her success. Peter has been part of Traffina since 2008, working to involve males in the health and well being of their pregnant wives and their newborns. Nomso said "Peter and I found love in 2012", and now Morgen came forth.The MamaYe team in Nigeria wishes her and her baby the very best in life.