During my six years of catching babies in Indonesia, I never saw a fatality from hemorrhage in Indonesia (we were able to control them), but I saw far too many women bleed excessively after birthing. Speaking with elder healers who used to catch babies in Bali, I discovered what they believed was the cause of so much postpartum hemorrhage: In the early 1960s US government aid organizations introduced "Green Revolution" hybrid rice to Asia. This rice matures in three months rather than six, so it was supposed to end hunger. But because it is also a weak variety, it is susceptible to fungus and pests and must be heavily sprayed with herbicides, anti-fungals and pesticides.
Overnight the people went from eating organic red rice as their staple food to ingesting a hybrid, sprayed rice that was polished down to white. Even the rats won't eat this rice. This is handy---it makes it easy to store.
According to Mangku Liyer, a healer priest in Pengo Sekan, Bali, "Within the first season of the new rice I saw women dying, so many dying, bleeding too much after childbirth. Before, when a woman would bleed too much, I could stop the bleeding with herbs and young coconut water. After we began to eat the new rice, I could no longer help the women. I only could help bury them."
In June 1998 we arrived at Baguio, Philippines, the home of my mother. I immediately began to catch babies for the marginalized mountain people. I was astonished to find that these Filipino women, unlike the Indonesian women I had helped, were not hemorrhaging after giving birth. Their secret seemed to be in their food. They were eating organically grown red rice and sweet potatoes. Unfortunately women living a more modern lifestyle (in either the Philippines or Indonesia) in the city and eating commercially grown white rice and fast foods, had higher blood pressure and more postpartum blood loss.
So let me take this opportunity to say what we all already know: sound nutrition equals healthy mother, healthy baby and better birth outcomes. Please, if you're pregnant or helping pregnant women, choose organic foods. It makes a tremendous difference.
Note:
The family health clinic I raised funds to build in Bali is now open and being run by two wonderful Balinese midwives. Thanks to everyone who helped in so many ways. Some gave their time, books, used baby clothing, equipment, birth supplies, money, etc. Your generosity has gone a long way.
I will be returning to the Philippines in November to open a free-standing birth center in cooperation with Good Shepherd Convents and the Dept. of Health in Baguio. We hope to encourage traditional birth attendants and help them get the supplies, supplementary training and networking they need and want. Many women have been trained in college as midwives but there are no jobs for them. Right now 30% of the reported births in Baguio are unattended homebirths. As fatalities are not reported, Mary Fernandez of the Baguio Dept. of Health can only imagine how many births actually still take place at home. Our shared dream is that if low cost or free homebirth services could be made available, birth outcomes could be much improved.
What I need: Books to help improve midwives' knowledge (most Filipino college trained midwives speak English. They can help the Ilokano and Tagalog traditional birth attendants learn from the books as well), birth supplies, funding--every centavo helps. All can be sent to me in the US before I depart on Nov. 1st. Robin Lim, 501 North C. St., Fairfield, Iowa, 52556; email: robinlim@kdsi.net
Thank you, Salamat po!
Robin Lim
Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issue 34, Aug 20, 1999)
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