National Safe Motherhood Day

 Trishita Gupta - Author

'Motherhood' is a feeling that all women dream to experience and at the same time also fear the most due to the thoughts of capability and responsibility! Being a mom changes one's life in a complete new direction and yet you love every moment of it. Feeling worried or anxious about your pregnancy? chillax.... all you have to do is just relax and be happy about it. If you are a new mommy to be or wanted to be, you need to go through a safe journey of motherhood. On the occasion of National Safe Motherhood day, Lifenatphil shares with you some interesting details and facts to take care of yourself ensuring safe motherhood!

What is Safe Motherhood Day?

White Ribbon Alliance initiated the observance of National Safe Motherhood Day. It was in the year 2003, when the government of India decided to declare the national safe motherhood day to be observed on 11th of April. This day was chosen because it is the birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi, the wife of the father of the Nation Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi. Primary motive of declaring this day is to raise awareness about adequate access to care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal services.

India stands among the most high-risk places to give birth, accounting for around 15% of total maternal deaths worldwide. In the year 2015-17, around 122 women die per one lakh live births in India due to improper care during pregnancy. So, it very important for all the women of India to understand how to take care of themselves during pregnancy. Safe Motherhood day focuses on improving women's education on pregnancy and care to be taken during and after pregnancy.

Why is it celebrated?

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - All the countries have decided to accelerate the decline of maternal mortality by 2030 under the SDGs. Sustainable Development Goal number 3 targets at “reducing the global MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate) to less than 70 per One Lakh births, with no country having MMR of more than two times the global average” .

What is safe Motherhood?

The term ‘Safe Motherhood’ means ensuring that all women have access to information and services required for safe pregnancy and childbirth, it includes:

• Information on Safe motherhood, and educating women on it.
• Pre-natal care (i.e., the care during pregnancy) and counselling with priority given to high-risk pregnancies.
• Maternal nutrition.
• Adequate delivery assistance in all cases.
• Make availability for obstetric emergencies including the referral provisions for pregnancy, about childbirth, and abortion complications.
• Post-natal care (care after childbirth).

Although the initiative was being portrayed as done by India, it was in the year 2007, the safe motherhood initiative, according to WHO was celebrating its 20th Anniversary.

Every year there are at a minimum of 3.2 million babies stillborn, around 4 million neonatal deaths and maternal deaths more than half a million. The major portion of these deaths are avoidable. HIV/AIDS and malaria in pregnancy have an impact on MMR (maternal mortality rate) and could reverse the progress that has been made.

Safe Motherhood is a very crucial for both the baby and the mother and it is a very cost-effective social investment rather than the economical investment. 

To all the Mothers out there and the women who are yet to start the journey of Motherhood, Team Lifenatphil wishes them a happy and safe motherhood! Motherhood is a journey which makes you fight with yourself emotionally, physically and mentally. And We help you go through this journey and win it! Read the next parts and share this valuable information with all the women you know. It might help them directly or help them to help other women at some point of time in their life!

 It is because of you ladies, the world today exists and will go on. Thank you from the entire family of Lifenatphil

Now, let us see the care one should take during Pregnancy - Click Here

Fact File:

World Health Organisation

The Hindu

National US Library of Medicine