LIVIA'S BOOKLET

Ev ery woman deserves a loving, peaceful and gentle birth experience. The way you give birth matters. The way you feel while giving birth matters. Maternal mortality is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management. Study has it that maternal mortality refers to deaths due to complications from childbirth. For every one maternal death, there are 75 to 100 more women that suffer a life-threatening complication during pregnancy or childbirth. And that a woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth. Maternal mortality is a public health crisis. Let’s foster conversations, raise awareness and work towards a future where safe delivery is safeguarded as a fundamental right.

“The simplest things always speak louder than words ever will.” These are the exact words that have kept repeating in my head. I have made a catastrophic mistake and it has blown all over my face. I keep asking myself what at all have I done to myself and how to resolve it all. There’s so much hatred within myself- I wish to have had the power to turn back the hands of time and start all over again. ********************************************* Ken and I first met when he came to do a bulk deposit at our bank branch and I happened to be the teller on duty in the bulk deposits room that week. We exchanged greetings and talked a little as I served him. He recommended my services to be faster and friendlier than my colleague John. I liked the compliment. Since then, whenever he came through to make deposits, he made sure to see me. We became friends. He got more open and invited me out for lunch one Wednesday but I couldn't make it due to my busy schedule that week. We po...

I have been trying to avoid this topic but for some reasons, I can’t stop thinking about the people who go day by day without being loved or cared for. I can’t stop thinking about those people who are waiting and hoping to be loved. I write this for all those who are on the wait, to gently remind them that they will be okay even if they don’t believe they will. I remember years ago, I wrote a love letter, hoping the words would convince my receiver of my true love for him. He wrote back to me plainly “ find someone who would love you the way you deserve to be loved. You are far too kind for me; you need someone who will reciprocate .” Getting over such a note required hours-days filled with tears and heartache to get the meaning. He broke parts of me which I am unable to fix. It’s a good thing he responded in his own honest capacity. Sometimes, some things are not meant to work out, no matter how much you want them to. Sometimes, you get exhausted from fighting for love to stay ...

This has been the hardest episode on #letsbreakthesilence to write about. I have been thinking a lot about these terms’ ‘survivor’ and ‘thriver.’ They are frequently used in the cancer community. And as someone who witnessed a cancer experience, I find myself dissecting and deconstructing the use of the terms. How about we use the word ‘rebel’ as @saralous.writes put it. Cancer is a disease caused by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. This abnormal cell growth can damage normal cells around it and in other parts of the body. The effects of cancer disease can be devastating, and it’s important to stay informed about its risks and prevention. A minority of cancers are due to inherited genetic mutations. Most cancers are related to environmental, lifestyle or behavioural exposures. Cancer is a disease that everyone can suffer from. And there are different types of cancer. ·        Bowel cancer ·      ...

  Period poverty is the inability to afford or have access to period products (pads, tampons, liners, menstrual cups and other basic hygiene items) in order to manage periods. What has been your       -take                                     -part                                     -role                                     -mission? in shifting the paradigm with life changing menstrual health supplies and education in your -society/...

We are in a society that isn’t keen on talking about mental health, it isn’t surprising that most of us are unsure on how to support someone who is struggling with their mental health. But; vulnerability is hard. It’s risky. Exposing our vulnerability with people we trust can feel comforting and loving. It can feel good to lean on others. I read a quote by Natural life which said; “ If it costs you your mental health, then it is too expensive.” Avoiding certain people and things to protect your mental and emotional health isn’t a weakness. At times, it’s good to name that feeling. Pause-Reset-Notice what you feel. Many of us feel more than one emotion at a time, so don’t hesitate to identify multiple emotions you might be feeling for the sake of your mental well-being. Realistically, our daily choices and habits have an impact on how we feel. Most of our daily routine contributes to anxiety, a bad language to one’s mental health. Anxiety occurs when the brain senses a pote...

Obstetric Fistula can be eradicated!! It can phase away. Not only does Child Marriage lead to sexual abuse, physical violence, psychological trauma, depression and/or poor mental health but child marriage is also one of the most direct causes of Obstetric Fistula. Birth brings joy to most women and their families, but this is not the same for every woman. Some are left with complications that affect their quality of life permanently. One of such complications is what is termed as an obstetric fistula. An Obstetric Fistula is a hole between a woman’s vagina and one or more of her internal organs. This hole develops over many days of obstructed labour when the pressure of the baby’s head against the mother’s pelvis cuts off blood supply to delicate tissues in the region. The dead tissue falls away and the woman is left with a hole between her vagina and her bladder (vesicovaginal fistula) and sometimes between her vagina and rectum (rectovaginal fistula). This hole results in pe...