Midwife meeting
The attendees of AMA midwife training consisted of young women eager to learn the trade, in addition to, experienced mothers and grandmothers furthering their knowledge and skills. The activity was held in the Chuicutama village of Santa Catarina. The house was filled with mothers, sisters and daughters, people sitting on the floor and standing in the door. The meeting was facilitated by Antonina Sanchez, and translated into K’iche by Hilda. Dona Antonina begins with a brief introduction; holding hands everyone engages in their personal prayers. This powerful workshop gave the opportunity to meet and speak with two American midwives, Nicki and Maria. During the training, Antonina explained the signs of a healthy baby and the proper procedure if the child is showing symptoms of infection. She described basic sanitation for materials and and persons as well as the importance of keeping a health notebook.
The cultural exchanged between Nicki, Maria and the women of Chuicutama was truly exciting for both parties. “We are so grateful to be invited to your community and into your homes. This is a honor and something that we consider incredibly valuable.” Nicki and Maria have been to Guatemala several times to witness Mayan midwife practices and while they did not facilitate the meeting they did clarified confusion about diseases and procedures. They also answered a multitude of questions, demonstrated new techniques and use of instruments vital to midwives.
Manuela Guachiac and Maria Tzaput are practicing midwives of the community Pacutama. Although they have been midwives for several years, this meeting was the first time they had ever practiced listening for a baby’s heartbeat using a stethoscope. “We are so happy and excited to learn a new method for helping mothers and babies. We now can go back to our community with this new equipment and demonstrate the same training. Women and children will directly benefit from this experience because we can better serve them. Thank you so much!”
The attendees of AMA midwife training consisted of young women eager to learn the trade, in addition to, experienced mothers and grandmothers furthering their knowledge and skills. The activity was held in the Chuicutama village of Santa Catarina. The house was filled with mothers, sisters and daughters, people sitting on the floor and standing in the door. The meeting was facilitated by Antonina Sanchez, and translated into K’iche by Hilda. Dona Antonina begins with a brief introduction; holding hands everyone engages in their personal prayers. This powerful workshop gave the opportunity to meet and speak with two American midwives, Nicki and Maria. During the training, Antonina explained the signs of a healthy baby and the proper procedure if the child is showing symptoms of infection. She described basic sanitation for materials and and persons as well as the importance of keeping a health notebook.
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