International Journal of Women's Health (May 2021)
“I Would Have Stayed Home if I Could Manage It Alone”: A Case Study of Ethiopian Mother Abandoned by Care Providers During Facility-Based Childbirth
Abstract
Yohannes Mehretie Adinew,1,2 Janet Kelly,2,* Amy Marshall,2,* Helen Hall3,* 1College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Sodo, Ethiopia; 2Adelaide Nursing School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia; 3Monash Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yohannes Mehretie Adinew Tel +251 91-202-1605Email [email protected]: Every woman is entitled to respectful care during pregnancy and childbirth as a basic human right. However, not all women are being treated equally well.Case Presentation: This case study highlights some of the common disrespectful practices that women face. This is a testimony of a 28-year-old mother of two, narrated in her own words. The data were collected during an in-depth interview in November 2019. The interview was conducted in her house and her name has been changed to protect her identity. The interview was audio-taped using a digital voice recorder, later transcribed, and translated verbatim from the local language – Amharic, to English.Conclusion: This woman’s story highlights the unfortunate reality for some women. Five themes emerged from her narrative: denial of care: the provider left her unattended at a critical moment and denied her the care that she came for; non-consented care: she did not consent to the episiotomy; non-dignified care: she was carried by her arms and legs to the delivery couch, and left naked and bleeding on the couch after birth; taking a sick baby home without medical assistance: she was forced to leave the hospital even though her child had breathing difficulties and was not able to suck or breastfeed; and loss of trust in care providers: for her second birth this woman went to a facility where a relative works, as she no longer trusted these providers.Keywords: refusal to treat, human rights abuses, respect, birthing centers, Ethiopia
