She caresses the little mountains that take form in her belly while she thinks about the joy of having them in there. Gloria Gómez cannot see her girls, but she already imagines them. They weave special, unique complicity, which makes them share something more than a body: love.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- She loved them long before they came into her life. She defended the desire to be a mother even when hopes were in danger. Due to the "whims" of destiny, her belly got empty twice and a hole in his chest remained. However, she never gave up and those little hearts beating are the evidence.
“I had two ectopic pregnancies, first I lost one tube and then the other, so I could not conceive naturally. The world came over me. After these hard processes, I attended the Assisted Reproduction Center; it turned out that here my case had no solution because it required in vitro fertilization.
“It was in Holguín that I started the treatment and in nine months I achieved ‘the miracle’. I thank God, science and those wonderful professionals for giving me to my daughters. I have been admitted for four months and I have no complaints; I can only say that I am very happy. It hasn't been easy, but they both are worth any sacrifice,” she says excitedly.
I found Gloria in one of the maternity wards of the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Hospital; she was then just over 36 weeks. Perhaps, at this time, your little ones have already made you embrace happiness.
SAVING A LIFE...
Nothing is more important to the Public Health System than the life of a mother and her children. This is confirmed by Dr. Eloísa Corrías Salgado, head of Obstetrics of the Maternity at the "Guevara".
Unlike other years, three maternal deaths were recorded there in 2019, two due to causes directly related to the specialty; both with few weeks of gestation (one for ectopic pregnancy and the other for curettage). The third death was due to complications of chronic renal failure.
“2019 was difficult due to the increase in Intensive Care admissions. Several pregnant women were taken to that service because they suffered from an associated pathology that could complicate their condition. Despite the increase in morbidity, we managed to get the majority out without damage; there were many lives saved. ”
Corrías comments that the cesarean delivery rate was the most favorable in the history of the center. “We have worked to perform only what is necessary, taking into account the risks of this surgical procedure, including sepsis, bladder, bowel injuries and hemorrhages.
“Almost all of the patients who go to intensive care are due to a complication of cesarean section. In the Delivery Room, we remain under constant stress, because many families lack the preparation and think that if the woman is not operated, the child will die.”
WORK OF ALL
Currently, preterm births, extremely low weight and malformations are hitting heavily. These are the main causes of neonatal mortality.
At the specialist's discretion, overcoming the problems that today prevent better results in the Maternal and Child Program depends on several actors. “We cannot hold a level of attention or a specific person responsible. I think we have to insist on the preparation of the woman who decides to have a child. Everything starts there.
“There is a reality and that is that even if the doctor emphasizes the behavior to follow, the mother must be aware and follow the instructions. In addition, communication from both sides is failing; sometimes the specialist offers information that is not understood.
“It is important to put yourself in the place of the pregnant woman and the companions who despair after so many hours of childbirth. People already arrive indisposed and messages do not flow in the proper way,” she says.
From the Primary Level of Attention, the Maternal and Child Program is prioritized. “Despite the limitations, the pregnant woman has everything at her disposal; if medicine or transport is needed to bring a specialist from another province, resources always appear,” she says.
By 2020 they aspire to reinforce assistance and add actions to bring the efforts of many to a successful conclusion. "We practically do not sleep, we come to the hospital at any time, and at home, we are thinking about the patient we leave in labor." It is just that sacrifice that allows one of the noblest programs of the Revolution to be exalted.
