Birth Center Saves MotherBaby Lives in Philippines

What’s it like to have a baby in one of our Mercy in Action-sponsored Midwife-led birth centers in the Philippines?  There are many answers to this question, and “The Midwives Way” is not only the name of our birth center on Samar Island, it is also a description of the type of care our midwives offer to every family in their care! 

The Midwives Way of caring for families is aligned with the 12 Steps to Safe and Respectful MotherBaby-Family Maternity Care, endorsed globally by the International Childbirth Initiative, which promotes both clinical excellence as well as heartfelt, compassionate patient care.  This model is often in stark contrast to the harmful practices that vulnerable clients can find themselves receiving in other birth settings, especially if they are poor.  

We are delighted to report that according to our latest statistics, the babies born in Mercy in Action-sponsored birth centers are fourtimes more likely to survive than babies born elsewhere in the Philippines.  Our First One Thousand Days program links every client with a trained support person from conception until the new baby reaches their second birthday.

In these pictures, you can see that the loving care provided by Mercy Midwives and Kasamas (companions) encourages healthy, joy-filled development for mothers, babies, and families.

We follow the words of  Mother Teresa, who used to say, “I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money.” There are, of course, costs to providing The Midwives Way of caring for families for 1,000 Days, and your faithful generosity fuels this fantastic possibility. We want you to know you are making a difference in many young lives with your giving! Thank you! 

Dear Friends,

We are so excited to share our annual year-end Christmas Video Card with you, our faithful donors. We have included lovely pictures from this past year, lively music, and details about what we accomplished in 2023!  Please view by clicking the link below and enjoy watching our short video; it will be one minute and 49 seconds well spent! 

In our year-end update, we are pleased to report that Mercy In Action midwives were responsible for outreach to prisons, a disaster area that had experienced severe flooding, a landfill where families live to scavenge trash, and several of the poorest communities in the Philippines. We provided help to families on three islands in 2023, and in our licensed and accredited birth centers, 381 babies were born this year!  In addition, those babies born in our birth centers will be followed up with home visits and regular growth and development monitoring until they reach two years old. 

We are very proud of these accomplishments, and we know you will be too when you watch the video. We could not have done it without you, so thank you! Your generosity saves lives and improves the health and well-being of many mothers, babies, children, and families in the Philippines.

Blessings and Merry Christmas from the Mercy In Action Staff! 

Links:

• Mercy In Action Christmas Video 2023