Mamatoto puts the joy back in childbirth

JUST as the name Mamatoto is unusual, so too is the 32-34 Clifford Street location in Belmont for its resource and birth centre, the only one of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago. Funding for the purchase, renovation and occupation of the beautiful new bright yellow buildings was given to the Mothers and Midwives Alliance of Trinidad and Tobago (Mamatoto) by the JB Fernandes Trust Fund I. A very wide range of activities connected to every aspect of “mothering” is carried on by Mamatoto, founded by Renee Etta and four midwives —Marilyn Stollmeyer, Diane Williams, Simone Clarke and Debbie Lewis.

Etta, mother of a three-year-old son, tells of coming back to Trinidad pregnant: “I did not know what I wanted, but knew what I did not want — to be lying flat on my back with my legs in stirrups, being very passive through the birth of my son.  I had two good doctors. I was put on to Marilyn’s childbirth class and found somebody who was speaking my language, and realised I could have a midwife delivery. “I met Debbie, had a few reservations, but felt completely confident that I was in good hands and had a natural delivery of an eight pounds, ten ounce baby. After that experience, I felt it was wonderful and if I could have this experience, why it is other women I have spoken to in Trinidad think of it as horrific. Follow-up care included breast feeding, so I said okay let’s do something. It is ridiculous not to have options.’’

Mamatoto’s proposal for the first midwifery model of care in Trinidad and Tobago, had the combined support of the Trinidad and Tobago Midwives Association, the Informative Breastfeeding Service, and the Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago. And by October 2002, Mamatoto was established at Belmont Circular Road. The Clifford Street building, chosen for its proximity to the Port-of- Spain General Hospital, and to be where the people are, was bought and renovated, and Phase I of the centre was launched in January 2004. Its goal: To reach women of child-bearing age and their families, and to empower women to make informed choices with respect to their reproductive health. A series of free workshops in 2003 and early 2004 sponsored by Match International generated such a great deal of interest that Mamatoto found itself with ten female candidates for participation in the two-year doula training programme, which started last September. Although midwives do doula work, doulas are not professionally trained midwives.

The current group who are undergoing training are just simply mothers who want to provide a positive birthing experience for other women. The word “doula” immediately grabs the imagination. Pronounced “doola” — the Greek word meaning “woman servant or caregiver,” refers here to an experienced woman who offers emotional and practical support to a woman (or couple) before, during and after childbirth. A doula believes in mothering the mother, enabling a woman to have the most satisfying and empowered time that she can during pregnancy, birth and the early days as a new mother. This type of support also helps the whole family to relax and enjoy the experience. Just to get a feel of what would make an individual wish to be a doula — which could mean staying with a woman who is in labour and her family for the entire time, if it takes up to 48 hours — I spoke to three doula trainees, Andrea Alkins, Wendy Hamilton, and Manghanita Kempadoo,  all from varying backgrounds, but with one common goal: “To be part of this programme which gives women the power to choose and to be there to support them, leading hopefully to educated choices for mothering and parenting.” It takes two years of training, which includes attending classes, live births and a lot of documentation, to become internationally certified.  

Mamatoto is a source of information and support systems. At the centre, six days a week you can find someone to talk to about fears connected to childbirth and also use the multi-media resource centre. Support groups on post-natal depression meet on the second Tuesday of every month at 10 to 11.30 a.m; on miscarriages or stillbirths on the third Thursday of every month at 5.30 p.m; child development sessions from birth to one year take place on the last Friday of each month 9.30 to 10.30 am with a doctor in attendance, and the women’s nutrition group meets the first Saturday each month 9.30 to 10.30 am with a dietitian in attendance. All of these sessions are free of charge. With help from Match International, National Lotteries Control Board, the American Women’s Club of Trinidad and Tobago and other groups, Mamatoto has been able to staff the centre with an administrative assistant, Marcia Brown, who can be reached at 621-2368, and consultants and volunteers six days per week, including one evening.
Partners are invited and encouraged to come with their wives to clinics and consultations. Fathers need to be there at the time of birth to welcome their child into the world, and maybe cut the cord. A host of birthing aids, including birthing balls and stools are used, and there are already consulting rooms for check-ups at the centre. Hopefully, the second building will be furnished and ready for use as a birth centre and training of midwives by 2005/2006.