I have been watching a lot of BBC’s Call the Midwife over the past few months. Have you seen it? If not, you should really check it out. The show is about midwives in post-WWII London – I know that doesn’t sound exciting, but it’s kind of amazing. I promise. The reason I am bringing this up, is that while we were in Guyana I had the chance to spend some time in the maternity ward with the young mothers and their sweet, new babies. I felt like I was living a scene from Call the Midwife as women came into clinic and labored without use of first world medicine.
I feel so grateful to the women for allowing the crazy American woman with a camera ‘ooh and ahh’ over their newborns. Wandering through maternity wards was one of the more intimate experiences I have had while traveling. In those crowded rooms I felt so many cultural barriers were torn down as our shared experience of womanhood bonded us.
I had the honor of witnessing two births and was reminded of how incredibly miraculous it all is. I wish I could describe how it felt to meet women in such a turning point in their lives and watch them transition into motherhood, but I am feeling a loss for words. I suppose the photos will have to speak for me.
PS – Like this post? Check out Home in Khon Kaen or Buna.
Hi Erica, thanks for sharing these beautiful, powerful images. The photos of babies and the mothers with their babies warmed my heart and brougth a smile on my face. What a great experience to witness and capture those special moments.