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Moaning in labour facilitates delivery-Health Expert
Labour pains are very unbearable for many women and so they impulsively and uncontrollably resort to screaming as a response to the extreme pain that is associated with contractions during labour.
But does a woman in labour know that if she wants to make some noise during labour to help her feel better, she can moan instead? When she moans instead of screams, she directs the pressure she is exerting downward (to the diaphragm) and helps the labour process to continue.
In an interview with Dr. Dixie Constantini a Specialist Obstetrician Gynaecologist of the Women’s Health Obstetrics and Gynaecology, she said “it is important to save as much energy as possible for the type of noise that will help with labour progression”.
She explained that screaming during labour usually made a woman tired even before she got to the point where she had to push and some education which was usually given at Pregnancy Schools should be taken seriously or one could also learn it online if that was preferable.
She said when a woman screamed especially when she was supposed to push, almost all the energy she needed for pushing rather came out as noise “and if you are not left with enough energy to push your baby out it delays the delivery process and you will not be able to push.”
Dr. Constatini said when a woman in labour was screaming it also made it difficult for her to concentrate on the labour process and listen to the instructions of the Midwife helping her.
She was emphatic that, screaming did not make the labour process faster and that labour could sometimes be very long.
Dr. Constantini said there had been instances where some women thought that they would have short labour because of screaming but that was not true.
She said with every added child, labour was usually shorter. “So a first time mother usually has longer period of labour than a fourth time mother.”
The Specialist Obstetrician Gynaecologist further explained that even though it was usually the case, the cervix was a very special part of the womb which did what it liked to do.
“It sometimes dilates very quickly when it likes or stays closed when it doesn’t want to dilate. Thus you might find some first time mothers having very short labour and others not.
We cannot control the process of dilation sometimes. Other times we are unable to tell if someone will be able to dilate fully or not. The cervix can be very tricky. “she said.
She advised that “if you are in extreme pain and epidural anaesthesia isn’t available, you can ask for pain meds that can be injected into your butt or thigh muscle to help with the pain, that’s if those are available as well”.
“We know it is extremely difficult for most people not to scream, everyone feels pain differently and we do understand this but it is also important to listen to your Midwife or Obgyn” she said.
From Dzifa Tetteh, Kpone
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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