I am so lucky to live in Britain. Our NHS may be stretched to breaking point, but it’s there, and it helps thousands of women every year have babies. I frequently look back to the birth of the geekdaughter and think how, if we’d been in another time or another place, the chances are neither of us would be here now to tell the tale. After a long and tiring labour, she was delivered using forceps as I couldn’t push her out myself. After she was born I lost a large amount of blood, and my body was so exhausted that my uterus wouldn’t contract – to this day I have no idea what the medical team did to sort me out, other than it involved a cocktail of drugs, and a certain amount of stomach pummelling.
This meant that when I had the opportunity to support UNICEF’s Mother’s Day campaign for this year, which is highlighting maternal mortality, I leapt at the chance. Did you know that worldwide nearly 1,000 women are still dying everyday during pregnancy or childbirth due to complications, a lack of medical care and unsanitary dirty conditions? On Mother’s Day that means that nearly 1,000 mums will lose their life and newborn babies will have to grow up without their mum by their side.
Let me tell you about Chad. Before joining this campaign I had never even heard of Chad, but now I know that it is a landlocked country in central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. Chad has suffered a long civil war and is one of the poorest places in the world.
Chad has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with 1 in every 14 women at risk of dying during pregnancy or child birth. Only an estimated 14 % of births are attended by a skilled health professional such as a doctor, nurse or midwife, with the cost of transport and distance to the nearest health centres, major obstacles for women accessing basic medical care if they suffer complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
I support UNICEF in their belief that it is wrong that women in Chad are still dying during pregnancy and childbirth. The good news is that UNICEF is working in the country to try and help put this right – but they need your help. I was amazed to learn that all the all the medical equipment needed to safely deliver a baby and help keep a mum safe during the birth costs just £23 – this includes all medicines and delivery sterilisation and resuscitation equipment.
This Mothers Day you can help UNICEF save ‘1,000 mums lives’ and make sure no child is born without their mother, by buying the ‘Deliver a Baby’ pack as a mother’s day gift for your Mum. Just £23 to ensure the safe delivery of a baby in a country like Chad.
About UNICEF: UNICEF, the worlds leading children organisation, supports children and their mothers in over 190 countries, working to combat deadly illnesses such as malaria and tetanus, protecting children from exploitation and violence, ensuring that mothers can deliver their babies safely and supporting families affected by emergencies.
What are Inspired Gifts: UNICEF Inspired Gifts such as the ‘Deliver a Baby pack’ are real supplies – like vaccines, medicines, food, ware containers, and education materials – that are delivered directly to those women and children who are most in need, so this Mothers’ Day, your gift for your own mum can help keep a mother living miles away safe and healthy.
Disclosure: I have written this post in support of the UNICEF maternal mortality campaign. Images and background information were provided by UNICEF. I have not received any form of compensation for this post.
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book, and also check out the forums over at 
