CANADA is a great country to live in if you're expecting a baby.
Here we have access to an adequate diet, medical care and proper pre-and post-natal care. Last year it is estimated there were more than 386,000 births in this country. Having a nutritious diet is important for a mother's health. A regular part of a pre-natal checkup includes advice about proper diet and recommended vitamins and minerals. This is an entrenched part of our culture, but in many countries this would be considered a luxury.
In Canada virtually all women have at least one pre-natal checkup, most receive around four. In addition almost all Canadian mothers have skilled health practitioners, such as doctors or midwives, present at birth.
According to a recent release from World Vision: in Afghanistan, only 36 per cent of women access one pre-natal checkup and only 14 per cent have health practitioners attend their birth.
Want to do something special this Mother's Day? Why not support an expectant mom living in poverty through the World Vision Gift Catalogue (www. worldvision.ca/gifts)? It's also a great way to show appreciation for your own care. After a difficult pregnancy in 2010 Sara Austin of Woodbridge, Ontario and her husband welcomed their son Felix. "Because of high risk complications, we had the support of many maternal health specialists," explains Austin. To show their gratitude, they gave their midwives the gift of pre-and post-natal care for a mother and child. "They were so touched that their work was honoured this way, it brought them to tears."
