Global Day of Prayer for Childbirth
May 5, 2010
A Call to Prayer for Safe Motherhood
Want suggestions of how to pray throughout the day? Select the tab for the time it is in your part of the world for suggestions of prayer topics.
As the day begins, let us consider the importance of the health of the mother and the family before pregnancy begins.
May families have access to adequate nutrition, clean water and necessary health care.
May women have access to education about their bodies and their fertility.
May women have access to information about managing their fertility in a way that is acceptable to them.
During this hour we turn our attention to those who serve families through pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting.
May the doctors, midwives, nurses and other professionals have the wisdom to find ways to meet the needs in their communities.
May communities have the resources to keep families safe during the childbearing years.
May hospitals and clinics have leaders who seek to provide evidence-based care.
During this hour our hearts break for women in crisis.
May there be an end to physical abuse of women by their husbands and partners.
May there be an end to the sexual trafficking of young girls.
May there be acceptable options for women who are pregnant when they would rather not be.
During this hour we consider the needs of the newborn.
May there be support and education for families who wish to breastfeed.
May there be an end to infant death by diarrhea.
May families have solutions that allow adequate care for the newborn while also allowing adequate funds for the family.
During this hour we focus on the best practice in family care.
May researchers have wisdom to understand the areas that need study and the trends they are seeing.
May health care professionals have access to the best evidence for care.
May health care professionals and facilities be willing and able to make changes that allow for best practice in maternal-newborn care.
As the sun rises bringing an end to the darkness, let us seek a new clarity about pregnancy and childbirth.
May customs, tabus and rituals that cause harm to new families end.
May the fear of pregnancy and childbirth end.
May the truth about the safety of birth and the needs of the new family be evident to all.
During this hour let us focus on those families who suffer due to infertility.
May there be an end to judging women based on their ability to bear children.
May there be comfort for families who are unable to bear children.
May there be acceptable options for families struggling with infertility.
During this hour let us focus on laws and regulations that limit women's access to care.
May laws that restrict women's access to care be abolished.
May laws that restrict women's rights to choose their care be abolished.
May laws that protect and promote women's rights to give birth normally be established in all communities.
During this hour we focus on the three major killers of pregnant women.
May there be an end to hemorrage.
May there be an end to infections.
May there be an end to non-pregnancy related illnesses that end the lives of pregnant women such as malaria and HIV/AIDS.
During this hour we focus on the postpartum care of new families.
May there be an end to post-partum depression.
May communities provide support and education for families of newborns.
May families have access to accurate information about the health needs fo newborns.
This hour we pray for families in the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates.
Sierra Leone 2%
Afghanistan 2%
Malawi 1.8%
Angola 1.7%
Niger 1.6%
Tanzania 1.5%
Rwanda 1.4%
Mali 1.2%
Somalia 1.1%
Chad 1.1%
Central African Republic 1.1%
Guinea-Bissau 1.1%
Zimbabwe 1.1%
Burkina Faso 1%
Burundi 1%
Kenya 1%
Mauritania 1%
Mozambique 1%
This hour we pray for families in the countries with the least access to a skilled birth attendant. In these countries, less than 50% of births are attended by a skilled birth attendant.
Afghanistan
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
India
Kenya
Lao
Mali
Mozambique
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Bangladesh
Burundi
Cambodia
Chad
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guatemala
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Tanzania
Uganda
Yemen
Zambia
Central African Republic
Access to clean drinking water helps prevent the spead of infection responsible for many maternal and infant deaths. In these countries, less than 60% of the population has access to safe water.
Angola
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Chad
Congo
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Guinea-Bissau
Lao
Madagascar
Mali
Mozambique
Niger
Papua New
Guinea
Romania
Sierra
Leone
Swaziland
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
This hour we turn our attention to the problems faced in many developing countries.
May there be an end to the overuse of cesarean surgery for birth.
May there be increased access to safe homebirth services.
May there be increased adhearance to evidenced based recommendations for normal birth.
This hour we focus on displaced families.
May there be adequate services for families in natural disaster areas.
May there be adequate services for families displaced by war.
May there be adequate servcies for women abandoned by thier families or husbands.
This hour we focus on women choosing adoption for their children.
May there be an end to baby trafficking.
May there be an end to coercion and dishonesty to gain access to children for adoption.
May there be services that provide appropriate resources and emotional comfort for women who chose adoption.
This hour we focus on women who die from unsafe abortion.
May there be an end to unsafe abortion practices which are responsible for 13% of all maternal deaths.
May there be safe options for women considering abortion.
May there be less need for women to consider abortion.
This hour we pray for the health habits of mothers and mothers to be around the world.
May families have access to adequate nutrition.
May there be an end to mothers addicted to unhealthy substances such as tobacco, drugs and alchol.
May mothers have access to appropriate rest and activity times.
This hour we focus on education about pregnancy and birth.
May families have access to quality education about the pregnancy and birth process.
May families be strengthened and empowered by the education offered to them.
May families understand the options available, and have the freedom to choose the right options for them.
This hour we pray for the support women provide to other women during pregnancy and labor.
May women act as a source of strength, encouragment and information to the expectant mothers in their community.
May women organize in a way that provides support and information to their communities.
May there be an end to women being ostracized for problems that occur such as fistulas, death of their baby or infertility.
This hour we pray for training for skilled birth attendants.
May there be quality training available in all communities to ensure families have access to care.
May the training provided be based on evidence rather than superstition or cultural beliefs.
May the training focus on strengthening the family, serving not only the need for care during labor but education about all health issues.
This hour we focus on the need for care in rural communities.
May there be increased access to maternal care in rural communities.
May communities design resources that meet the needs of their families.
May skilled birth attendants be trained to provide care in rural communities.
This hour we focus on surgical resources for birth.
May areas where women die due to lack of access to surgical birth develop services.
May areas with rates of surgical birth above 15% begin to lower their rates.
May women be fully informed of the risks and benefits of surgical birth.
This hour we focus on low birth weight.
May areas with high rates of low birth weight develop education to help families prevent low birth weight babies.
May areas with high rates of low birth weight improve access to adequate nutrition and antenatal care.
Areas with the highest rates of low birth weight; South-Central Asia: 27% of births; Sub-Saharan Africa: 15% of births.