Men should stop being jerks and interfering in childbirth issues, a startled father shares his experience

Superstar athlete Serena Williams has many black women cheering in her corner for more reasons than her prowess on the tennis court.  Williams has been refreshingly candid about her experiences giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian.

Firstly, Williams had to undergo a Cesarean or C-section due to early contractions and the baby’s vital signals dropping all the while.  Next, she developed blood clots which can potentially travel to vital organs such as the heart and lungs.  Finally, Williams had two surgeries to remove the clots from her body. An imperative point to make here also is Williams had to demand a CT-scan before medical personnel heard her cries of pain.

Unfortunately, Kira Johnson didn’t receive medical intervention in time.  Her husband, Charles Johnson, noticed her catheter was turning pink.  A CT-scan was ordered but never administered. By the time Johnson was admitted for surgery, she had three and a half litres of blood in her abdomen.  She died after her heart stopped.

According to the CDC, 700 women in the United States die during childbirth.  40 deaths per 100,000 live births occur for black men, far greater than their white counterparts.

Frankly, giving birth in a public hospital in Africa is a sub-par experience at best.  Lack of access to qualified birthing personnel, delay in going to a medical facility, insufficient space at hospitals and unaffordability of health services are all contributing factors to the one death for every 22 births statistic.

One great example is the use of traditional healers versus modern physicians when giving birth.  Some women reach out to locals during this pivotal time and some believe it is a taboo to seek the assistance of an obstetrician.

Oluyomi Ojo of Lagos, Nigeria, now knows the pain of childbirth. He explains on Twitter how his wife was in labor for 7.5 hours and he reveals his new found respect for her in his posts and his epiphany.

See the responses his thoughts garnered on Twitter: