THE VILLAGE DAI An Insight on Her Involvement in the Birth Process in the Jaunsaar Region

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THE VILLAGE DAI An Insight on Her Involvement
in the Birth Process in the Jaunsaar Region

• By Harpreet Thind
• Ruchika Shukla
• Jessica Shearer

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BACKGROUNDBIRTH PROCESS IN CANADA

• Prenatal
• Regular checkups with physicians (ultrasounds)
• Continuous intake of Fe, Ca and Folic acid
• Consume a larger diet
• Labour
• Occurs in hospital care by nurse delivery by
  doctor
• Husband and family/friends witness the birth
• Anaesthesia versus natural birth
• Postnatal
• Paid time off from work for up to1 year (mother
  or father)
• Baby gets vaccinated

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BACKGROUNDMIDWIFE vs. DAI
Dai
Midwife
P

• More involved than doctor
• Attend to low risk births only
• Hospital, home or clinic
• Daily post-natal visits for 2 wks
• University degree
• Minimize technological interventions

P
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BACKGROUNDMYTHS

• Birth location
• Dais role in society
• Tools
• Traditional medicine

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OBJECTIVES

• Dais role in birth process
• How complications are dealt with
• Jaunsaar birth practices
• Interactions between health workers
• Dai training
• Family planning

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METHODOLOGY

• In Canada
• Sources
• Intended method qualitative observation
• In India
• Sources
• Limitations of method
• New method informal interviews

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RESEARCH LIMITATIONS

• Language
• Language sensitivity
• Time
• Cultural barriers
• Preconceived notions
• Note-taking method

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FINDINGS1. Dais Role in Birth Process

• Limited during prenatal
• Massage and positioning techniques
• Role during labour
• Cord cutting

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FINDINGS2. How Complications are Dealt With

• Major complications include
• Dais responded that they send to hospital
• Barriers to access Dais must deal with
  complications themselves
• Discrepancy of answers between Dais

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FINDINGS3. Birth Practices

• Highly dependant on culture
• Workload
• Prenatal?normal workload
• Postnatal?15 days complete rest
• ? 3 months housework only
• Nutrition?hot foods/drinks
• ?based on ayurvedic principles
• Role of husband?limited

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FINDINGS4. Role of Doctor and ANM

• Dai seems to play greater role in birth process
• Doctor?Deals with major complications
• ANM?Vaccinations
• ?Prenatal checkups
• ?Prescribe Fe, Ca, ORS
• ?Check for risk factors
• ?Lack of privacy
• ?Depersonalization
• Inaccessible services rare village visits

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FINDINGS5. Insight on Dai Training

• Culturally appropriate
• Suitable for varying levels of literacy
• Immunizations training vs. attitudes
• Hand-made dai kits
• Advice given with senior SMTA official

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FINDINGS6. Does Family
Planning Exist?

• Took initiative to express interest in FP
• FP awareness counteracted by limited access to
  ANM who has supplies
• Child spacing of 3 years, not family size limiting

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CONCLUSIONS

• THEMES
• Birth process as an instinctual process
• Western Biomedicine vs. Eastern Natural Process

• SUGGESTIONS
• Regular follow-up trainings
• Dai recruitment program
• Closer relations between ANM dai
• More frequent interaction between dai and
  pregnant women