The ‘modern’ pregnancy
Recently, among my friends and family, but especially among the Nairobi elite, I've noticed a growing demand for the "modern" pregnancy in Kenya. 
Pregnant women are actively seeking ante-natal care including ultra-sounds, reading pregnancy books, eating carefully and taking supplements and discussing their delivery and pain control methods with their doctors and family.
Too posh to push
At the extreme end, I've even heard stories about women scheduling an elective Caesarean section! It seems the "Too posh to push" movement sparked by Victoria Beckham and other celebrities has made its way to Kenya!
My aunt and uncle had one of these "modern" pregnancies. They spent days researching and updating their knowledge on birthing plans, delivery options, foods to avoid while pregnant, how to exercise when pregnant, emergency plans- the list seemed endless.
Finally, after an induced labour in a Nairobi hospital, their daughter, Natasha Njeri was born at on the 15th August, weighing 4.2kg.
The Other Side of the Coin
While my aunt’s experience may seem routine to many people from the West, it isn’t the case for many women in developing countries. The majority of Kenya’s pregnant women continue to deliver without skilled birth attendants by their side and miss out on vital antenatal and post-natal care.
Many people in developing countries do not view pregnancy as a special time where the woman requires specialized care. It is not uncommon to see pregnant women carrying heavy loads and working in the fields.
Millions of women in Africa have yet to benefit from medical advances that have made childbirth safer. Pregnant women in developing countries face the same risk of death as women in the UK did 100 years ago.
According to the World Health Organization, more than half a million women die every year during pregnancy and childbirth. This statistic is alarmingly high in Sub-Saharan Africa where 1 in 22 women is at risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 8000 women in developed countries.
“Every Woman, Every Child”
On 22nd September 2010, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, launched the global strategy on women’s and children’s health. This strategy called for a concerted global effort to reduce maternal and child mortality.
The good news is that simple measures such as promoting antenatal care visits, providing nutritional counselling for pregnant women and mothers, promoting the use of insecticide treated nets in malaria prone areas among others, can save millions of lives of pregnant women, mothers and children in the developing world.
My cousin, Natasha Njeri, was one of the most anticipated children and a great addition to our family. With the above simple and cost effective measures, we can ensure that millions of pregnant women have similar happy endings to their pregnancy stories.
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