The Birth of Joshua
                                              A story I will never forget

     I want to take you back to April 16, 2006, or to be exact hours leading up to April 16, 2006.  My name is Troyleena Ikea Pate and at this time in my life I was married and expecting my third child. Early that day on April 15, I was at Verizon Wireless at work, scrubbing windows in my downtown, and very much in pain.  Not realizing that I was in labor, and taking into account my due date which was two week later, I ignored the signs of trouble.  I worked, took a break, worked took a break, until it was time to go home.  The significance of the next day, is that it was Easter, and all I recall saying is I want to get the children their baskets, so instead of going home, we went to Walmart.   The pain was strong, but I once again ignored it.  After leaving walmart, my husband took all the children and myself home to rest.  I got comfortable at home, took a bath, and begin to put their baskets together.  My husband spoke with my uncle, and asked if he could go and chat, and of course I said yes.  He left Abby, Jeff and Nick at home with me.   My husband told me he would only be gone for an hour and of course it was more than an hour.  Somewhere in between that time, my pain intensified, and I began to leak, because my mucus plug had broke, and I was in real labor, and in trouble.  I called my husband and told him, and said he was on his way.  I called the doctor, and she told me that she doubted that I was in labor, because I had two more weeks, but that if it would make me feel better, that I could come on in, and get checked.  So, of course I was going in to get checked.  My pain was horrible and it got worse with time.  I was a special case, because I had two prior c-sections because my children were posterior, so I was absolutely never to go into labor. Uterus tiring is highly likely with prior c-sections.  Well, I got to the hospital, they admitted me and they began to take their time.  I asked questions in between my pain and it just go worst.  The nursing were talking over me instead of to me, and so I asked them"is it normal to for a pregnant women to go the whole nine months and not be checked down below" and the nurse said" no, would you like for me to check you?"  I said yes, and when she did, her eyes got big and they panic.  The reason they panic was, I was in full blown labor, 9 centimeters to be exact, and I was never to go through natural birth.  The nurse asked me if I wanted to go natural, since I had gone so far and was doing so good with the pain, and for a minute, I thought about it.  All of sudden, I felt the need to ask for another opininon, and so I asked the other doctor "if you were me, and you had two prior c-sections, would you go natural?"  The doctor looked at me, and she said "No".  So, I went in for an emergency c-section and I nearly died, but I did not even know that I was on the verge of death.  See, the pressure from the contrations called uteral tiring, and if I had proceeded natural, I would have most likely died during birth, and my child Joshua may have died also.  Joshua was born on Easter and hew as my joy.

The reason I chose this story, is because prior to getting married that year, my husband and I split up and he asked me to get an abortion with my son, but I would not.  I remember thinking that life would be easier on Joshua because his father did not want him, eventhough he was the father to all my children.  So, I went to a clinic and asked about the methods, and they told me my choices and I set a date. I was raised never to abort, I was a Godfearing child/adult and I knew deep inside, I would never beable to follow through with it, Thank GOD.  So, my day came and went, and I never did, but it would affect me for years to come.  I felt that God was showing me, that the very person I was about to dischare was about to be taken from me.  I named him Joshua, because Joshua was leader in the battle, Joshua had a mission.  Joshua was born and continues to impact the lives of others.


The country I studied was the Phillipines, since it is apart of my children's hertiage and this is the information I found.

Most Philippines-born people in Australia are Christian, primarily Catholic and Pentecostal

Pregnancy

           According to some Filipino beliefs, cravings for food during pregnancy should be satisfied.

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Some pregnant women may avoid eating black foods to avoid the birth of an infant with a dark skin tone.

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Some pregnant women may place great emphasis on being tidy and beautiful, believing that these practices will influence the beauty of their child.

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Unpleasant emotions experienced by pregnant women may be blamed for causing birthmarks.

The main languages are Tagalog, Filipino and English

Most Philippines-born people who speak a language other than English at home are proficient in English

Birth

The most common birthing position is to lie down. Some women may prefer a squatting position.

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In some regions of the Philippines, it is believed that putting squash leaves on the abdomen of a labouring woman can facilitate labour.

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Some women believe that drinking coconut water can facilitate a fast labour.

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Some fathers may prefer to be close to their labouring wife, so they can bury the placenta.

After birth

      In some regions a father is responsible for the burial of the placenta. He usually buries the             

      placenta very quickly, because the burial of the placenta indicates the end of the labour, and

      therefore the end of pain and blood loss experienced by the labouring woman. The placenta should

      be offered to the postpartum woman or the father.

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Traditional custom in the Philippines dictates that women should not bathe for about ten days after giving birth and during menstruation. Bathing during these times is seen as a cause of ill health and rheumatism in old age. Sponge baths and steam baths could be used as alternatives. Women may object to having a shower immediately after giving birth.

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Traditionally, after labour, women wear heavy clothes or wrap themselves in blankets to prevent exposure to ‘cold’ and ‘wind’.

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Some Filipinas bind their abdomen tightly, believing that this practice helps to prevent bleeding and helps the uterus to retract.

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New and lactating mothers are often given rice porridge (rice boiled soft to a consistency halfway between soup and puree). This may be served with sweet, salty or spicy accompaniments. Soup made of meat and vegetables is also believed to help promote lactation.

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Women fear what is referred to as a ‘relapse’ if they become active too soon. This involves extreme tiredness, weakness and chronic headache.

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In the Philippines when a woman has a baby, she usually rests while her relatives do all the housework and cooking. Many women can have difficulty coping with the daily routine of looking after a baby in a country where they may not have the support of an extended family.

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Postpartum women may be massaged with coconut oil, with the aim of restoring their lost health, expelling blood clots from the uterus, returning the uterus into a normal position, and promoting lactation.

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Some women perform various practices for the purpose of ‘drying out’ the womb. For example, ‘mother roasting’ can involve lying beside a stove for up to 30 days, squatting over a burning clay stove, sitting on a chair over a heated stone or a pot with steaming water, or bathing in smoke from smouldering leaves. In Australia, these practices may be replaced by hot water bottles and placing a postpartum woman close to a heater.

The Filipino community is well established. There are many ethno-cultural and religious community organisations operating in the state. The Filipino Community Council of Queensland is the peak body for Filipino community organisations.