My first pregnancy with my daughter was rather smooth. The first six weeks of morning sickness, or in my case all day sickness, was horrible, but I survived. My water broke while we were at home, two days after our due date. We hopped in the car and made the 45 minute drive in only 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, my OB-GYN was out of town and unavailable, so a grumpy old doctor with no bedside manner handled my delivery. Everything went as planned and there were no complications!

If only it were that simple for pregnant women and girls in developing countries like Africa. Fifty six percent of total childbirth deaths occur in sub Saharan Africa.

Every year throughout the world 287,000 women die in pregnancy and childbirth. That’s one mother dying every 2 minutes, 800 each day.

Out of those deaths, 99% of them occur in developing countries. London-based Maternity Worldwide, works to ensure safe births and improve maternal health in developing countries. A million children lose their mother each year due to complications in childbirth or their pregnancy. Young women face an even greater risk: girls and young women 15-20 years old, are twice as likely to die in childbirth than those in their 20s.

Children without mothers are 10 times more likely to die prematurely as they’re less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care and education.

Do you have someone on your Christmas list that already has everything? You could help save a life this Christmas by sponsoring a safe birth for £15, which is $24 US dollars. There’s also an option to sponsor an emergency Cesarean for a mother for £50, which is $81 US dollars. (the amounts will change to dollars during checkout)

Your purchase of a Safe Birth Certificate will enable a mother in a developing country to safely give birth to her baby. What better gift is there than the gift of life? A Safe Birth Certificate can be personalized with your message and sent directly to the recipient or to you. No mother should die during childbirth, please help Maternity Worldwide make a difference!

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