Editor (Page 7)

Marion Mifsud Mora unviable pregnancy

By:
On:
In: Lived Experiences, More

While on holiday in Malta, Marion’s waters broke at 17 weeks of pregnancy. As infection set in and the danger of her dying became very real, Maltese doctors left everything ‘in God’s hands’ and refused to terminate her pregnancy. This is the story of a woman who survived against all odds, and who cannot understand why in Malta it is more important to give birth to a dead foetus than to save the mother with the right medical care. “It was on the bus to Valletta – with my young daughter, ironically named Valetta – that I first realised something was wrong. Seventeen weeks pregnant,Read More…

back to school post covid

By:
On:
In: Education, More

With less than five weeks until Malta’s schools are scheduled to re-open, parents and students have no idea what’s going to happen and whether they’re going back to school during COVID19. The Government proposes three scenarios, but has not yet confirmed which will be operationalised. Education Minister Owen Bonnici has however said that the protocols will be similar to those followed at Skolasajf. “During lockdown, my daughter did well academically. But emotionally and socially, she suffered greatly.” Following the recent resurgence in cases, it is a delicate time to make such an important decision. Many parents are fearful for their children’s safety at school, butRead More…

ethics

By:
On:
In: Education, More

A new subject called Ethics started being rolled out in Maltese primary, middle and secondary schools in 2014 and is currently being phased in. It aims to teach moral values through a secular, non-denominational approach, which means that all students, irrespective of their beliefs, can choose to study Ethics.  Although Ethics is based on the teaching of values, it aims to do so without falling in the trap of indoctrination, because it encourages children and adolescents to think critically about their values. It acknowledges the fact that ethical and moral values can be very controversial, and often depend on personal beliefs and opinions, shaped byRead More…

pre-eclampsia in pregnancy

By:
On:
In: Lived Experiences, More

“I was showing signs of severe pre eclampsia in pregnancy. Basically my body was rejecting my baby whilst my baby was fighting for survival…“ At the age of 30 I decided that I want to have a child, and luckily for me, I got pregnant within 3 months of trying.  I have always been the type of person that will work hard for what she wants, and I always tried my utmost in everything I do, but my first pregnancy has shown me how vulnerable and petrified I can get.  I researched everything, and I ate accordingly. Didn’t touch sushi, didn’t eat any processed meatsRead More…

struggling mother

By:
On:
In: Home and Family, More

“When it came to parenthood I chose not to have a child because memories still haunt me on how my mother struggled with parenthood …“ When there were too many kid-related errands, my mother would break down and cry, calling out to no one in particular: ‘When is it my turn?!’ Any time I try to make sense of my aversion to motherhood and my utter glee over having escaped it, my mind immediately turns to the “mother-daughter day” my mom took me out of school for in the spring of 1975, a year before she and my father split up. Our midweek adventure came as aRead More…

fertility after breast cancer

By:
On:
In: Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health

“Fertility preservation can be effective,” says Dr Khalife. “Around one in six of those who stored their gametes had a good outcome”… The first long-term record of how cancer patients made use of their stored eggs and embryos after cancer treatment is presented today at the 36th Annual Meeting of ESHRE. The results demonstrate from the 20-year data how successful fertility preservation can be in these patients, especially those with breast cancer. Details of the analysis, covering the longest reported period of use, are presented today online by Dr Dalia Khalife from Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital, London, at the virtual Annual Meeting of ESHRE.Read More…

should i have a baby

By:
On:
In: Home and Family, More

Kerry Eustice kept asking herself ” Should I have a baby or not?” – She didn’t know whether she wanted to be a mother, so she consulted people from all walks of life to find her answer. In September last year, a few months before I turned 37, I started a list. It’s called.. “Reasons I Don’t Want to Have a Baby”: Goodbye to weekend lie-ins Might ruin my relationship with my husband. What if it makes us fall out of love with each other? Bringing a child into a world that is getting too hot, too angry and too divided Goodbye money: raising childrenRead More…

FPAS Malta

By:
On:
In: News, Women

Doctors for Choice Malta, the Women’s Rights Foundation, and Women for Women are proud to announce the launch of our new joint initiative: the family planning advisory service (FPAS) Malta. FPAS is the first pro-choice family planning helpline and advisory service of its kind in Malta, and it is free of charge. FPAS is run by trained volunteers, supported by medical and social professionals, who can provide reliable information to people in Malta on reproductive healthcare and options, including how to access safe abortion and contraception. FPAS volunteers are pro-choice and can help clients whatever their decision.  FPAS aims to overcome barriers and taboos toRead More…

raw motherhood blog

By:
On:
In: Blogs, More, Raw Motherhood

Having a difficult mother baby bond with my first baby was probably one of the hardest realities I have had to face as a mother (so far). As an expectant mother I assumed that once my baby entered this world he would instinctively be obsessed with me. It did not even cross my mind that I would have to earn his trust by learning how to be his mother to form that mother baby bond. This may not resonate with all mothers, but for those who are struggling to bond with their baby I want to assure you that it is normal and you areRead More…

By:
On:
In: Women, Women in Business

Recently wham caught up with art gallery owner Christine Xuereb, also known as Christine X to find out more about this very interesting venture: I have always been interested in art – my earliest memory was of me drawing for classmates and my best subjects at school were always art and maths – and although my plan was initially to become an architect, my life choices led me to take up art as my major subject, eventually taking History of Art and Anthropology at university. With my bad memory and lack of interest in the history of art before modern times, I was slacking butRead More…