From Home Delivery to Planning Ahead: Agnes’s Journey with the Young Mother’s Forum.
For Akia Agnes, 24 years old, the experience of delivering her second child at home was frightening enough to change how she thinks about childbirth. Now expecting her third child, she is determined to prepare early and deliver at a health facility.
Agnes, who lives in Kanginima Town Council, Butebo District, has two children, aged four and three. Her first child was born at Kanginima Hospital after she experienced labour for three days. When her second pregnancy came to an end, she expected a similar experience. However, things unfolded differently.
Late one night, labour pains started abruptly. With little time to reach a health facility, Agnes received help from her mother-in-law and delivered her baby at home.
Immediately after giving birth at home, Agnes continued bleeding, developed a high fever, and became so weak that she could barely hold her newborn. The placenta had not been completely expelled, leaving retained pregnancy tissue that required urgent medical attention. Her husband rushed her to Kanginima Hospital, where a health worker gave her an injection in the thigh to help expel the retained tissue.
At the hospital, her baby also received care. A health worker checked the baby’s temperature and weight, examined the umbilical cord, and administered a hepatitis B vaccine. Although Agnes had delivered at home with help from her mother-in-law, both mother and baby needed medical attention after the birth.
Time passed, and Agnes joined the Kanginima Young Mothers Forum on 28 July 2026, three months after the other members had begun their sessions. Even though she joined later, she has already gained practical knowledge about personal hygiene, caring for her children, and feeding them nutritious foods. She says she now pays greater attention to her hygiene, including bathing after returning from work in the garden and before feeding her baby.
These lessons have helped her think more deliberately about her own wellbeing and the care her children need.
The forum provides a space where young mothers and fathers can learn from one another, share experiences and gain information on maternal and child health. Under the Inclusive and Equitable Health Care Services project, implemented by the Uganda Youth and Adolescent Health Forum (UYAHF) with funding from German Doctors, the initiative supports young parents to make informed decisions about their health and family wellbeing.
Now three months pregnant, Agnes is already thinking about how she wants her next delivery to happen. Unlike her previous pregnancy, she intends to attend antenatal care and prepare to give birth at a health facility.
Her experience has shown her that childbirth can take an unexpected turn, even when she thinks she knows what to expect. The knowledge she is gaining through the Young Mothers Forum has reinforced the importance of planning ahead and seeking skilled care.
As her pregnancy progresses, Agnes hopes to continue learning and putting that knowledge into practice so that she and her baby can have a safe delivery.
Her story is a reminder that sharing experiences and providing young parents with practical health information can help them make more informed decisions. For Agnes, the lessons from the forum are already shaping how she approaches her third pregnancy. With greater awareness, preparation and a clear intention to seek care at a health facility.
