All posts filed under: Health

Staff Favorites: February – Best Lao Dish vs Overrated Lao Dish

This month, during a hardcore giggle session, two of our esteemed staffers inadvertently found out where the line for their friendship stood. No lie! It just goes to show you how passionate we Lao are about food. In honor of every Lao person, we asked our staffers: What is your favorite Lao dish and what Lao dish do you think is overrated? Don’t forget to let us know about yours! –Saysomphorn Sisavatdy, ssisavatdy@gmail.com ~~ Donna Luangmany: Favorite Lao Dish: The best part about Lao food is communal eating. Nothing brings people together better than noodle soup — it’s nearly impossible to make a huge pot and not call the extended family over to share. I love all noodle soups (pho, khao soi, mee katee), but number one is Khao Piek Sen. Rolling out noodles by hand is labour-intensive, and as a kid, I always felt the love whenever Mom made it. This past Christmas, my family and I found ourselves staying over with some relatives unexpectedly. My auntie knows it’s my favourite dish, and I …

Maternal Health Care: A Midwife’s Tale

This is the second part in a series exploring the profession of a midwife and their value at birth. You can find more information about the profession and the first piece here. The phone rings, rousing her from a slumber. On the other end of the line, a pregnant woman is deep in the throes of labour. It’s the height of the night. But as the new mother is about to discover, babies have no regard for schedules. The rhythm and regularity of her contractions suggests that birth is imminent. The freshly woken woman heads out to attend the delivery. For Bounmy Inthavong, it’s just another day on the job. Bounmy is a midwife practicing in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Though she’s been catching babies since 2015, her interest in women’s health has been a lifelong passion. The daughter of Lao refugees, she discovered the value of patient-centered care at an early age. “My brother and I were born in refugee camps. My dad had to deliver us because the births went so fast and crazy. My …