ANC OP

The days in the hospital here feel much longer than at Temeke. Rach and I were in the antenatal outpatient ward again, and this time it went a bit better than our first day. It’s strange to do an antenatal checkup with a woman who isn’t in early or active labor. The antenatal ward at Temeke was more like the “early labor ward.” The poverty that I’ve experience in India so far is overwhelming… to say the very least. As Rachel put it today: “It hits you in the face.” The pollution and overcrowding is shocking and overpowering. The evidence of social ranking or the caste system is visible and easily observed. In Africa there was often a barrier because of race and all of the assumptions and prejudice that go along with having white skin. Here it is similar, but maybe more extreme. It’s almost as if women are afraid of me because they feel undeserving of my attention or time. When I try to be kind or affectionate they aren’t sure how to respond and it seems to make them very uncomfortable. Even something as simple as a touch on the back as I try to squeeze through the scores of pregnant bellies in anc or a hand on their leg as they lay on the examining table…

The women here are so tiny! It’s strange to be in a room filled with people who are the same height or shorter than me. I don’t even have to stand on my tiptoes to be able to see across the room. Short stature, petite, and they carry much lower than other pregnant women I’ve seen. A lot of them who are in their first trimester look as though they’ve just got some extra belly fat. It is SO cute to see a pregnant Indian woman covered in a bright sequined sari. It is still so interesting to me that it is acceptable for the abdomen to be showing, while legs or ankles must be fully covered. Women who are in late pregnancy have a more difficult time keeping their bellies covered, so you can see most of it hanging out as they walk around. So cute! Aside from the exposure of their abdomens, Indian women seem far more hesitant to expose themselves than the African women I came across in Tanzania. Because they are more uncomfortable, I feel a bit unsure of myself and uncertain of how to interact with them because I don’t want to overstep my boundaries in any way.

I worked with a doctor named Aisha today.  A brilliant woman, I was impressed by her knowledge and efficiency in providing care for the patients. She was gracious and kind enough to spend time teaching me and answering all of my questions. She even allowed me to do a few of the checks. I felt a breech, and oblique lie and was even able to identify the fetal heart with my stethoscope for the first time! Learned a few Hindi words and found out some interesting cultural information. Indian women look much younger than they actually are. I found it was the opposite in Tanzania. Most of the women I came across today looked as though they were under the age of 20, and very underweight, but when I asked I was surprised to find that they were around my age or older and Aisha would reassure me that their body weight was average or normal. I was also surprised by the number of women who had delivered at home –without assistance!

anyways. i've survived the first few days so far. i think the first week is always the hardest. i still remember my first week at Temeke and honestly wondering if i would be able to survive working in that environment. i'm feeling the same way here, but i know from experience that over time i will adjust and things will become easier. two months is hardly enough time to adjust and invest, but i will do my best to embrace my time here and give as much as i can.