being preggers here

the facts are there - on average, each Timorese woman will give birth to 7 to 8 kids in her lifetime, and for every 100,000 live births, 420-800 women will die from childbirth. stark huh? recently a visitor remarked that she'd not seen so many children in other countries and it struck me that being here for the past 2 years might have desensitised me to the high birth and mortality rates here. and it's really a common sight to see pregnant timorese women on the streets, carrying one on her hips, holding on to a third, with a fourth trailing behind.

i realise that nothing beats experiencing something for yourself. Hence, many weeks back when i first saw the single blue strip on the test strip, i was inducted into Pregnancy 101 in Timor-Leste. Suffice to say, my first thoughts were filled with apprehension. I couldn't just leave my job and go, so being here for at least till the 8th month will be a reality. But i knew nothing about being pregnant here - except for the horror stories i've heard about misdiagnosis or lack of detection that led to horrible, painful and unneccessary deaths for women here. SO i trooped over a friend who had also been pregnant here (until just before delivery)most parts of it was during the emergency period. She was real cool about it, so she really gave me confidence in doing this. BJ recommended me a doctor from UNFPA who's based in Dili national hospital. Dr J was really nice even on the sms. I was able to call and book an appointment. Before Dr J, i had actually called a Chinese doctor (also at Dili national) but she just told me to come whenever and see if she's at the ultrasound room, which was rather unfriendly. Anyways, at the 7th week, A and I went down to the hospital, located the USG room, and politely waited outside. Along with us were a few heavily pregnant Timorese women, all holding some documents in their hands, while there i was, the malae, with a bad flu, holding on to a bottle of water. Because of my 'appointment' i managed to see Dr J without much waiting (yes yes i should be ashamed!). I hopped onto the bed and Dr J placed the scanner on my belly and voila! we saw the rice grain (1.1cm) that was to be the baby! It was really exciting to really SEE the little one even though it resembled food more than human. Dr J then took my blood pressure and weight and i went to collect my folate tablets from the pharmacy.

A few weeks later i had the time to speed home for a quick checkup. At the hospital, the nurse asked "did you do an ultrasound scan before?"
"Yes" i replied.
"So where's the picture?"
"what picture"
"You know the picture you get after the scan."
PAUSE
"Oh.....where i was, the machine can't print pictures."
"Oh really?! where were you?"
"Timor-Leste"
PAUSE
SILENCE
Nurse quickly looks down and scribble something illegibly, possibly asking herself," where is that place?"

I met the gynae who ran all kinds of tests on me - the 'standard' prenatal tests in the 'developed' world which of course burnt a big hole in my pocket.Then he told me that every month there must be a blood test and urine test done to detect diabetes and other complications like pre-eclempsia.

A few weeks after returning to Dili, i saw another gynae (at the UN) who then performed more blood and urine tests and told me i had to take iron pills as well. But no weight and blood pressure was taken. Now, i find that in order to have a COMPLETELY thorough check, i need to see both the UN and the UNFPA doctors at two different locations.... i'm not complaining though, at least from that trip home, i now realise what are the tests that should be done, and of course the web has been uber useful. Plus i am reading the pregnancy bible "WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN EXPECTING" which has all sorts of most helpful tips.

JUst yesterday, i spoke to a local colleague who's 4 weeks ahead of me. She only realised she was pregnant at 3 months! GOSH! And when i asked if she was getting any blood and urine tests done, she said never! so perhaps that's why there have been cases of women here dying from pre-eclempsia that had worsened to eclempsia because their blood pressure or other signs was never monitored! my colleague also didn't know about gestational diabetes.. she also has an aching back because nobody told her she should be sleeping on her side by now...

i don't know... i really wonder how many other less educated women were struggling with their pregnancies (without ample information)while having to continue to work in the fields right up to term. I am no way near to their plight. I don't have to chase after 5 other kids, or rush home to cook for my husband, but just in dealing with the limited resources here has given me a little insight into their situation. imagine that most women still never visit a health facility or have access to a mid wife. most just rely on their mothers, aunts, or other villagers to give them advice (good or bad). I met a woman in Mehara (near to Tutuala) who said she delivered all her 8 babies at home - in fact, she even delivered her last one WITHOUT any help. IMAGINE THAT! i feel like an absolute wimp in contrast to these women.

my hubby A says because i read too much, i could end up being a worrywart. but to me, knowledge is power. at least i can question the doctors or be aware of what could possibly happen. through the readings, i've also developed a new sense of admiration for the women of timor who labour alone, or deliver in less than sanitary conditions. only 24% of the women here deliver with the help of a skilled birth attendant! so, many times, babies may die, for instance from neonatal tetanus (due to dirty blades from cutting the umbilical cord) and parents here have no idea why.

Also back home, a new trend of natural drug-free delivery is rearing its head. new age moms are rejecting epidural, preferring to 'go back to nature' during delivery. This is really a return to the roots by choice! It just seems to me that while timorese women are stoically bearing their pain (which they take as inevitable, no other option), women from developed nations are choosing to have the pain for more esoteric reasons - like a lifestyle. do you get what i mean?

anyways, it's time to end here for now. i could go on......... but yeah, my hat off to all the timorese women!