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MAMA-KANGAROO 005
Which year did you give birth? 2007. In which city and which child-birth hospital? Belgrade, GAK "Narodni front". Did anything unpleasant happen to you in the child-birth hospital? What? Did anybody insult you or degrade you? How? They did not want to even hear about an epidural, when I requested it. "You can not receive an epidural, as you do not have the approval of the head of the hospital." I gave birth to a baby 23 days before I was due. According to the protocol, you can't apply for the approval of the epidural until two weeks before your due date. I was fortunate to have had my pregnancy followed in one private practice office, by a great doctor (who I completely trusted), who also works in the State hospital, but who had to go on a holiday during the time of my delivery. However, he recomanded me someone else, and it was again a sheer luck that I had that doctor examine me just three days earlier, when she gave me her telephone number and told me to call her if anything unplanned happens. I called her at 3 am, upon arriving to the child-birth hospital, as we agreed I should call her after I was admitted. She then called me back when I was already in the Child-birth Unit, and she provided an anesthesiologist and an epidural anesthesia for me in a blink of an eye. Later on, things got complicated, so the birth ended up with a C-section, but that is not the subject here. The presumptious and inpolite nurse at the Preparation for Birth Unit was careless: her shaving me with some "knife" hurt more than the whole of the child-birth. Fortunately, she was quick. Women: make sure you do that yourself at home, with a help of someone close to you! Questions addressed to the lactation nurses were addressed in vain. They ignored us completely. Result: for a full month after birth I had to hire a nurse to come and massage my breasts to free me from the painful suffering. Baby refused the breast early, so got my milk from the bottle instead. During six months that I spent with the Avent breast pump, I felt like a cow. Few questions addressed to the neonathologist received the following answer: "Here's my card. Call me and schedule an appointment in my private practice office." Administrative clark at the Admitting Unit, while filling in the forms, wrote down that my faith is Christian Orthodox, without even asking me anything. So, I forced her to cross it out, and write in what I wanted. How were you addressed in the child-birth hospital? With your name and last name, or some nicknames? Which ones? Nurses: "Mother"; doctors were addressing me with respect. Were there any problems with the accommodation or with the medical equipment? What sort of problems? No. (And I wasn't even in the appartment!)* When did you see your child for the first time after the child-birth? How often did you see him/her? Could you see him/her whenever you wanted? Not before the third day after childbirth, and only thanks to the fact that I walked up to the floor above the one on which my room was. Because of the C-section, I was in pain and could not climb the stairs earlier, and they refused to bring the baby to me, as one baby had diarhea, so all the babies were in isolation until their test-results were known. I could walk up to where my baby was whenever I wanted, but they did not allow me to touch her. They brought her to me on the evening of the third day. When did you breastfeed your baby for the first time? Were there any problems with breastfeeding? What sort of problems?First breastfeeding was on the third day after the birth. The milk was there a day earlier, but the lactation nurses showed up only once or twice, and when they did, they were selling some books, ending their shifts... and none of them had any interest in helping me. My roomate helped me by showing me how to massage my breasts and how to milk them. My folks smuggled in some silicone nipples and Avent breast pump. Unfortunately, that did not help much. My breasts were as hard as a stone, and because I did not receive an adequate care in child-birth hospital, one hired nurse had to keep coming to my home for the whole month afterwards, to massage my breasts for 2 hours each day. My baby was getting milk, but from the bottle. After four months she refused the breast completely, and I experienced that as a great tragedy. Did you ever happen to doubt the expertise of doctors and medical staff? When and why? My doctors were great. They treated me as a princess during the child-birth, and they visited me every day after that, both the anesthesiologist and the doctor that delivered my baby. I did not feel any pain since I was on epidural (they left anesthetic injections with me, and taught me how to give it to myself through that thing that was in my back). C-section scar is now a barely visible line, just 11 cm long. Lactation nurses should all be fired. They do nothing. Literaly nothing. I was sharing a room with 7 other women, and they did not help any of us. Although we asked for their help. Did you ever doubt how justified are some of the protocols and rules in the child-birth hospital? Which ones? Why? How would you change them? Approval for the epidural is issued two weeks before the due date. And I went into labor 23 days before my due date. My water broke. Isn't it possible to get an approval on the spot? Judging by what my anesthesiologist told me, it is possible. It is extremely rare that epidural can't be given because of the medical reasons. No food for three days after the C-section?! I was up and about the next day, I showered, I walked around, washed my hair on the third day, and all that time I was hungry like a wolf. Feeding through IV? They give you the full dose in the morning, and that is it. And all I could think about was McDonalds. Fishburger. Crapes with chocolate filling. Wonders of all kinds! I secretly eate one chocolate bar on the second day, and on the third day I had a secret feast with a box of cookies. I would allow women some food, especially if somebody is dying of hunger, as was my case. I kept obsessivly thinking about food. Did you ever try not eating anything for three days? And on the fourth day they give you one cup of soup to fill your stomack?! Did you have to bribe anyone? If yes, who (you can state just his/her title, without a name)? For what? How much? The doctor that delivered my baby: 200 euros. She came to my room one day and whispered into my ear: "You know, you should give some money to the anesthesiologist, as a gift...". I then phoned my girlfriend who was 9 months pregnant, and who was planning to bribe the doctors, to ask her how much should I give them. How can you know these things? As if it is published somewhere! And how am I supposed to give that money to them? My husband was outraged, he did not want to pay, he wanted to go to the police. Well, I wanted to go to the police, too, but I was in no situation to pursue the justice. I was exausted, tired, hungry, it was 42 degrees C outside... I was there, in their hands. Fear. What if I don't give them the money? Anesthesiologist: 100 euros. I have to
mention that the doctor who followed my pregnancy, and who was on a holiday
when I was giving birth to my baby, is completely different. I chose him
because of the positive experiences that my girlfriends had with him. When
they offered him some money, he was so insulted and got so angry, that my
friends were totally embarressed for ever offering it. Such doctors exist. Footnotes: * "Apartment" is a special accomodation option in the hospital, with just 2 women sharing the room (or "the appartment"), having their own toilet and shower at their disposal (instead of sharing them with 30 or more other women), having new furtniture and extra luxury items, like: TV and telephone. Visits are also allowed in the appartments, but banned elsewhere in the child-birth hospital. Special attention of nurses and their attentive and caring attitude also goes hand in hand with "the appartment". However, this sort of accomodation is not covered by the health insurance, and needs to be paid additionally. As of June 2009, the price of an appartment accomodation in this hospital is close to 100 euros per day, per person, for the appartment shared by two persons. That is close to 100 euros. Women are kept in the hospital between 3 and 4 days after the natural birth, or between 5 and 7 days after the C-section birth. Average monthly salary in Serbia is 250 euros.
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STORIES FROM MATERNITY WARDS Mama-Kangaroo 002
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