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MAMA-KANGAROO 007
Which year did you give birth? 2005. 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? More than once, various White Coats* treated me as if I am retarded, worthless, an object, or simply as if not present at all. They called us "Singers", "Cows", "Spoiled", "The one in child-birth box number 3", "The one in child-birth box number 5"**. When I was having the hardest time, when due to exhaustion and pain I threw up and urinated on the child-birth bed, they looked at me with disgust, as if I did it on purpose. Nobody ever offered me any explanation about anything, and except for one woman (I think she was a midwife) nobody ever showed any compassion. After they transferred me from the child-birth box into the OR, I was half-conscious, so I remember only fragments. The voice of a female anesthesiologist was soft and good-natured, and I remember she was trying to explain to me what will happen and how, but I do not remember any details. Others that were surrounding me were quiet and doing their job - I hope.:-) After the birth, all the nurses at the Baby Unit (except one that was very kind), were either extremely rude or were treating us as with too much familiarity, as if we are all from the village. During both day and night they kept locking the door of the room, although the babies as well as us three "Mothers" were sleeping in it. Except just one extraordinary nurse who was in charge of the babies, but also helped us with other things, others were ruthless and mostly disinterested. How were you addressed in the child-birth hospital? With your name and last name, or some nicknames? Which ones? "Mother" or by our last names, in a strict way, as if we are in the army. Were there any problems with the accommodation or with the medical equipment? What sort of problems? The bed-system for lifting up the head-board was broken, and there was no hook in front of the bed which you could grab, so it was impossible to get up. And you had to get up. 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 until some 12 hours after birth. From that moment on, he was with me all the time. When did you breastfeed your baby for the first time? Were there any problems with breastfeeding? What sort of problems? Some 14 to 15 hours after birth. I was told to pick him up and breastfeed him. That's all the instructions I ever got. My baby was very big on eating, which coasted me a lot later (rhagades, is that the name for the wounds on nipples?). Although I was told that, regardless of rhagades, I should keep breastfeeding, that such a thing is normal, nobody could convince me that it is normal for my baby to suck my blood, so I started using the breast pump and switched him to Formula for a couple of days. I read a lot and asked my female family members and friends for advice, and with a lot of effort, pain and patience, we survived that period, and successfully continued breastfeeding until he was 2 years old, when I had to stop it as I started taking some medications. Did you ever happen to doubt the expertise of doctors and medical staff? When and why? I don't really know whether one incident was a lack of expertise or simple negligence. When I was in pain, when I was throwing up, when I was losing my consciousness, when practically no pause existed between contractions, when I stopped feeling the movements of my baby - I knew something was wrong. Although I asked them more than once to examine me, they never once took me seriously and each time they would just tell me that everything is ok. Although I was hooked on the labor induction for 12 hours, not even once did they hooked me on the fetal monitor during that same time. 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? Why is it necessary to schedule an epidural in advance? Why is it necessary that the head of the hospital gives his approval for a C-section? Why are babies being additionally fed only 2 to 3 times a day? I am sure there is more, but I can't remember now... I will add it up when I remember. Did you have to bribe anyone? If yes, who (you can state just his/her title, without a name)? For what? How much? I was directly told that (if I want epidural) I have to bribe the anesthesiologist, as well as the crew he works with. I was stupid and naive and did not want to bribe anyone - and ended up having an experience that resembles barefoot walk on the thorns. Do you have any other impressions or comments that you consider important? I would like to mention one young doctor that left an ugly mark on my belly. I do not blame him, it happens sometimes that it heals ugly - not really important. Whenever he would do rounds he would make us laugh by making jokes at our expense, but at his own expense too. He treated us all with respect. Nurses feared him. He was strict, but just. The Man! :)
* "White Coat" is a local nickname for doctors and medical personal, because they wear white uniforms. ** "Child-birth box" refers to one of the many (sometimes half a dozen, sometimes even the full dozen) child-birth beds that are all placed in one big hall, where all the women give birth next to each other. Sometimes there exists a division between them, like a wall or a glass, but that is not the case in all hospitals.
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STORIES FROM MATERNITY WARDS Mama-Kangaroo 002
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