Indian Parents in USA - IV
In India, both mom and the baby are not allowed to go out for the first couple of months. Mostly because elders in the house think that since the baby is too small, pollution may cause problems. So since the baby cannot go out mom is also struck with the baby. She cannot afford to leave the baby and go out for a long time because she is breast feeding. In US, I have seen couples going on vacations with days old babies. Ok, I agree that since there is not much pollution in US, it is OK to take the babies for some outing but still it is little dangerous. Their immune systems have not yet fully developed to handle some tough health problems. Breast feeding has always been a problem for moms. It's an incredible feeling which is hard to describe in words. Every mother wants to do it but it is some thing which needs privacy. I don't think any woman wants to do it in front of other people or if she feels someone is watching her. It is very very uncomfortable.Yes, many painters and sculpters have done magnificient art pieces showing a mother breast feeding a baby in a form of showing motherly love but still in practicle world it is not easy for a mother to do that in public. Why, if you have another elder kid, say for example 5 yr old in the household, you can still not breast feed your baby in front of your kid because kids ask so many difficult questions, I don't think which are in any way easy to answer. Where as in US, there are many products available which makes a mom's life easy like breast pumps. After you pump the milk, it can be easily stored and given to the bay when ever needed so that you have the freedom of doing other things. Mind you these are available in India too but not many want to try them and more over everybody will say, oh what great work she has to do other than attending to her baby?
More later...
posted by Aparna at
11:05 PM
1 Comments:
I find some of your posts very interesting. I am just in the opposite situation. My husband and I are US citizens living in India for a few years (my husband took a job transfer here). Un-expectantly I became pregnant. I am finding the medical system here to be painful. It is easy to get an appointment, but appointment is really an appointment for waiting to see the doctor. I have been fortunate to find a good OB-GYN who practiced in the UK so her thinking aligns more with my thinking. I do however find the way medicine is practiced very different.
I think that the medical system in the US is much easier. Your example of the fever made me think. I think that you were told to grab some Tylenol because there are many parents who will over react to such a thing. It has been my experience that if you are a little persistent a doctor would never refuse an appointment.
I also find that safety is much better in the US. There are quality and control standards for such things as food and drugs that are actually followed and enforced. Here in India you have to be careful about where your prescription is filled and even then you sometimes wonder about the safety. I have been extra cautious about eating fruits and vegetables; you never know how or where they are grown.
The most recent example of widespread negligence is the case of the Pepsi and Coca Cola companies in India. It wasn’t that long ago that both were found to be using unfiltered water that had pesticides in it. Many people were affected from this gross negligence.
I laughed about your comments on food. I have had so many women telling me to stay away from certain foods like pineapple, papaya and mangos. I just politely accept their advice. Every culture has their superstitions and myths, India is not exempt. I am sure that if you were pregnant in the US you probably heard a good amount of tales as well.
I hope your husband benefits from the US influence of fatherhood. It has been my experience while living here that Indian men are not as involved with their children. Sure they will play with their children, but that’s the extent of the nurturing they give to their children. I think it is good for men to change diapers, feed the baby (if the mother is breastfeeding she can pump the breast milk), learn to calm and soothe the child. As far as labor and delivery goes he should be present for the entire ordeal, what a great bonding experience!
I hope you enjoy your experiences in the US. Life is much harder in general in India. Fortunately I think India has a lot of potential, as it is still a young country.
By
Anna O. Rowe, at 8:32 PM
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