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Blog entries from Desita

Home Visit for a Low Birthweight Baby
By Desita on 4.5.12
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Today, I visited a 7-day-old baby. The mother, Suhaibah is young – only 19. She got married to a 25-year-old man named Mahdim a year ago. I first met Suhaibah when I visited the home of another woman who lived near her. I saw Suhaibah with her mother and grandmother in front of their house and I decided to stop by just to say hello.
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My Good Friend the TBA
By Desita on 4.5.12
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I have known Farisyah since I first arrived in this village in 2006. She is 60 years old and she is a senior Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA). Everybody in this village respects her. She is like a mother to many of the people. Almost all the pregnant women used to go to Farisyah for pregnancy check-ups and she would help them when it came time to give birth. There were some other TBAs in this village too, and all of them were good friends with Farisyah.
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Good and Bad News
By Desita on 4.5.12
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I returned to my village about a week ago after being away for a few days to attend my husband's graduation ceremony in Yogyakarta. I was very worried about leaving the village because two pregnant women who I have been caring for were due to give birth during that time. I was afraid, with me not here, they would go to a traditional birth attendant (TBA) when the time came to give birth. TBAs are not as well qualified as midwives, and this puts both the mother and baby at greater risk if complications occur during childbirth.
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What Will Happen When I Am Away?
By Desita on 4.5.12
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I have mixed feelings today. I promised my husband I would go to his graduation ceremony next week in Yogyakarta, but there are two mothers in my village who I expect will give birth during that time. Knowing this, I have told the mothers I might not be able to help them to give birth, and I have helped them plan ahead.
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My Typical Week
By Desita on 3.1.12
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My second year living in Seuneubok Lhong was very different from my first year. People became more welcoming. I started to provide community-based health services once a month with the help of a few volunteers from the community. I went to the health clinic in the next village every Wednesday morning. And every Thursday I would go to the midwife academy in the Bireuen city. I am a lecturer there. I tell my students about my experience as a midwife in this village.
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