And the Stick Turned Blue…

The last couple weeks have been a blur of activity–between kicking it up a notch at language school, a couple of orphanage trips with other meetings in between, and–oh yeah–finding out that we were surprisingly quite pregnant about 4 weeks ago! With subsequent doctor’s appointments and all the usual things that go along with being pregnant in a country you just moved to 2 months ago…

I have found out that basically being pregnant means you are not allowed to do anything, basically except walk and sit on the couch and eat bonbons.  No biking, no swimming, no lifting of anything larger than a wallet…so I have already broken a few cultural taboos merely by existing by unknowingly being pregnant for nearly 5 months. 

But I digress.  In fact, we have access to good medical care locally for prenatal issues (since we are conveniently connected with a family medicine training program with a clinic, residents, and western-style medicine being emphasized). 

Things are done a bit differently at the local hospital than what we are used to back in the US. 

Such as, you pay up front for every service, such as blood tests and ultrasound.  But on the plus side, the ultrasound was only about $15, and the blood work about $9! 

The really fun part is trying to collect a urine specimen in a microscopic cup with a pointy bottom, using a hospital squattie pottie, then figuring out how to hold it and get the pants back on simultaneously…Nope, no convenient little racks with holes in them attached to the bathroom wall! 

We are traveling by train next week to the capital city where we will see an OB-GYN at a large hospital with more extensive backup services since we have a few issues that could complicate the delivery (having a VBAC in a country where most people only have one child…).  I have heard rumors that if you buy the Delivery Package (you can order online ahead of time a C-section or a vaginal delivery Kit), it includes a steak dinner and pedicure the day after delivery!!!  What else could a woman want?

It’s a good thing I’m not craving Friendly’s Hot Fudge, like with the last pregnancy, or Burger King tater tots, with the one before, or Gatorade and Krispy Kreme, with #1…it would be a long time coming.  

Lo and Behold...Two Lines