Birth in Croatia

Having a baby in Croatia is a medical procedure.... and then some.

I have a pregnant friend in the hospital, scheduled to deliver her baby by c-section tomorrow. Her husband will not be able to attend the birth, and he will not be able to hold the baby until both mother and baby go home from the hospital! She will be in ICU for 24 hours after the surgery. Though she wants to breastfeed, I'm feeling pretty sure that they will give her baby bottles and pacifiers, making it as difficult as possible to establish a nursing relationship. The hospital says they have rooming-in, but at night they will take the baby to the nursery. The saddest part of all though, is that the father will only see the baby as they hold it up for him through the nursery glass window after they announce baby's last name through a speaker.

The mother will be spending 10 days in the hospital to recover from the c-section. And the reason she is having a c-section is because she has asthma. She also found out she had gestational diabetes during the last 2 months, and has had to control it with insulin. (I don't know if a woman with asthma and GD in the U.S. would automatically be a c-section recipient - this is something I have wondered about....) Originally, when they diagnosed her with GD, they wanted to admit her to the hospital and keep her there until the baby was born. She checked herself out though and has done a wonderful job of tracking her blood sugar levels, eating carefully, resting, and taking her insulin. The doctor has harassed her and assured her that she was doing the worst thing for her baby, that her baby might die because she would not stay in the hospital. Finally, last week, the doctor refused to do a test that she needed unless she checked herself in to the hospital and would stay put for the rest of her pregnancy. It has been a trying time for this couple. The father is Croatian, but the mother is not.

I can't help but feel sad for this family, having their first child in such circumstances. I pray that they will somehow be able to bond with their precious daughter, despite the rigid hospital procedures, which sound so terrible to me. I know the doctors and nurses are only doing what they feel is best, and I am glad we have the technology and knowledge to care for these high-risk situations. I guess what disturbs me the most is the separation of the family, that a baby will not feel its father's loving arms or hear his soothing voice for so long.

If you would, please join me in praying for her.... and I'll keep reminding myself that nothing is impossible with God!