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Vol. 2 Issue 4 – Sept. 2007

In this Issue

Editorial
Giving Birth in Bangalore
A Grandmother's Story
Three Expat Perspectives
New eBooks
About Us

 

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New eBooks

Expat Delhi

 

 

About Us

Bangalore Breeze is a collection of personal experiences of expats. KC Comal is the Chillibreeze expat ‘reporter from the field’.

 

 

About PaigeTrabulsi

Paige with her niece Genevieve

Paige developed a passion for the birthing process in 1998 when she served as a bilingual (Spanish) Prenatal Educator for pregnant and parenting teenagers in Austin, Texas. Prior to this experience she worked extensively in Latin America building her understanding of the importance of women’s health to healthy communities and societies. Attending the births of her clients in Texas inspired her commitment to improving the conditions around which women give birth. She attended Columbia University where she earned her Masters in Public Health with a focus on sexual and reproductive health. She is DONA-trained, a current member of the Metropolitan Doula Group (MDG) and Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA), and the founder of an informal network of Brooklyn-based Doulas. She has supported women who have delivered at home, in birthing centers and in hospitals.

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Editorial

Chillibreeze is excited about this issue - having a baby in India! Here's a popular subject for young expat families moving to Bangalore. Our darling daughter was born in India in 1999. We followed the Indian custom and had my mother fly to India to help me with the birth and care of our first baby. I'd say that the experience was a bit of a cultural adjustment for my mom. Be sure to read her entire account of the dramatic event. One memory I have of my pregnancy is how I longed for someone to teach me breathing techniques and coach me on all the possible tips of having a successful and natural childbirth. But much to my chagrin, I found no one! This is why I got so excited when I met Paige Trabulsi - the dula I was looking for since 1999. Chillibreeze wanted to “shout” her name out to all expectant moms who might want to avail her services.

Today Bangalore has a whole lot of options in birthing and we are thrilled to have Paige Trabulsi’s contribution to this month’s special issue of Bangalore Breeze!

Joanna

 

  Giving Birth in Bangalore: Three Expats’ Perspectives
 

1: Tonie, a British mother of two who moved to Bangalore from France last March, was initially discouraged about giving birth here. Concerned about the distances and the city’s infamous traffic situation...

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2: For Priya, a health researcher and mother of two from the US, having her husband by her side during the birth was of utmost importance. She was also concerned about having to do a lot of self-advocacy, a task she wasn’t exactly up for during pregnancy, let alone labor...

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3: Joanie, a former Labor and Delivery nurse from the US, moved to Bangalore seven and a half months pregnant with her first child. Having attended so many births, she had a very clear vision of how she wanted her own birth to go, and chose a doctor at Columbia Asia...

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A Grandmother's Story

When I arrived on March 7, 1999 the day before Joanna's baby-due-date, we were happy that no indication of the birth had yet occurred so that I could recover from jet lag and so that we could get the house in order like hemming curtains for three rooms; getting familiar with the household for cooking, ordering food to be delivered from the store, filtering water, using the mosquito netting for sleeping, harvesting vegetables, unpacking and sorting the baby clothes and assembling the bed that Jane had given her. Getting to know the new young maid Rajeswari continues but that is another story...

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  Giving Birth in Bangalore: Three Expats’ Perspectives
 

If you’re pregnant and planning to give birth in Bangalore, a good first step would be to gather as much information as you possibly can. Not knowing what to expect can increase fear, decrease confidence, and lead to a longer, harder labor and birth. Moving to a new place can be overwhelming, but researching all of your options when it comes to obstetricians (OBs), hospitals, and birth preferences will make delivering in Bangalore a lot more manageable, not to mention enjoyable!

Research comparing women’s short-term and long-term memories of their birth experiences reveals that we have vivid, accurate, and deeply felt memories of the events and our feelings during childbirth, for as long as 20 years. While most women in India, unfortunately, give birth in overcrowded government hospitals with little support, most expats here have the luxury of accessing private institutions that provide care that might be more in line with your expectations. Following are three stories of expat experiences in major health care institutions in Bangalore. Remember, every birth is unique, so use these accounts to help yourself get informed and prepared for your own special experience.

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Highlight eBooks

Want to learn more about South Indian food and cultural tips and customs? Buy the recently published ‘Culinary Guide to Food in South India - The perfect information and handbook for expats and foreigners’

Chillibreeze presents ‘Day trips and weekend getaways from Bangalore’ - a selection of personal travel experiences by Chillibreeze writers who have traveled to places around Bangalore. The eBook is meant to help in decision making when planning a holiday.


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Anchored by: KC Comal
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