How other cultures deal...

[IndiaInk]

Winecheery's post last week made me think of my friends in the Dominican Republic and how much they have to deal with after GETTING pregnant, let alone TTC.

I lived there for a while in a very poor area, and visit my Dominican friends regularly. I haven't asked them much about TTC, though I do know childless couples. I can't begin to tell you the horror stories women have told me about giving birth in the local hospitals though. We can all be supremely grateful for our N. American healthcare! Lots of times they ride a motorcycle to the hospital where they labor on a bench in the hall with a lot of other women. They're only taken into a delivery room at the last minute, whereupon they must present their "kit" of surgical supplies...suture and needles, medicine, etc to the doctor. If they fail to provide it, a family member has to run down to the local pharmacy and pick up the stuff!

Anyway, if you guys are interested, my (American) friend lives in the DR and has a blog. A recent post talks about accompanying her Dominican friend to the hospital for a c-section. It is pretty eye-opening how different their culture is. I guess women become both adept at fighting for what they need as well as more patient because the system is so broken.

Here's the blog post: tracybarriokidz.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-waiting-room.html

[winecheery]

Oh my goodness. Thanks for sharing this, I will check out the blog for sure. That sounds absolutely awful! :-( Bring your own medical supplies?? WTF!