2. Week 3: Bangladesh

3. Fulbaria, Bangladesh

4. When young mothers give birth for the first time it can be a frightening experience; even more frightening when there are no doctors or nurses to help.

5. Salma When eighteen year old Salma and her husband, Masud, found out that they were expecting their first child they were both very concerned. “I had heard that pregnancy is very difficult with lots of problems. I heard some pregnant women had convulsions and then they needed an operation or could die.”

6. Salma was often sick during the first three months and had abdominal pain. She could not eat and felt very weak. Some villagers told her that this was a sign the baby could be abnormal.

7. Salma and Masud had very little money and knew they could not afford an operation. There were no doctors in the area. Then someone told Salma about a woman called Pronoti.

8. Pronoti lived in a nearby village and knew a lot about pregnancy.

9. “I soon started to relax as Pronoti checked my abdomen so gently, looked at my eyes and fingernails and even took my blood pressure! She told me that my baby was fine.”

10. Pronoti discovered that Salma was suffering from anaemia, and explained what foods she should eat.

11. “We were always told to eat less during pregnancy so we would not have a big baby that might not be able to come out normally. Her words really reassured me.”

12. Following Pronoti’s advice, Salma soon started to feel stronger. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, named ‘Maya’. Pronoti is still visiting Salma to show her how to keep Maya healthy.

13. Salma is using her new knowledge to educate women in her area about pregnancy and motherhood.

14. “Every day I feel more confident that I can care for my daughter and I know that I can get good advice from Pronoti if anything does happen.”

15. Pronoti trained as a midwife through the Safe Motherhood Project (SMP), a Caritas Australia partner. “The women I have been looking after encourage other pregnant women to contact me.”

16. SMP midwives lead community discussions on topics such as good nutrition, danger signs in pregnancy and delivery, and the importance of breastfeeding.

17. “People are sharing what they have learned and their experiences with other members of their local community, so lots of good changes are occurring.”

18. With your support, SMP is helping women in Bangladesh to ensure their babies have a safe and healthy start to life.

19. Join us in Project Compassion: Let’s work together for justice and a brighter world.

21. Picture credits Majed Chowdhury Caritas Australia Map (Slide 3): Google Maps - ©2012 Google