WHAT? She is here??

The reason that I went to Bangalore was to help, as needed, with Ajay and the house while waiting for the birth of my first grand daughter! (And only one, as of now).  I am so grateful that my first plan of going on December 10th and returning on January 5th didn't work out!  Ari Eden Moore arrived safely on January 6th.  I was there the perfect length of time.  Ajay and I got to know each other very well and I was able to hold, cuddle and fall in love with my new grand daughter!  God's timing is always perfect!

This blog is to give you some idea of what it is like to have a baby in India - or at least, what it was like for us.

Lacey is my youngest daughter.  She is married to Chase, whom I very much consider to be my son - as if he were born to me.  Ajay is two years old (had his birthday while I was with him!).  They live in the Himalaya Mountains where they love on people and make their home for the sake of Jesus' name.  Their country's mortality rate is very high and the hospitals are not considered safe.  They chose to go to Southern India, where they know people and could continue language learning more effectively, to have their baby.  When I arrived there on December 7th, they had chosen a hospital and a doctor and were making plans and preparations for Ari's coming.

                                    

The hospital was a good 40 - 45 minute drive from our apartment, so they knew they would have to take a taxi or get a friend to take them who had a car...no rickshaw this time.  The second week that I was there, I accompanied Lacey to her doctor's appointment.  It was late in the afternoon and she got in fairly quickly.  Her doctor was an Indian lady, who was obviously Hindu, wearing a beautiful sari and adorned with the traditional red dot on her forehead.  She was knowledgeable and professional.  I liked her right away.  She listened to Lacey and suggested that Lacey write out a "birth plan" with instructions that were important to her to be followed when she went into labor. 

Lacey's friend had given birth at Cloud Nine Hospital.  It is a maternity hospital and most of the physicians are women.  It is very modern and clean.  We were given a tour of the suite that Lacey and Chase had reserved.  In it was a room with a table and chairs and television, a room with a queen size hospital bed and a leather couch with an extended chair, and a large modern western style bathroom with a large glass shower stall (unheard of in Asia!).  It was a very comfortable air conditioned suite.

Her friend had given her a head's up about some traditional nursing practices of which she needed to be aware.  She would have two nurses attending her in the labor room.  They would possibly tell her to "Sh-shh" if she made any groaning sounds they deemed too loud and inappropriate.  It is also a common practice that if the labor seems to be going on too long or too intense for them to suggest a premature C-section. There would be two doctors present (hers and her assistant) and a pediatrician in the room.  Lacey was concerned that her preferences would not be deferred to and so was a little anxious as the time approached.

Ari was due on December 30th.  It was January 5th and we were all ready for her to get here!  They had an appointment with the US Consulate for January 10th to begin getting Ari's US passport papers in order.  They could not leave India until they had her passport in hand.  They were really feeling the crunch.  Lacey decided to treat herself to a manicure and pedicure at Yolanda's.  The owner consented to her girls giving Lacey "reflexology" (deep massage of the muscles...thought to induce labor in pregnant women and most places refuse to do it on women who are with child.  The feet are particularly sensitive.)  I guess she took one look at Lacey and thought it could do not harm at this stage of the game!



Approximately 3:30 am - close to getting ready to go to the hospital

Lacey labored at home - almost too long!  It turned out that her labor was actually in total about 3 1/2 hours!  When she got to the hospital, she delivered in less than an hour!  Her doctor didn't even get to the hospital.  She was not the most cooperative patient they had ever had and the nurses were baffled as to how to control her.  They asked her to follow their instructions, which included to hold back and not deliver the baby when it was time.  They actually left the room and Chase had to step out in the hall and ask them to come back when he knew the baby was coming! I got a call at 5:50 and she was crying when I answered the phone!



All dressed up in her momma's homecoming sweater dress that she had worn 30 years before!



Ari Eden Moore - January 6, 2013
7 lbs and 1 oz
19 inches
and beautiful

 They had reserved the suite for a traditional three days and used most of that time.  The nurses were helpful and did a good job.  Lacey knew what she wanted and insisted on her way.  I'm sure they were so glad when Ari and Lacey were dismissed!!