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These are the diaries of two women CINI is working with in Kolkata. Both women expect to give birth around Mother's Day this year. CINI health workers are visiting both women regularly and giving them essential advice on how to stay healthy during their pregnancies. We hope to brining you updates on both these women's stories but, for now, read how CINI has helped them so far.
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Rina Bibi was just 15 years old when her father arranged her marriage to a 26-year-old man, a painter by profession. Within a year, Rina had given birth to a girl but she and her husband now want a boy so she became pregnant for a second time and is due to give birth again in March this year.
 February 2nd 2012
“I am the only daughter in my household so I have to cook food every day for five members of the family. As well as the cooking, I do other household chores and I have to walk for about an hour to collect drinking water every day.
With all these chores to do, it is hard to find a moment each day to take a rest and I was starting to suffer from head spins and blackouts almost every day. My weight was getting low as well, just 45kg, which I’m told is dangerous during pregnancy.
Luckily, a CINI health worker started visiting me when I was four months pregnant and talked to me and my family about the changes we needed to make to our lives. She talked to us about changing my diet and getting proper rest and my weight has now increased to 50kg. The CINI health worker also talked to us about giving birth in a hospital rather than at home and we have decided to do that. I just dream of giving birth to a healthy child.
I probably would have died if I hadn’t met CINI’s didi [literally older sister but used to describe any older woman who someone respects] because she was the only one to tell me about important things like immunization and looking after yourself during pregnancy. The CINI didi comes every week and talks to me and my family and my mother-in-law now takes a big interest in my health.”
February 15th 2012
“I want to tell you a bit more about me and my family. I live in a village called Darapatra in West Bengal and my husband, Abdul Purkait, is a tailor by profession. We don’t have much money coming in. My husband earns about Rs 3,800 each month (approximately £50).
Abdul and I are both Muslims and this is our first baby. Abdul is away a lot to do his work so I only see him once a week, but my in-laws stay with me so I’m not lonely.
CINI comes to check on me regularly to see if I’m doing okay and eating the right things. At the moment, I eat five small meals a day, which is more than I used to eat when I wasn’t pregnant. We eat pulses and vegetables several times a week and even fish and meat is quite regular at the moment. The CINI didi also makes sure I eat lots of fruit and gives me advice on the best foods for me to eat during my pregnancy.
I do some of the housework still, such as cleaning, cooking and carrying water, but CINI told me and my family to make sure I rest for at least two hours rest during the day. I’m glad because I was suffering from blackouts but now there seems to be no problem.”
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Eighteen-year-old Monira Bibi is from Morigachi, a muslim village in the Diamond Harbour district of southern Kolkata.
Monira is expecting her first baby in early March having recently married her husband, 30-year old Habib Purkait, who works in embroidery making saris.
Habib and Monira are both literate and went to school in Morigachi, where they grew up living next door to each other.
Monira lives with her parents and two brothers while she waits for work on her in-law's house to be completed, so that she can move in with her husband by the time she gives birth.
February 10th 2012
"I live near the harbour on the banks of a huge delta where the river Ganges and Brahmaputra meet. I am pregnant with my first baby and I don't care if it is a boy or a girl.
My sister in law, Latifa, works for CINI and she keeps an eye on me, but I also have a CINI health worker called Mili, who visits me regularly for check-ups.
Mili discovered that I was anaemic near the beginning of my pregnancy, so she put me on a course of iron tablets and now I'm okay. She also took me to the local health centre and made sure I got a tetanus vaccination and some advice on my diet.
Now Latifa and my family keep an eye on what I'm eating and, even though we don't have much money, they make sure I eat nutritious food like rice and green vegetables.
Mili weighed me and I am 30kgs, so she has advised me to have my baby in a hospital, which is about half an hour away by rickshaw, in case there are any problems. If I have to have a caesarian, Mili told me that CINI will pay for the operation.
My family don't let me go to fetch our water anymore, I just have to keep my room tidy and make sure I get some rest. My husband also takes good care of me and he even helps with the household chores.
Two weeks ago, at the end of January, CINI paid for me to have a scan, because the government doesn't give them to pregnant women for free. The scan showed that I am 34-weeks pregnant, so I'm due around the middle of March."
February 19th 2012
“I’m a little worried about money. Habib only brings in Rs 1,500 a month (£20) and I’m not sure it is going to be enough when the baby is born. The other concern I have is my weight, which Mili says is still quite low. I have gone up from 30kgs when I first got pregnant but I am still just under 38Kgs now and that is with eating more of the right things, such as fresh vegetables and meat. It is looking like I may have to go to hospital to have my baby if my weight does not go up a lot before I give birth. At least I’m not anaemic any more, thanks to CINI, and Mili hasn’t found any other health problems for me to worry about.”
Update!
Monira Bibi gave birth to a healthy baby boy shortly before Mother’s Day. He weighed 5lbs at birth and both mother and baby are doing well.
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