The Year of the Golden Pig

Many of you I am sure have been to a Chinese restaurant where they put down the paper place mats that you can use to figure out whether you are a dog or a dragon, a rat or a snake. These also detail who you ought and ought not marry and tell you your personality...with varying degrees of accuracy! As my Mom always says, a stopped clock is right twice a day. Anyway, also in the cycles of Chinese divination is some kind of metal rotation that is then matched with the animal. This year is the Year of the Golden Pig...a very lucky year! I'm sure you all remember the big rushed to be married in 1999, well, that was NOTHING compared to the baby rush this year! Apparently all children born this year will be wealthy. I'm not so sure I can believe that though. And our decision to have a child this year was not based in anyway on this fact (or fiction!). The following, though, is my attempt to have my first prenatal check.

The first hospital we went to we left rather quickly. It was, in general, overflowing with patients. When I went to the maternity section, the nurse angrily sent me to the gynecology department...where we were rebuffed again. When we got back to the nurse in the maternity department, she told me the wait would be over three hours. I needed to come back at 7 the next morning...no, they don't do appointments here. So off we went to find another hospital.

We told the taxi driver one hospital, but he insisted on taking us to another (everyone always knows better than everyone else...I get tired of being told what to do and where!). So off we went to another, of course it was all the way across town (gee, I wonder why he wanted me to go there?). When we arrive, we are directed to a crowded hall. Women are sitting, standing, pushing into the exam rooms...total chaos. We finally find the nurse who is to check in the 2 month pregnant women. Her first question: Does she want the baby? Are you sure? The push to get abortions here is worse than a Planned Parenthood clinic! She directs us to a door.
At the door, which is open, I have to take my chart in and line it up with the other charts on the nurses desk...while one patient is talking to a nurse and another is getting undressed to be examined. So I go back to door where we wait, in the doorway listening to the girl who is in there have her appointment. The only thing separating us from the girl getting undressed for her exam is a curtain and a plexi-glass wall. Yet, because of the lighting situation (none in the main part of the room, and very bright exam light on the other side of the curtain) we can see everything going on behind in silhouette. I find it very uncomfortable. Also I realize that these girls are having to place the exam table's sanitation paper up there themselves. I don't see anyone wash their hands.
After waiting for over an hour and half, I am finally called in (with another girl in tow). I am told that she won't see anymore patients. My friend who is there translating for me, tells them I have been waiting a long time. I don't want the female exam...which upset everyone. They tell them I just want some blood work. They look at my list and tell me I don't need these test. Then after some arguing, they say I don't need them until I am 3 month pregnant (I think they are just trying to get me to leave). Finally, after a great deal of explaining, they roll their eyes and we go into another room. Where two nurses are seeing two girls at the same time. By the way, there is no such thing as doctor (or nurse) patient confidentiality. The nurse who is leading the way tells my friend to follow her into another room. She goes into the room, turns around immediately to come. "There is a girl being examined in there." My poor friend has seen it all now! She tells me she is glad that she was not wearing her glasses!
We finally get someone who is willing to right the order for me and we are sent to the 3rd floor only after we pay. On the 3rd floor, I sit down to give my blood and ask, as always, if they were new (meaning the needles. The nurse said no and I jerked my hand back...she was not about to let my hand go so fast. But my friend clarifies my question, to which she answers, "yes, the needles are new. I thought she meant this stack of papers." (like I would care anything for her stack of paper!)
With my blood drawn, we carry my blood down to another window where they will finish the tests. After we get the results, we take them back down to the second room we went to in order to see the nurse again...this time we don't have to wait! We are told that the test is normal (or literally, no BIG problems). So back to the 3rd floor for the urinalysis, and for all you girls out there all I can say is "squatty potty." I feel very gifted! Once that ordeal is over, it is back down to the nurse who tells me again, ok. Then she says I need to come back at 4:30 that afternoon. I can tell, that did NOT happen. And I will not go back to the hospital unless I have a major problem and it is unavoidable.
So this was my person experience with the "baby boom" in the Year of the Golden Pig. And the next time you think that the doctors office is a big time drain...I was gone for about 4 hours with little to show for it. Be glad that you have private appointments. Be glad your doctor washes his/her hands. And for the doctors in America, I know you all work long hours...but at least you are paid for it. Here they are paid like common workers with little to no training. My friend told me of a friend who said that she wanted to quit being a doctor to become a waitress. She said that she worked for 24 hour shifts or more and was paid about the same as a waitress.
Well, that's all for now...I hope to post some pictures soon of the BIG girl Lydia who was one on Wednesday!