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Dutch woman compares childbirth experience in India and the Netherlands: 'Absolutely loved all that extra care'
The woman described how giving birth in Mumbai differed from her experience of care in the Netherlands.
A Dutch woman living in Mumbai has caught the internet's attention after opening up about her experience of giving birth in India and navigating the postpartum period far from home.
Taking to Instagram, Ivana, who has been living in India for nearly 9 years, shared her story in a video as part of her series on moving from Amsterdam to India. "Giving birth as a foreigner in India, I really experienced how different the medical world is here compared to home," she said.
She explained that in the Netherlands, childbirth is generally "very anti-medication" and mothers are discharged from the hospital quickly.
In Mumbai, Ivana said that she had to "stand my ground" to have an unmedicated birth. However, she had only praise for the care she received after her daughter was born. "Once my daughter was here, the care was beautiful. We had a wonderful hospital room, and the nurses were so sweet, completely in awe of our daughter," she said.
Ivana further said that the reality of returning to her small Mumbai apartment with a newborn was much more difficult. "The second we brought our daughter home to our tiny Mumbai apartment, the outsider feeling cut deeper than ever before. Everyone close to me was far away," she said.
She also recalled how Mumbai's summer made things even harder. "On top of that, Mumbai was hit by a massive heatwave with temperatures regularly soaring past 40 degrees. Even trying to take a simple walk in the building park was impossible. I was terrified to step outside," she wrote in the caption of the post.
Ivana said that the city's fast-paced traffic and unfamiliar surroundings also made her anxious about taking her newborn outdoors. "Mumbai traffic is so much faster and more chaotic than Bangalore because of the massive roads. And since I didn't know the city yet, I had no idea which places were even safe to go with a newborn," she said.
"The whole postpartum experience was awfully isolating," she added.
Ivana credited her adopted indie dog, Bambi, with helping her cope during those difficult months. However, she said that the challenges eventually took a toll.
"By the time my daughter hit four months, I reached my limit. I had completely enough of Mumbai and its shenanigans, and I knew I needed to pack a bag and fly back to the Netherlands just to breathe," she said.
(Also Read: Indian man in Paris busts myths about glamorous life abroad: ‘Know the hidden costs before leaving India’)
How did social media react?
The post drew mixed reactions online.
One user wrote, "Your strength and love shine through every challenge-so proud of you and Bambi as you navigate this new chapter!"
"I would say actually the birth experience in India is far far superior compared to that in Netherlands!" commented another.
"I know birth is isolating anywhere but when you are in NL and germany for example and give birth an everyone is working. Lack of family can get to you in any country but what about the massive village you can get in india in terms of access to doctors, nurses, cooking help, cleaning help, massages," wrote a third user.
