Adani Foundation’s Fortune SuPoshan programme promotes safe motherhood

Ahmedabad : While pregnancy and motherhood can be one of the most beautiful phases in a woman’s life, it can also be daunting as the body undergoes several changes, often even leading to severe complications. When Wahidaben Jaymalbhai Vasava, a resident of the Narmada district, in Gujarat was an expectant mother last year, she was going through a mixed bag of emotions, as she had lost her first child through miscarriage. “I underwent a painful miscarriage due to sickle cell anemia and when I came to know about my pregnancy last year I was terrified for my baby and myself,” says Wahidaben.

Wahidaben is one of the many women in the rural regions of our country who undergo the unimaginable pain of losing a child due to multiple complications. These complications are often the result of a lack of awareness of what a pregnant woman needs before, during, and even after childbirth. With an aim to create a positive dialogue regarding this, every year April 11 is marked in India as National Safe Motherhood Day.

The Fortune SuPoshan – an initiative of the Adani Wilmar and implemented by the Adani Foundation in the interiors of India aims at creating awareness and educate families on various factors such as diet, proper nutrition, facilitating government schemes, and overall health during this life-changing event in a mother’s life.

“I will always be grateful to Anishaben Vijeshbhai Vasava, a SuPoshan Sangini, who stood strong with me during my pregnancy,” says Wahidaben, 22, who’s now a mom to a healthy 23-month-old baby girl.

From regular counselling, and follow-up, to stress reduction techniques, Anishaben supported Wahidaben and her family throughout the pregnancy. “As Wahidaben had sickle cell anemia, her weight was dropping drastically and her hemoglobin levels came down to almost 10%, frightening her husband and in-laws,” says Anishaben.

Often villages have very limited economic and social infrastructure, with the nearest hospital located far away. “During her second pregnancy, the Adani Foundation stepped in to provide support and counselling to Wahidaben and her family, including regular visits from experts, teaching the family to prepare nutritious recipes and provided guidance on stress reduction techniques like pranayama. While the pregnancy wasn’t an easy one, when we saw Wahidaben’s child, it was all worth it,” adds Anishaben.

Over the years, several SuPoshan Sanginis under this initiative have been working relentlessly with young mothers and have been providing them with guidance about prenatal and post-natal care. The team especially works at the grassroots level to educate and make people aware of the situation.

Similarly, when Priyankaben Anilbhai Vasava, a young mother from Rajpipla, Gujarat, was expecting her first child, she was informed that her pregnancy fell under the high-risk pregnancy zone due to complications. When Rakshaben Valvi, a SuPoshan Sangini came to know about the young mom’s complications, she helped the young mother throughout so that she could have a safe and healthy delivery.

“Despite regular checkups and educating the family about the potential complications such as high blood pressure, premature birth, and low birth weight, Priyankaben’s blood reports still indicated high-risk complications as her hemoglobin levels dropped to 9.2, and her weight was nearing 35 kg. We then provided them with a home kitchen kit to help the family feed the young mom with a nutritious diet,” says Rakshaben.

However, in the eighth month her blood pressure shot up leading to premature delivery. The infant was admitted to the NICU at Rajpipla’s civil hospital. When the mother and the child were discharged after a few days the baby’s weight had dropped to 1.7 kg. An undeterred Rakshaben, tirelessly supported the new mom and the newborn nursing them back to good health. At present, the baby weighs around 5.5 kg and even Priyankaben’s blood reports have shown significant improvements.

“We are grateful to Rakshaben and the Adani Foundation for helping us throughout one of the toughest phases of our lives. Not only has Rakshaben and her team proved to be a blessing, but they have taught us the importance of nutrition and the means to have it in our home itself,” says an elated Priyankaben and her husband.

While, as the proverb goes, it takes an entire village to raise a child, you sometimes need a dynamic team of resilient and courageous SuPoshan Sanginis to help expecting young moms bring their bundles of joy into this world safely and healthily.