For my project work this summer I had the opportunity
of working at the Vivekananda Memorial Hospital in Sargur! My project involved
studying postnatal care practices for mothers and newborns. For the first part
of my project I created a survey that was to be used to interview women about
the postnatal care practices that they use for themselves and for their
children. The survey encompassed areas of postnatal care such as postnatal
diet, breastfeeding, home-based postnatal care, traditional practices used,
hygiene, and counseling for postnatal care. After creating the survey, I
interviewed 25 individuals at the Vivekananda Memorial Hospital and 20
individuals at Anganwadi centers in the Sargur and HD Kote Taluks. After
collecting the data from the interviews, I analyzed the practices that were
used and compared them to standard postnatal care practices. Based on this, I
made recommendations as to what areas of postnatal care could be improved and
in what areas women are doing well. In the future, I plan to continue working
with my mentors and the Vivekananda Memorial Hospital to develop informational
materials about postnatal care.
Even
though my project work was very difficult, I found it to be an extremely
enriching and amazing experience. Being able to interview women for my project
was one of the most memorable aspects of the work that I did. It was so
insightful to be able to learn from the women that I spoke to about the
postnatal care practices that they use. Furthermore, being able to travel to
more rural village to interview women at the Anganwadi centers provided me with
invaluable experiences and more exposure to the more rural areas of India.
Although I had a positive experience, like my peers, I also faced many
challenges. Not having strong Kannada skills and being pressed for time were
continuous issues throughout my project. However, with this I learned how to be
extremely flexible and adaptable in order to get my work done. Ultimately, my
project work not only taught me about postnatal care but provided me with key
research skills and a better understanding of how to navigate project work as a
whole. 