Devlet Hastane and an Orange Couch

Today entailed a trip to the Devlet Hastane for a standard glucose test for gestational diabetes. How to explain health care in Turkey...? Well, first of all, anything involving the use of the public hospital is made easier by the help of my mother-in-law and our neurologist neighbor, Hamit Bey. All of my tests are stamped with Neurology, which is kind of funny. My doctor, Semih Özeren, speaks English, has a private practice and works for the Kocaeli University, but we go to the public hospital for all of the testing. In order to do so, we need a referral every time and knock on Hamit Bey's door. My mother-in-law is like a grandmother to his children, so it all works out in the end. Every time I go to the hospital with her I count my blessings that I have an assertive advocate who handles all of the business. Even for Turkish people, it is hard to know where to go and who to talk to. She is excellent at getting to the front of any line and asking any person for assistance without bashfulness. In the end, 50 g. of glucose and 2 hours later, we walk out of the hospital far earlier than most who have to sit and wait.

For those who are curious, I have done a lot of research into midwifery in Turkey. From what I understand, births are attended by what they consider a 'midwife-nurse' and a doctor will not be present unless necessary. This seems common practice in hospitals worldwide. I believe their concept of a midwife is different than ours, though I won't know this for sure until the time comes! While I had orginally planned on having the midwife-homebirth-waterbirth experience, it does not appear that I will be able to replicate it here. Rather than be disappointed in what I can't have, I have learned in Turkey that one just has to go with the flow. In doing so, I have found all of my needs to be met by very helpful, caring staff.

On a different note, the pictures in this post are of our apartment now, before our landlady removes the furniture she has been storing in the third bedroom, and gives us use of it. We will use that room as our master bedroom, and I'll use our current bedroom as a guestroom/studio. The room with the orange couch and green walls will be the baby's room -- it has a built in closet, which will come in handy. And I love the color, so that will stay the same.

I am not sure why I love the color orange and lime green currently... maybe it is the light in Turkey, or the way people use color differently here.