2. Week 3: Bangladesh

3. Fulbaria, Bangladesh

4. The birth of a baby is a special event. Mothers need doctors or nurses to help them when they give birth because it is a difficult job.

5. Salma When 18 year old Salma and her husband, Masud, found out that they were expecting their first child they were both worried that there may be problems.

6. Salma was often sick and had no appetite. There were no doctors or hospitals nearby. They didn’t know what to do.

7. Then someone told them about a woman called Pronoti, who lived in a nearby village and knew a lot about pregnancy. Pronoti helped Salma relax. She checked her baby was safe.

8. Pronoti told Salma she needed to eat more foods with iron in them, and explained what foods she should eat. Salma says, “Her words really reassured me.”

9. Salma soon started to feel stronger. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, named ‘Maya’. “Every day I feel more confident that I can care for my daughter and I know that I can get good advice from Pronoti if anything does happen.”

10. Pronoti is still visiting Salma to show her how to keep Maya healthy. Salma is also sharing what she has learnt about pregnancy and motherhood to other women in her area.

11. Pronoti trained as a midwife through the Safe Motherhood Project (SMP), supported by Caritas Australia. “The women I have been looking after encourage other pregnant women to contact me.”

12. Caritas Australia and the Safe Motherhood Program is helping women in Bangladesh to ensure their babies have a safe and healthy start to life.

13. Join us in Project Compassion: Let’s work together for justice and a brighter world.

15. Picture credits Majed Chowdhury Caritas Australia Map (Slide 3): Google Maps - ©2012 Google