Grady Baby: A Year in the Life of Atlanta's Grady Hospital

Tired and Swollen

On a cloudy August morning, Azi returned for her six-week checkup. James, the policeman she met after the World Cup, helped her with Robert. They sat near where a tape that explained an episiotomy was playing on the VCR/TV. Breastfeeding Robert, Azi said, "I hope they don't call me now." In a few minutes, they called her to the lab. She rolled her eyes and told James, "I think I can do it with him."She carried Robert, still breastfeeding, to the lab, as she had done pacing while watching the World Cup the month before. Waiting for the tech to draw blood, Azi said, "I now able to hold him and do anything with one arm, even cook. In Brazil, when I saw my sister doing that, I thought, that not me." After her blood was drawn, she gave Robert to James, who moved to the OB waiting room. In the Family Planning office, the counselor asked about her period. Azi said it would start, then stop, start, stop. "Now it stop for two, three days." The counselor asked her about birth control. She said she had taken the pill in Brazil and it made her sick. The counselor gave her a form and said, "The doctor will give you a pill compatible with your body, and one you can take whilebreastfeeding , so check if you've had any of these conditions." The form had a list of diseases and conditions, some of which Azi did not recognize in English. She asked what a gall bladder was, what sickle cell anemia and stroke were. She finished the form and returned to the waiting room, where she resumed breastfeeding. James put his arm around her. A tape about C-sections played on the TV. A calmwoman's voice from off-camera said, "I was in labor for several hours, and my Tired and Swollen 98 Tired and Swollen cervix wasn't changing." A male doctor's voice told about the decision to do a section. The woman said, "Mike and Iwanted a natural delivery...." James stroked Azi's hair. "A C-section may be necessary if you have had one before, or if you have high blood pressure. . . ." Across from Azi a husband and wife sat together, the husband holding his hand to her belly. Next to them, a mother and three enthralled children watched the tape of the delivery. Ms. Griff walked to Azi and glared, pretending to be angry. Azi's name had been called twice for her exam, but she had not heard it over the TV. "I had to put somebody in front of you." Ms. Griff said. "Come to the back infiveminutes." After her exam,Azi went to see discharge nurse Robbie Dimler. "Look at my baby," Azi said proudly. "Ooh, look at the baby," Dimler said. She cuddled the tiny boy in her large arms. "How's the mom?" "No sleep. Iwish he had two mothers. One to get dressed, one to feed him." Azi removed a camera from her purse and took a picture of Dimler holding her baby, who quickly fell asleep on her broad shoulder. The two chatted for a while about breastfeeding, laughing and shaking their heads. Dimler gave Azi information about her next WIG appointment, and Azi wrote it down on a bag labeled, "Disposable Bag for Sanitary Napkins." That afternoon, Azi held Robert in her lap, at Kenneth's apartment. It was typical of low-cost apartment complexes scattered all over the northern suburbs. Young couples or singleslived inexpensivelywhile they were in school, in their first jobs, or until they could afford a house. The twobedroom apartment had a small square kitchen and ample living room. Between the television and sofa in the livingroom, several layers ofblankets formed a pallet on the floor, where Kenneth enjoyed playing with Robert. Azi flipped through a pile of photographs on the small dining table between the livingroom and kitchen. A pile of English/Portuguese flashcards were scattered near her elbow. In one picture, she stood next to a pickup truck. Perched in the back was a motorcycle. "It was mine," Azi said. "Last year. I sold it before I left to Brazil. I Tired and Swollen 99 bought a motorcycle and I get pregnant—I no bought. Jeff bought the motorcycle. Who is I am to buy a motorcycle? He always wanted to give me a...