Just another day in this magical place.

Hi guys,

Now I've got this blogging stuff down pat (with help from the lovely S.L.) there's no stopping me so look out....or look away😜

Sedap Malam

For Mothers Day this year K and I attended a fund raising luncheon at our favourite restaurant, The Bridges. The proceeds went to the Bumi Sehat (healthy earth mother) foundation, a wonderful birthing/child health centre here in Ubud. Guest speaker was Robin Lim.

I was interested in infertility as our two good friends Koming and Yannick have been trying to have babies for 14 years between them.

                             The beautiful girls, Yannick and Koming                             

  

It's really important to have children here in Bali as not only do they complete your family but they are there to help you across to the other side when your body dies. Only your children can perform the special rituals of purification, dig your body up after 5 years (how long it takes to save for a cremation), piece together every single bone that has to be accounted for and send you off in a big (straw) cow packed full of goodies (including live chicken) for your next life.

Some barren couples even adopt children from there relatives, so that someone will be there for them at the end.

Yannick and Koming are not at that point (thank goodness) and are still very hopeful. I was told at the luncheon that infertility treatments were held on Wednesdays and consisted of acupuncture and chinease medicine. So that Wed we jumped on our scooters and were off, when we arrived we got such a surprise- a) the place was packed and b) it was full of Westerners. There were Russian's and Swiss, Italian, English, Americans and Australians, all at different stages of pregnancy and some bringing their babies for a check up.

We sat on the bench patiently waiting, playing Spot The Pregnant Balinese Woman (we only saw one, can you believe it, apparently women come from all over the world to have their babies here because of the love, care and support of the staff)........all of a sudden we heard a baby cry and a Balinese man talking well Yannick was up like a shot and into the room next door closely followed by Koming, after a short while of contemplation I thought what the heck and in I went too.

Wow there on the bed lay a mother with her newborn baby to her breast, and the sacred placenta (Ari-Ari) still attached sitting in a bowl covered with flowers.

Yannick and Koming were having a chat with the proud father, who was so happy that I had come into the room and was sharing their moment, it was their 3rd child and they had no problems with me taking a photo to share with my friends. Can you believe it??? Just beautiful.

Did you know that the placenta is seen as a sacred spirit that look as after the child? It is taken to the child's home and is buried by the front door with stones, as the baby grows water from its bath is used as an offering for the spirit even some of the babies milk and food too is given in thanks to the Ari-Ari. 

Yannick and Koming went well with their treatments and will continue to go every Wed until we hear some good news. I will keep you posted.

Until next time much love

J

Koming having acupuncture with smoking herbs

Eka (manager) with 4 lovely sisters from Perth, visiting Bumi Sehat (a place that they had made donations to, but never before visited)

For more information on Bumi Sehat- click this link xx